In a recent study the researchers have found about a new most painful
disease, which was prevalent around 3000 years ago. They came to know
about the same after examining an Egyptian male mummy.
Dr. Mislav Cavka, a medical doctor at the University of Zagreb and his colleagues examined the mummy using X-rays, a CT scan and a newly developed technique for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and found that around 2,900 years ago, the ancient Egyptian man (whose mummified body has been examined by the scientists in this study), passed away after suffering from a rare disease possibly in his twenties.
The researcher group has identified the ailment to be ‘Hand-Schuller-Christian’ disease, a mysterious illness, where Langerhans cells (a type of immune cell found in the skin) multiply rapidly.
According to them, this mummy is the third known case of the said disease from ancient Egypt. Hence it can be ascertained that the above mentioned disease was commonly prevalent among the ancient humans.
Dr. Cavka has described that the effects of the disease would have been very very painful and would have affected the man’s appearance, particularly during his last time. He opines the disease to be one sort of cancer.
But many modern scientists are doubtful about the prevalence of cancer in the ancient time as fewer pollutants were there at that time.
The researchers have also written on their papers that the mummy might have suffered from a diabetes insipidus. They are of the opinion that the condition would have made it difficult for his kidneys to conserve water, which would have worsened the man’s predicament ultimately leading to death.
But whatever may be the exact cause of the death it is certain that it was a lethal disease of the ancient time that had been affecting about one in 560,000 young adults.
The examined mummy is now at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia. The findings of the study were published in the journal Collegium Antropologicum.
Dr. Mislav Cavka, a medical doctor at the University of Zagreb and his colleagues examined the mummy using X-rays, a CT scan and a newly developed technique for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and found that around 2,900 years ago, the ancient Egyptian man (whose mummified body has been examined by the scientists in this study), passed away after suffering from a rare disease possibly in his twenties.
The researcher group has identified the ailment to be ‘Hand-Schuller-Christian’ disease, a mysterious illness, where Langerhans cells (a type of immune cell found in the skin) multiply rapidly.
According to them, this mummy is the third known case of the said disease from ancient Egypt. Hence it can be ascertained that the above mentioned disease was commonly prevalent among the ancient humans.
Dr. Cavka has described that the effects of the disease would have been very very painful and would have affected the man’s appearance, particularly during his last time. He opines the disease to be one sort of cancer.
But many modern scientists are doubtful about the prevalence of cancer in the ancient time as fewer pollutants were there at that time.
The researchers have also written on their papers that the mummy might have suffered from a diabetes insipidus. They are of the opinion that the condition would have made it difficult for his kidneys to conserve water, which would have worsened the man’s predicament ultimately leading to death.
But whatever may be the exact cause of the death it is certain that it was a lethal disease of the ancient time that had been affecting about one in 560,000 young adults.
The examined mummy is now at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia. The findings of the study were published in the journal Collegium Antropologicum.
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