Egyptian medicine dates back to 2900 BCE, but the best
known record is the “Ebers Papyrus”, which dates from 1500
BCE and documents over 700 drugs, mostly of plant origin.
Records documenting the uses of approximately 1000 plantderived
substances in Mesopotamia date from around 2600
BCE, and many are still used today for the treatment of
ailments ranging from coughs and colds to parasitic infections
and inflammation.