necessitated the presence of healers and hospitals . They also had midwives for maternity issues . By the 3rd century BCE , the Romans had a religious healing system called the
cult of Asclepius . They built shrines that included thermal baths with doctors in attendance , and their water supply facilities throughout the empire promoted public hygiene and prevented the spread of disease .
Unlike the Romans , who disliked dissecting corpses , it was common practice for the Egyptians to dissect corpses for mummification . By removing organs from dead corpses and placing them in jars , they were able to get an understanding of many organs in the body . The
Ebers Papyrus , written around 1500 BCE , contained thorough medical practices and discoveries used to analyze the function and cures for a range of body parts –– from teeth to the brain .