With some parts of the body you only notice that they are important when you no longer have them. This is especially true of the big toe. I know some people who say they find toes and feet downright unattractive and repulsive; but these excessively strained body parts really do not deserve this devaluation.
Toes, especially the big ones, do a daily job that we usually don't even notice: With every step, the big toes stabilize our steps and help us to keep our balance. This is the only way we can walk and stand safely and roll our feet optimally, without hobbling and putting wrong strain on our joints. Sports or dancing would also be impossible without big toes.
With some clinical pictures it is unfortunately necessary that toes have to be amputated. These are often infections that could cause blood poisoning if the infection would spread throughout the body. With the removal of the affected part of the body, this blood poisoning can be prevented. In addition, circulatory disorders, such as in diabetes, can result in a shortage of blood and oxygen supply and subsequent death if the tissue.
We know that the Egyptian doctors had the opportunity to perform operations, because appropriate tools were depicted and found. Unfortunately, there are no written instructions on the exact procedure for surgical interventions. However, it is undisputed that infections, circulatory disorders and probably also injuries made amputations necessary: Some mummies were found with missing limbs, which were replaced with prostheses during the embalming process in order to make the body complete again for the afterlife. Some of these prostheses were only very rudimentary and consisted, for example, of fabric that was filled with sawdust. However, there is now evidence of prostheses that were made available to patients during their lifetime in order to actually restore the functioning of the body.
An example of such a prosthesis was found during an excavation in Thebes-West and dated to the 21st or 22nd Dynasty (around 1000-750 BC). The big toe prosthesis is attached to the mummy of a 55-year-old woman named Tabaketenmut, whose toe had to be amputated during her lifetime. CT scans revealed evidence that she suffered from mild osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis, which, as in diabetes today, can be associated with circulatory disorders.
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
JE 100016A
Provenance: TT 95, Scheich-Abd-el-Gurna
from: Finch 2011.
The prosthesis itself consists of 3 wooden parts that are held together with leather straps. The big toe is made very detailed, with a hint of the bony structure and even a carved, color-contrasted toenail. The prosthesis is attached to the foot with fabric straps. That the prosthesis was actually used can be concluded from the fact that the underside of the wood shows signs of wear.
However, this example is not the only one of its kind: Another prosthesis is kept in the British Museum (see cover picture), for which it was not clear for a long time whether it could actually have been used. Although the prosthesis is made very lifelike, it only consists of rather unstable cardboard that could have worn out very quickly. However, experimental archeology was able to provide clarification here: the two prostheses were reproduced and made available to two test subjects who are now living with big toe amputations. Together with the sandals in use at the time, it was found that both models were comfortable to wear and actually provided gait stability. Surprisingly, the wooden model seems to have done particularly well, even though the material is significantly less flexible. And once again the ancient Egyptians astonish us with their pronounced sense of practicality ...
Literature
- Andreas G Nerlich, Albert Zink, Ulrike Szeimies, Hjalmar G Hagedorn, Ancient Egyptian prosthesis of the big toe, Lancet 2000; 356: 2176–79.
- Jacqueline FInch, The ancient origins of prosthetic medicine, Lancet 2011; 377: 548-549.
Cover Picture
Toe prosthesis made of cardboard, British Museum London, EA 29996, © The Trustees of the British Museum, age unknown.
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