SurgeryĪlthough there is no specific evidence of urological conditions or treatments during the Mayan period, the shamans and ah-men did demonstrate considerable surgical skill. These were often combined with massage to alleviate gynaecological symptoms such as dysmenorrhoea, menopause, premenstrual tension and infertility massage is still practised in parts of meso-Americatoday for these conditions. They regularly used “ sweat baths”, similar to today’s saunas. Athlete’s foot and diarrhoea were everyday occurrences and were often cured using herbal remedies. Mayan physicians undoubtedly described four specific diseases - pinta, leishmaniasis, yellow fever and an eye condition which was probably trachoma - as well as several psychiatric syndromes. Hot and coldwere also key concepts in Mayan medicine: “cold” disorders such as constipation, cramps or paralysis would be treated with hot, spicy foods whilst 'hot' disorders such as fever, diarrhoea or vomiting would be treated with cold plants or food (e.g. Self-brewed alcoholic preparations were also used, especially during rituals, to help them to communicate with the spirit world in the hope of re-establishing good health by restoring the correct “balance”. Shamans employed mind-altering substances such as morning glory, “magic” mushrooms, tobacco and other hallucinogens.

white was generally avoided since it was seen as a signal of death.

yellow (the colour of bile) for diseases of the liver & spleen.

red for rashes, blood disorders & burns.

Herbal remedies were often employed according to the colour of the originating plant: Mayan medical texts are devoted to the treatment of symptoms based upon the effects of certain herbal remedies which could be swallowed, smoked, snorted, rubbed on the skin, and even given as enemas.Ī Mayan shaman administering an enema using a leather introducer The ancient Maya perceived health as “balance”, whereas illness and disease were “imbalance”. These people were called shamans ( pictured, who acted as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual worlds) and ah-men (the “disease throwers”). Medicine was only practiced by the specially selected individuals who had received an extensive education. The Maya equated sickness with captivity of the soul by supernatural beings, angered by some perceived misbehaviour. Health was the result of living according to the laws of nature and society, and illness the result of the transgression of those laws. Mayan medical practice was a complex blend of mind, body, religion, ritual and science. The diversity of the territory meant that a large variety of diseases could flourish but it also provided a multitude of potential plant remedies with which the Mayans could experiment. The Mayan civilisation rose to prominence in the swampy lowlands of what we now know as southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, El Salvador and northern Belize.

Mayan ways of life