Cautery: Folk healing practices are part of the traditional Egyptian culture, cupping and cautery are two of the methods of healing that individuals resort to treat their patients who know or do not know its causes, and the motives of patients vary in resorting to cupping or cauterization, some of them resort to it from a belief, economic or cultural motives. Community members turn to these therapeutic practices “on the grounds that they perform a function and satisfy urgent needs through the conditions and reality of this community.” Cautery: Folk healing practices are part of the traditional Egyptian culture.” * Steps of cautery treatment : First, it is up to the healer to diagnose and to determine the desired site by pressing the thumb on the patient’s body so that the patient screams out loud in pain, through which the healer knows the exact location of the pain.  Then heating the appropriate  big metal nail on the fire until it turns red. – After that the hot nails « Mahaeer » applied by the professional healer on the determined sites of the body according to the type of the existing disease. Few healers are specialized in healing by cautery, as it is a very specific knowledge transmittied in a very narrow scale, normaly within families. Cautery healers are well known and found in the desert areas in certain tribs, people who seek treatment by cautery travel to them as a final stage of treatment. Choosing a clever healer in cautery is very important as it is a risky and painful intrusive treatment and can cause damedges if the burned Mahaweer reached veins. It is up to the healers to diagnous and determine the sites for cutery and the times of conducting these operations, it should be taken three times, lightly, on the place, the first time it is removed, and then it is removed, and then it is finished, and finally, the third cautery .Cautery is places that the therapists know about, and there are specific locations that they do not deviate from, including: • Sciatica ( low back pain &sciatric nerve irritation ) by cauterized near the thigh joint from the top • Migraine: cauterized over the left ear. • Tonsils: cauterized over the ears. • Hernia of the testicles: cauterized over the vein that connects the testicles. • The heel of the foot: Iron slightly above the heel of the foot. Bearers in the local communities belive that it is an effective treatment as Propht Mohamed adviced people to use as the last solution for curing.

Reference:
Mohamed El Gohary, Encyclopedia of Intangible Cultural Heritage, vol. 5, folk beliefs and traditional knowledge, ministry of culture, Cairo, 2008.