- What kind of bizarre medical treatments do you expect to see below?
Do you think you know all the bizarre medical treatments on this list? Like cocaine in medicine or tobacco enemas?
Mercury Medicine
Mercury compounds were used historically to treat diseases including syphilis. Physicians prescribed mercury in ointments, pills and vapors despite its toxicity. Patients could experience salivation, neurological symptoms, kidney damage and other serious effects.
Bloodletting
For centuries, physicians believed that illness could result from an imbalance of bodily fluids known as humors. Bloodletting using lancets or leeches was therefore prescribed for numerous conditions. The treatment could sometimes cause serious blood loss. Did you think this is one of the bizarre medical treatments that would end up on the list?
Trepanation
Trepanation involved creating a hole in the skull. Archaeological evidence shows the procedure was performed thousands of years ago. Possible purposes included treating head injuries, relieving pressure or ritual practices. Some patients survived long enough for bone healing to occur.
Mummy Medicine
In early modern Europe, powdered Egyptian mummies were sold as a medicinal substance known as mumia. People believed it could treat various ailments. The practice persisted for centuries despite having no demonstrated medicinal basis.
Tobacco Smoke Enemas
In 18th-century Europe, tobacco smoke was sometimes introduced into the rectum as a supposed treatment for drowning and other conditions. Special bellows and tubes were developed for the procedure. It was eventually abandoned as medical understanding improved. Did you think this is one of the bizarre medical treatments that would end up on the list?
Arsenic Beauty Treatments
Arsenic compounds were incorporated into some historical beauty products and remedies. People sought pale skin and other cosmetic effects. The problem was that arsenic is highly toxic and chronic exposure could cause severe illness.
Radium Treatments
After radioactivity was discovered, radium was promoted as a miracle substance. It appeared in products marketed for health and beauty. Some treatments were medically legitimate experiments, while others were dangerous commercial products that exposed people to radiation.
Electricity as Medicine
During the 18th and 19th centuries, electricity was promoted as a treatment for numerous illnesses. Physicians experimented with electrical stimulation, sometimes with genuine therapeutic aims and sometimes with highly dubious claims.
Plombage for Tuberculosis
Before effective antibiotics, surgeons sometimes attempted to collapse diseased sections of the lung. One method involved placing material into the chest cavity to compress part of the lung. The procedure could produce serious complications. Did you think this is one of the bizarre medical treatments that would end up on the list?
Leeches
Leeches were used extensively in medicine to remove blood. Although the old theory behind bloodletting was incorrect, medicinal leeches have a legitimate modern use in certain reconstructive surgeries because their saliva contains compounds that help maintain blood flow.
Treacle as an Antidote
Historical “treacle” was not simply the modern sweet syrup. Theriac was a complicated medicinal mixture containing many ingredients and was promoted as an antidote to poisons and a treatment for numerous diseases. Did you think this is one of the bizarre medical treatments that would end up on the list?
Cocaine in Early Medicine
Cocaine was once used medically, including as a local anesthetic. Before its risks were fully understood, it also appeared in various commercial preparations. Modern medicine retains chemically related local anesthetics while recognizing cocaine’s substantial risks and limitations.
Did you end up knowing about all the bizarre medical treatments on this list? Tell us what surprised you most in the comments!