In the past, there were incredibly unscientific treatments that were widely used with the trust of both the public and doctors.
Our modern society enjoys many privileges. Among them, one that would undoubtedly make our ancestors envious is the ability to visit a doctor and receive safe and effective treatment.
Throughout human history, we have gone through phases with strange and even “bizarre” healing practices. The effectiveness of these methods is unknown, but just hearing about them can certainly send chills down your spine, or make you feel “creepy”.
Inhaling One’s Own Flatulence
In the past, people inhaled their own flatulence in hopes of protecting their health. (Illustration: Getty).
In the spring of 1665, the plague spread rapidly in London, gradually becoming a pandemic that terrified the public.
However, surprisingly, people were willing to do anything to protect their health and that of their families, including inhaling their own flatulence.
This bizarre and unscientific treatment stemmed from a hypothesis by doctors of that time. They believed that the plague spread through vapors in the air, and that a foul-smelling substance would dilute the contaminated air.
Thus, some locals “stored” their flatulence in jars, just in case they suddenly needed to “cleanse” the atmosphere.
Milk Transfusion
An illustration of milk transfusion from sheep to humans. (Image: Wikimedia).
In the late 1800s, doctors believed that milk, whether from cows, goats, or humans, was a precious liquid that would provide the body with raw materials to create white blood cells.
As a result, milk was directly transfused into the bloodstream for a long time and even became a popular treatment, despite being incredibly unscientific and often leading to death.
Powdered Mummy for Healing
Powder from mummies was used to treat many ailments, including cancer. (Image: Alarabiya).
Since the 12th century, mummy medicine became popular in Europe and was used to treat a wide range of ailments, from bruises, headaches, and open wounds to cancer, gout, and depression.
At that time, it was easy to walk into a pharmacy and find a jar of powdered medicine that contained ground Egyptian mummies.
It wasn’t until the 16th century that scientists began to question this remedy. It turned out that the entire treatment, once believed to be effective, was based on a ridiculous misunderstanding due to mistranslations of ancient texts.
These texts referred to bitumen, a substance commonly used in the embalming process that could heal wounds or provide antidotes in certain cases.
And of course, the mummies prepared in this manner were never considered medicinal.
Being Inside the Corpses of Whales
A whale carcass washed ashore. (Image: Euro News).
At the end of the 19th century, one of the most ludicrous medical fads in history involved placing patients with arthritis inside the carcass of a dead whale.
This strange healing method seemed to originate from an anonymous drunkard who accidentally bumped his head against the decaying blubber of a whale carcass on the beach.
After this incident, he not only became completely sober but also claimed to have been cured of his rheumatism.
Using Cabbage for Healing
Cabbage was once considered a “wonder drug.” (Illustration: Getty).
In ancient Rome, cabbage was regarded as healthier than most other vegetables. Pliny, a famous scholar of this era, even wrote a lengthy 2,000-word treatise on the wonders of cabbage.
Among all the proposed uses of cabbage by Pliny, there was one peculiar method he suggested: injecting cabbage juice into the ears to treat hearing loss.
Pliny also believed that the urine of those who consumed cabbage was particularly beneficial. So much so that boys bathed in this urine would “never become weak.”
