10 Shocking Medical Treatments from History

Medicine, like every other science, has changed a lot over the years. Some once-popular treatments have proven to be quite bizarre–and dangerous. Let’s explore some of the craziest cures of the past:

1. Trepanning for Headaches

Trepanning means to drill a hole in the skull. This is one of history’s oldest treatments. Doctors believed that trepanning released pressure, treated headaches, or got rid of evil spirits. Historical findings have shown that this practice was very common, and many patients survived!

2. Milk Transfusions for Blood Loss

In the past, milk was used as an alternative for blood. Doctors thought that milk could replace lost blood and provide important nutrients. We now know the two are very different, making this treatment seem even more shocking.

3. Corpses for Energy

Believe it or not, “dead people medicine” was quite popular once. Many people believed that eating skin, bones, or even mummies cured sickness. Some even thought that the energy of a young dead person could make an old person young again.

4. Whale Bodies for Achy Joints

Whale bodies were famous for treating painful joints called rheumatoid arthritis. People believed that if a person spent many hours inside a dead whale, their joints would heal. The sick person would be rowed to the whale in a boat and then placed into a hole cut in the body.

5. Cocaine for … Everything!

Before doctors realized how addictive it is, they considered cocaine a miracle treatment. It cured everything from depression and sleepiness to toothaches and hay fever. Notably, the original recipe of Coca-Cola even contained cocaine!

6. Cigarettes for Asthma

It might sound wild today, but cigarettes once treated people with trouble breathing, also known as asthma. The belief was that breathing in smoke would help open up the lungs, making it easier to breathe.

7. Leeches for Illness

One of the most commonly used medical treatments was bloodletting. This meant draining the “bad blood” out of a sick person’s body. This treatment was used to cure many things, from fevers to epilepsy. Leeches were often used for this and continue to be used today but for different reasons.

8. Urine for White Teeth

Urine therapy has been around for a long time. From teeth whitening to treating kidney and liver issues, doctors often told people to drink it or put it on their bodies for healing. Without a doubt, we can be grateful that this practice is not around anymore.

9. Heroin for Coughs

Before we knew how addictive it is, heroin was used to treat coughing. It also was used to treat back pain and help people sleep. Funny enough, doctors told sick people to use it because they thought it was safer than other options!

10. Nightshade for Pain

Nightshade, a very poisonous plant, was once used to help with pain. While it does have parts in it that can be calming, the plant’s poison can kill a person. It can also cause confusion and hallucinations.

Treatments Through Time

The history of medical treatments is both fascinating and, at times, horrifying. It shows how much humans try always to feel good and healthy. Even more, it reminds us how much we’ve learned. We can be glad for the smart doctors and good medicine we have today. What will people think of our treatments 100 years from now?