Morticom unusual and strange medical stories through history

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WEIRD HISTORY

MEDICAL

(14 Entries)

1)
In England, in medeival times before firearms existed, military surgeons were quite often drawn from the ranks of peacetime barbers and were known to treat wounds with shoemakers wax, the rust of old kettles or the grease used to lubricate horses hoofs.
When firearms were introduced during the late Middle Ages however, this complicated the task of the doctor ten-fold.
Before firearms, wounds were quite relatively clean and were easy to find but gunshot wounds changed all of this.
Musket ball and cannon would cause widespread contusions which would be a breeding ground for gangrene or tetanus and the gunpowder itself was thought of as being poisonous and to eliminate it, wounds would be cauterised with a red hot iron, burning charcoal or boiling oil.
Alternatively gunpowder would be removed by pushing a metal instrument into the bullet hole and working it back and forth before applying a plug moistened with bacon or ox grease, all without anaesthetic.
Many men died just from the shock.

2)
In Egypt, in 500 BC, surgeons would perform an operation on women known as a "Pharaonic Circumcision."
They would cut out the labia and the clitoris with primitive knives and then scrape the sides of the vulva which were then stitched together with cat gut, leaving only a small opening for urine and blood to pass through.
After the girl was married she would then be cut open again on her wedding night to consumate the marriage and then sewn up again to ensure her fidelity.
I bet she would have preferred a toaster!

3)
During Roman times epileptics were prescribed a medicine made from fresh gladiator blood.

4)
In France during the 17th century tobacco was banned but was available from the local chemist with a doctor's prescription.

5)
One of the most popular medicines right up until the 18th century was powdered Egyptian mummies.

6)
An old English remedy for eye inflammation was to rub a tomcat's tail into the eye socket.

7)
Doctors used to prescribe viper flesh to patients as an antidote to old age.

8)
The very first dentists in the world were the Incas.

9)
The very first operation on varicose veins was performed on a man named Marius (155-86 BC) who was a Roman Consul. The operation was so agonising that he had only one of his legs done!

10)
Ancient Romans used to put lead in their food to ease digestion and they also swallowed lead to cure upset stomachs.

11)
Soldiers who were wounded in battle during the 14th century were treated with spiders webs.

12)
As early as the 16th century doctors were discussing the possibility of breast enlargement and reduction.

13)
During the 18th century teething babies were comforted by having hare's brains rubbed on their gums.

14)
The Inca people of Peru, South America used to treat headaches by bleeding themselves between the eyebrows.