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Doctors and healthcare professionals have long been regarded as miracle workers, constantly finding innovative ways to treat patients. Although many diseases are curable today, modern medical treatments have come a long way compared to those of the past. Older treatments for illnesses could be excruciating, distressing, and uncomfortable, often causing more harm than the ailments they were meant to treat. In some cases, these methods even led to death.
Fortunately, medicine has advanced significantly over the years, sparing patients from these terrifying practices. Below are ten medical treatments that were arguably more dangerous than the conditions they sought to heal.
10. Bloodletting
Bloodletting was once a widespread treatment for various ailments, including headaches and fevers. Thousands of years ago, doctors used tools like a lancet or even a sharpened stick to open a patient’s vein, letting the blood flow into a container. This method was popular because physicians believed that many illnesses were caused by an excess of blood in the body.
Physicians held the belief that a person's health was reliant on balancing four bodily humors—fire, earth, water, and air, which corresponded to blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. By removing a certain amount of blood, they thought they could restore balance and help the patient achieve better health.
Occasionally, patients were spared the painful incision of a vein and instead had leeches used for bloodletting. When placed on the skin, leeches could consume several times their own weight in blood. The practice of using leeches started to fall out of favor after 1850.
9. Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy was used to help treat mental illness at many institutions at the beginning of the 20th century. It was believed that water would be an effective treatment because when heated or cooled, it could be applied to the skin, producing different reactions throughout the body. This isn’t just a relaxing dip into the hot tub or a quick swim at the pool, though.
Some of the treatments were harmless and consisted of continuous warm or cold baths. That doesn’t sound so bad, right? Those baths could sometimes last for hours, though—or days. These continuous baths were usually held in small rooms with little or no light or audio stimulation. They also used packs that consisted of sheets dipped in different temperatures of water, which would be wrapped around the patient, sometimes for hours.
Hydrotherapy is now a more relaxing form of treatment and is used to relieve pain, improve blood circulation, and promote relaxation. Underwater exercises and massages are the most typical forms of hydrotherapy used today, and the patient will usually be assisted by a physical therapist—much better service than what patients once received.
8. Urine Therapy
Drinking your own urine may sound gross and unsanitary, but some people believe that it is a form of alternative medicine. Urine therapy refers to different medicinal practices such as the drinking of one’s own urine or massaging urine into the skin.
The therapy gained popularity through British naturopath John W. Armstrong, who was influenced by his family's tradition of treating various ailments using urine, including toothaches and minor insect stings. Advocates of this method argue that urine contains essential antibodies that help the body combat various diseases. However, no comprehensive scientific research has been conducted to substantiate these claims.
7. Mercury Treatment
Mercury, a substance known for its toxicity, was once widely used as a medicinal elixir and topical treatment. The Persians and Greeks used it because they believed it had therapeutic properties, while Chinese alchemists employed liquid mercury and red mercury sulfide in their quest for longevity and vitality. Some healers even claimed that mercury could grant their patients the ability to walk on water and attain eternal life.
Mercury was also used as a common remedy for sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis. While it was sometimes deemed effective in treating syphilis, many patients tragically succumbed to kidney and liver damage caused by the mercury. Today, mercury is tightly regulated and no longer widely available in the United States.
6. Insulin Shock
Insulin shock, or insulin coma therapy, was one of the early treatments used for schizophrenia. Though effective, these procedures were notoriously unpleasant and extremely risky for patients. Initially, insulin was administered to alleviate symptoms like anxiety, trembling, nausea, and weight loss. However, in larger doses, it would induce unconsciousness, after which patients would emerge more calm and less hostile.
The rationale behind using insulin for schizophrenia was that when patients entered a coma or unconscious state, their psychotic thoughts would diminish. It was believed that the therapy eased memories of anxiety and thoughts, leading to calmer behavior and less concern over hallucinations.
5. Moldy Bread
Before discarding that moldy loaf of bread, consider this: many ancient cultures harnessed the power of mold, soil, and plants for treating bacterial infections. In places like Serbia, China, and Greece, moldy bread was used as a poultice for wounds to prevent infection. In Egypt, the crust of moldy bread was applied to scalp infections for its believed curative benefits. These treatments were thought to influence the spirit believed to cause the illness.
Moldy bread is often regarded as one of the earliest and most primitive forms of antibiotic use in the fight against disease. While we no longer consume moldy bread, the antibiotic properties that grow on it were once considered beneficial for healing.
4. Lobotomy
A lobotomy is a surgical procedure that involves cutting nerve pathways in a specific brain lobe, disconnecting them from other areas. Once used as a controversial treatment for conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, lobotomy initially showed promising results, although some patients improved while others saw their health worsen. Despite its early criticism, the procedure eventually gained acceptance in the United States, where it was hailed by some as a miraculous treatment.
Walter Jackson Freeman II, an American neurologist, introduced the controversial procedure of transorbital lobotomy. This procedure involved inserting a sharp instrument resembling an ice pick through the back of the eye socket, piercing the bone that separates the eye socket from the frontal lobe. The instrument was then used to sever neural connections in the brain. Lobotomies were eventually phased out in favor of more humane and effective treatments, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other medications.
3. Trephination
Trephination is arguably one of the most horrifying medical procedures ever performed on a patient. This technique involved drilling a hole into the skull, exposing the layers surrounding the brain. In ancient times, it was believed that the procedure would release any malevolent spirits from the body. Additionally, it was thought to relieve ailments such as headaches, infections, seizures, and fractures.
In the earliest instances of trephination, the hole was created by scraping away bone with a sharp stone or other primitive tools. Later on, more advanced drilling tools were developed that allowed for the creation of small, round holes. These tools made it easier to remove pieces of bone. The introduction of mechanical drilling and sawing instruments during the late medieval period further improved the process, making it more efficient.
Trephination continues to be used today, particularly for treating epidural and subdural hematomas. It also serves as a crucial step in certain neurosurgical procedures, such as monitoring intracranial pressure or performing a craniotomy. The tools now employed for the procedure are far less invasive and cause much less stress for the patient.
2. Electroconvulsive Therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), often referred to as shock therapy, is a treatment for psychiatric conditions that involves applying an electric current to the brain to induce a seizure. First introduced in the 1930s, ECT became primarily used to treat severe depression. The procedure involved placing electrodes on the temples, sending alternating currents through the brain. This induced a brief loss of consciousness and a convulsive seizure. Patients would typically undergo the procedure three times a week, with treatment lasting anywhere from two to six weeks. For more severely disturbed patients, treatments might occur up to three times in a single day.
With the emergence of new medications, ECT usage began to decline in the 1960s. However, in the 1970s, its use resurged. Advancements in the method of delivery, along with improved comfort measures and better management of anesthesia, led to increased patient acceptance. ECT is still considered one of the most effective treatments for mental illnesses, but it is now reserved for patients who do not respond to available medications.
1. Hemiglossectomy
A glossectomy involves the removal of the entire tongue, whereas a hemiglossectomy refers to the partial removal of the tongue. Historically, hemiglossectomy was used as a treatment to address speech issues like stuttering. The procedure gained notoriety after German surgeon Johann Frederich Dieffenbach performed it, gradually reducing the size of patients' tongues. This practice was ultimately banned after many patients died as a result of the surgeries.
Removing part of the tongue seems more like a form of punishment than a therapeutic approach, especially for individuals already struggling with stuttering. Nowadays, speech therapy is the most widely used and effective treatment for stuttering, offering a safer and more reliable solution.
