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The journey of medicine is as complex as humanity itself, with society greatly indebted to the doctors who, throughout time, tirelessly sought remedies and healing methods. From bizarre animal treatments to sharp obsidian blades and even electric shock therapy, ancient healers explored every possibility, some of which, though initially unsettling, defied time, reason, and even law to persist into modern medical practices.
Here are the top 10 shocking ancient medical procedures that are still in use today.
10. Fecal Microbiota Transplant
More than a thousand years ago in China, an ancient healer named Ge Hong used a remedy called 'yellow soup' to treat diarrhea. This concoction, made from human excrement, worked surprisingly well. The practice later made its way to the West, where it is now known as fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Today, this treatment is employed to fight persistent Clostridium difficile infections, which cause severe diarrhea and abdominal pain that can drastically reduce quality of life and lead to life-threatening complications.
The issue with modern antibiotics lies in their inability to tell the difference between beneficial and harmful bacteria, which leads them to wipe out both when fighting infections. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) solves this by replenishing the gut with healthy bacteria, enhancing the body's defenses against C. difficile. Though poop therapy has been around since the 1980s, there's no need to gulp it from a bowl anymore (thankfully). Now, doctors administer the treatment directly into the colon through colonoscopy, an enema, or in a safe, sterile pill form.
9. Maggot Therapy
Flies and open wounds aren't a good combination—unless the flies are actually live, sanitized larvae, as seen in the age-old practice of maggot therapy (myiasis). As unsettling as it sounds, maggots have been used to treat infected wounds since ancient times, even mentioned in the Book of Job in the Old Testament. During the American Civil War, doctors turned to maggot therapy to clean and disinfect soldiers' wounds. Its simple method and effectiveness in promoting rapid healing make maggots a valuable tool, both in and out of battle.
So what makes maggots so effective that even the skeptical medical world has come to appreciate them? For starters, these creatures can break down up to 25 micrograms of dead tissue in less than 24 hours, including bacteria buried within. They are also self-limiting, targeting only necrotic tissue and leaving healthy flesh untouched, alleviating concerns about excessive damage. Though maggot therapy has ancient roots, it was only approved by the FDA in 2004 as a single-use medical device, which must be kept sterile and disposed of as biohazardous waste.
8. Leech Therapy
In addition to maggots, leeches are another ancient creature used in medicine since early times. Not slugs, reptiles, insects, or bugs, these invertebrates belong to a distinct zoological group known as bristle worms. With suckers at both ends of their bodies and sharp teeth for making precise cuts, leeches are perfect for treating venous congestion, where blood accumulates in certain areas due to veins struggling to return blood to the heart.
In 2004, the FDA gave the green light for leech use in medical treatments, especially after surgeries like limb reattachment and breast reconstruction. Known for their extraordinary sucking abilities, leeches can extract a significant amount of blood in just 45 minutes. In addition to clearing blood pools, leeches also help oxygenate the surrounding tissue as they draw blood, and their saliva acts as a natural anticoagulant to prevent blood clots. While anemia is a potential risk with maggot therapy, it can typically be managed effectively in any controlled medical setting.
7. Tapeworm Diet
Throughout history, malnutrition plagued humanity. The 1800s brought advances that made food more available and diverse. However, this led to another problem—obesity—partly due to neglecting health in the face of abundance. As people began to understand more about the disease, Victorian women took an extreme approach to weight loss. After all, their corsets were a constant struggle! The solution? Tapeworms.
The tapeworm diet was invented by a female doctor from Sheffield, England, who created a pill filled with tapeworm larvae. Once ingested, the larvae hatched and consumed whatever food the women ate, leading to weight loss. While tapeworms effectively depleted the body’s nutritional reserves, the practice was both revolting and dangerous—something doctors now warn against, citing risks like blocked bile ducts, respiratory failure, and dementia. Remarkably, this practice continues to persist today.
6. Bee Venom Therapy
In ancient Greece, those suffering from arthritis and other joint ailments turned to bees to sting them with venom. Today, we know this treatment as apitherapy, which also includes the use of honey and pollen. This practice dates back to Hippocrates, who not only used bee products but also advocated for their medicinal benefits. The venom contains a protein called melittin, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, though other claimed benefits—such as reducing fatigue and managing multiple sclerosis—are still under investigation.
Despite its long history, bee venom therapy is not approved by the FDA due to its largely unverified benefits and significant risks. A 2015 South Korean study found that bee venom could cause skin irritation and even anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction that narrows the airways and can make breathing extremely difficult or impossible. While rare in the United States, bee venom therapy remains common in regions like Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. In modern apitherapy, doctors typically inject the venom with a hypodermic needle, though traditional methods involve exposing the patient to live bees to induce stings.
5. Cauterization
In the Middle Ages, when antibiotics were unimaginable and wounds were as feared as deadly diseases, treatment often involved burning the flesh—literally. People used fire to stop bleeding, close amputations, seal wounds after tooth extractions, and even treat mental illnesses. Thankfully, this brutal method gave way to heated lancets and knives, which produced similar therapeutic effects without the trauma. In 1926, American scientist William T. Bovie developed a cautery tool made of iron, which he used in collaboration with a physician to remove a tumor while minimizing bleeding. The success of the procedure marked the birth of electrosurgery.
Electrosurgery is essentially a modern version of cauterization, using electricity to generate heat to achieve the desired results. Although the tools have evolved, the purpose remains the same, with additional uses like removing warts and other unwanted skin growths. Today, the procedure is much safer, with minimal bleeding and discomfort, and the most serious side effects typically being mild infections.
4. Electroconvulsive Therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) nearly became a household name in the 1940s and 1950s as a treatment for mental illness. However, its roots trace back to ancient times when electric eels and fish were used for their antidepressant and pain-relieving properties. By the late 1930s, Italian psychiatrists discovered that inducing seizures with electricity could be therapeutic. Paradoxically, while the concept of shocking the brain was alarming, it was developed as a gentler alternative to Metrazol, a drug that induced even more terrifying seizures.
Over time, ECT lost its widespread popularity as a treatment for mental illness, primarily due to its use in high doses without anesthesia, which resulted in severe side effects like memory loss and weakened bones. Despite the stigma, the therapy is still used today but only after other treatments have failed. Modern ECT is much safer, with success rates reaching 80-85%. While side effects can still occur, the therapy is now administered in highly controlled environments to maximize benefits and minimize risks.
3. Lobotomy
A modern variation of skull-drilling trepanation, lobotomy was introduced in the 1930s as a form of psychosurgery that aimed to sever specific brain nerves. Psychiatrists believed these nerves were responsible for conditions like depression, anxiety, and emotional instability. Surgeons performed the procedure using a sharp instrument resembling an ice pick, which was inserted into the patient’s eye socket while sedated, then moved back and forth to reach the brain’s frontal lobes. In the 1940s, with mental hospitals overcrowded in the U.S., lobotomies became a common method to treat patients with conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychosis, serving as a way to alleviate hospital congestion.
Despite its grim nature, lobotomy’s inventor, Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz, received the Nobel Prize in 1949 for his pioneering work. The procedure remained popular throughout the mid-20th century. However, by the time the first effective psychiatric medications were introduced, lobotomy began to lose favor. Interestingly, the procedure is still performed, though extremely rarely, with more refined and precise tools. Today, lobotomy is considered a last resort for patients who haven’t responded to other treatments.
2. Trepanation
While headaches might be treated with aspirin today, Paleolithic healers used a far more extreme remedy: drilling holes into the skull. Known as trepanation, this practice was used to treat a variety of brain conditions, such as seizures, cerebral hemorrhage, depression, and mental disorders. Archaeological evidence suggests that trepanation was also part of exorcism rituals, particularly in the Russian port city of Rostov-on-Don. Early trepanations were performed using Obsidian blades, but over time, mechanical drills were developed to improve the process.
What makes these ancient surgeries even more remarkable is the surprisingly high survival rate among patients, many of whom underwent the procedure more than once. Today, trepanation, now known as craniotomy, is still performed to treat certain types of traumatic brain injuries. While modern instruments are used, some surgeons continue to use Obsidian blades, especially in cosmetic procedures, though these are not FDA-approved.
1. Plombage Thoracoplasty
Before antibiotics and chemotherapy became the go-to treatments for tuberculosis, physicians turned to plombage thoracoplasty, also referred to as collapse therapy. This method, which emerged in the 1930s, involved deliberately collapsing the lungs to give the organ time to rest and heal. The procedure required creating a cavity beneath the upper ribs and filling it with various materials, including paraffin wax, rubber sheets, and even ping-pong balls. These materials exerted pressure on the lungs to prevent them from inflating. Unsurprisingly, patients faced numerous serious complications, affecting not only the lungs but also the heart, esophagus, and skin.
Surgeons abandoned plombage thoracoplasty in the 1950s, and many patients from the final wave of surgeries did not survive long afterward. Today, the treatment is still used in some cases, such as treating empyema, a condition in which pus accumulates between the lungs and the chest wall. However, it’s crucial to note that plombage thoracoplasty has never been thoroughly tested in randomized trials, leaving it as an uncertain practice in the medical community.
