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The Romans contributed significantly to scientific progress, bringing numerous benefits to humanity. Nonetheless, some of their medical approaches were far from effective. Below are 10 ailments and the misguided treatments the Romans developed.
Caution: These ancient Roman remedies are ineffective and should not be attempted.
10. Skin Blemishes
Acne plagued many Roman adolescents, prompting them to seek remedies. A mixture of crocodile meat and cyprus oil was believed to eliminate blemishes, including freckles.
For stubborn acne, Romans recommended bathing in a blend of oil and sour cheese to clear the skin. Applying leek leaves directly to the skin was another remedy. Additionally, a concoction of myrrh juice, cassia, and honey was thought to treat what they called varus.
If these methods failed, the court physician of Emperor Theodosius advised patients to wipe their faces with a cloth while observing a falling star. This unusual practice was claimed to make pimples disappear.
9. Skin Growths
Warts were treated with a variety of methods. Romans often used burnt cow dung, mouse dung, or swan fat to remove warts. Pliny recommended touching each wart with a freshly podded pea, wrapping the peas in cloth, and tossing them backward.
Applying sea foam or white sea sand to the wart was another suggested remedy. For those who could afford it, gold was believed to be a potent solution for wart removal.
If these treatments were unavailable, Romans could wait until after the 20th day of the month, lie faceup on a path, gaze at the Moon, grab a nearby object, and rub it on the wart.
8. Migraines
Headaches were treated with various remedies, many involving animals. One method was sprinkling wine infused with a soaked chameleon on the sufferer's head.
If that didn’t work, touching an elephant’s trunk to the head was recommended, with greater effectiveness if the elephant sneezed. Another option was drinking water left behind by an ox or donkey.
A liniment created from burned menstrual-stained cloth mixed with rose oil was believed to relieve headaches. In extreme cases, tying the severed genitals of a fox around the head was thought to cure persistent headaches.
7. Digestive Blockages
Ancient Romans had several remedies for bathroom troubles. One option was consuming raw quinces preserved in honey to alleviate the issue.
Applying a mixture of wolf’s bile with various types of milk, salt, and honey to the navel was believed to relieve constipation. Alternatively, a bull’s bile mixed with wormwood could be used as a suppository for those uncomfortable with the former method.
Juice made from fresh beets was considered helpful for constipation and oddly enough, diarrhea as well. Most fruits were also recommended. Cato the Elder, among others, advocated for cabbage as a remedy for constipation and various other conditions.
6. Stomach Sickness
To combat nausea—whether from natural causes or as a side effect of Roman remedies—a small pinch of cumin was believed to provide relief.
Pennyroyal, a widely used herb in Europe, was thought to help when boiled in vinegar. Rose juice was another option, though it could induce deep sleep since it also served as a remedy for sleeplessness.
Interestingly, the Romans considered excessive wine consumption a solution for nausea. (They also had a remedy for the resulting hangover.) Pregnant women experiencing nausea were advised to consume pomegranate or its juice.
As a final option, breast milk was used to treat nausea, with greater effectiveness if the woman had weaned her child—and even more so if the child was a boy.
5. Excessive Gas
Flatulence, a frequent side effect of Roman remedies, had several treatments. Chicken broth was considered a powerful bowel cleanser, especially if made from an old rooster and heavily salted. Hen’s white droppings were also recommended for severe cases of gas.
Basil combined with cobbler’s blacking was believed to alleviate intense flatulence. However, overuse of this remedy could lead to madness or coma.
Pliny suggested that a mixture of cumin and asparagus could help, though it often caused other issues. In extreme cases, ground beaver meat mixed with vinegar and rose oil, in liquid form, was used. Consuming it was reserved for epilepsy.
4. Bloody Diarrhea
Dysentery, caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites, inflames the colon and leads to bloody diarrhea. The ancient Romans, unaware of its cause, devised unconventional remedies.
Chicken soup was believed to be a remedy. Bitumen, a natural asphalt from Asia Minor, was also thought to help and could even induce menstruation in women.
The meat of a spotted lizard, imported and boiled before consumption, was considered effective. However, the specific type of lizard was never documented.
Egg yolks without whites could be combined with poppy juice and wine. Pomegranate flowers, considered a miracle cure in ancient Rome, were picked and eaten to treat dysentery. Additionally, mixing vomited blood with wine and vulture’s lungs was believed to work.
3. Seizure Disorder
Epilepsy, still difficult to treat today, was addressed by the Romans with various remedies. One method involved drinking water collected from a spring at night and stored in a dead man’s skull.
The next step was consuming the meat of an animal killed by an iron weapon that had previously taken a human life. If this failed, burying an iron nail where a seizure occurred was thought to help.
The testicles of a bear or wild boar, soaked in mare’s milk or water, were considered a potent remedy. The scent of a female donkey’s afterbirth, particularly after birthing a male, was believed to help those on the verge of a seizure, though it was neither practical nor timely.
As a last resort, a Roman could consume a dried camel’s brain soaked in vinegar.
2. Joint Inflammation
Gout, a condition marked by painful joint inflammation, was treated with various methods. A mixture of mustard, saffron, male goat fat, and female goat dung was thought to relieve its symptoms.
Applying a sea hare to the affected areas and wearing shoes made from beaver skin were recommended. Pliny claimed the skin of the Pontic beaver was particularly effective.
Pliny also suggested that the touch of a menstruating woman could alleviate symptoms. Boiling calf dung with lily bulbs was another remedy. A more distressing cure involved boiling a live fox tied to a stake in oil, which was then consumed as a drink to treat gout.
1. Loss of Bladder Control
Incontinence was treated by soaking a hyena’s bladder in wine and consuming it. Roasted boar’s bladder was also considered highly effective.
Roasted seahorses were a popular remedy for incontinence if one could catch them. Another cure involved a smaller fish found inside a larger fish’s stomach. For children, Pliny recommended adding boiled mice to their meals.
One peculiar remedy involved touching papyrus or linen to the genitals. If unsuccessful, tying a string of linen or papyrus around the genitals and leg was believed to work.
An even stranger cure required burning a pig’s penis, mixing it with wine, and drinking the mixture. While intoxicated, the Roman had to urinate in a dog’s bed while declaring in Latin: “This I do so I may not wet my bed like a dog.”
