10 Worst Treatments in the History of Medicine

Last Updated on January 7, 2021

Also, small and long-term exposure can result in other illnesses or a much slower death. Studies have linked continued arsenic exposure to liver disease, diabetes, and cancer.

6. Animal Feces

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People in ancient Egypt would dry animal feces and insert it into the vagina, as it would soften under the body temperature to make an impenetrable boundary. There are also endless other examples of dung being used for medicinal purposes throughout history.

Certain African cultures used elephant and crocodile poop as a contraceptive. In England during the 17th century, doctors recommended chicken dung to treat baldness. In India, potions and cosmetics mixed with cow dung have been used to cure anything from acne to cancer.

The problem with medicines including dung is bacteria contents, which lead to a wide variety of diseases. Actually, contaminated water with fecal material causes an estimated 1.8 million deaths a year in developing countries.

7. Mercury Pills

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Mercury was once the most popular medicine for indigestion, syphilis, old age, and almost anything else.

This famed metal found its way into the bloodstreams of some highly important people, including Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, who probably died from the consumption of mercury pills which he believed would make him immortal, and Abraham Lincoln who likely got his fits of rage as a result of mercury use.

The terrible thing is that once you have got mercury into your bloodstream, it can’t be undone. It accumulates over numerous doses, and at its worst, this neurotoxic element can cause ulcerations, loss of motor control, neurological damage, paralysis, insanity, and death. Just the exact opposite of the anti-aging cure it was once considered to be.

8. Tapeworms Diet

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Dieting became a huge business during the 19th century. The more diet products being sold, the more advertising was becoming even more sophisticated.

The tapeworm diet began to be advertised in the early 1900s, dieters would swallow a pill of beef tapeworm cysts, so as the tapeworms would grow in their intestines and absorb food to make them lose weight fast.