ODD OLD MEDICAL TREATMENTS

SHARK CARTILAGE

It was the 1950s when the sharks-don’t-get-cancer-so-lets-all-eat-shark-

cartilage craze took off. Today, however, it has been proven to be

little more than quackery.

MUD

Used in numerous pharmaceutical remedies including the coating on

pills, its most famous use has been by NASA to counter the bone

degenerating effects of weightlessness.

CIGARETTES

Prior to anti-smoking ads there were a number of pro smoking ads.

Aired in the early 20th century, most of these promoted cigarettes as

an effective treatment for cancer.

LEECHES

Often used to let out “bad blood”, these days the practice of leeching

has made somewhat of a comeback in the arena of organ reconstruction

and microsurgery.

HEROINE

In the late 1800s heroine was marketed as a remedy for coughs,

colds, and pain.

ECSTASY

While some proponents have re-emerged in recent years, in the

1970s there was a strong push to use this drug in psychotherapy.

MERCURY

Used to treat syphilis until the early 20th century, side effects included

tooth loss, ulcers, and severe neurological damage.

SOOTHING SYRUP

A remedy known as Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup became popular

in the late 1800s to help children get through the teething process.

The main issue with the syrup though was its two main ingredients –

morphine and alcohol. Not surprisingly it was removed from

the marketplace in the 1930s.