Paraffin wax was commonly used in breast augmentations, as a wrinkle filler, and for nose jobs. Unfortunately, the people who got paraffin wax injections were often left with much more to worry about than the shape of their noses.
Category: Quackery
Smoking Cigarettes: An Outdated Remedy for Asthma?
Nowadays we are well aware of the dangers involved with smoking. Despite this, cigarettes were once recommended by medical professionals as valid treatments for a variety of complications…including asthma.
An Army of Ant Sutures
Posted by in Quackery Creeped out by insects? Then you may want to skip this one! We will discuss how ants can be used to stitch wounds shut!
Blowing Smoke: The Popularity of the Tobacco Enema
Posted by in Quackery In the 18th century a common practice in resuscitation was to blow tobacco smoke up the unconscious individual’s rear end.
Let ‘er Rip: The Clockwork Saw
Posted by in Object Focus, Quackery The clockwork saw is a fascinating, yet little-known invention that never made it past the prototype phase. Developed by WHB Winchester (1816-1901), the clockwork saw was a hand-wound amputation device. The surgeon would crank the handle tight and then let go, causing the blade to spin rapidly. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the saw was not…Read more »
Insanity Washed Down the Drain: How Water was Used in Mental Hospitals
Posted by in Mental Health, Quackery (Image of a patient in a bath being spoon-fed by an on-duty nurse. Photo credit: Lensvid) Water has played a prominent role in religion for centuries and is referenced in the bible many times. It is no wonder that people once depended on water as a healing agent. In the middle ages there were…Read more »
The Mystery of Psychic Surgery
Posted by in Quackery (Image Credit: Anomalies) Many people don’t realize that psychic surgery was an incredibly popular form of spiritual medicine in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States. Spiritual, or faith-based medicine has been around for centuries and the validity of it has been debated over for just as long. Psychic surgery, or bloodless surgery, is…Read more »
If the Shoe Fits: Why X-Rays were in Shoe Stores for Decades
Posted by in Object Focus, Quackery The x-ray was discovered rather unexpectedly in a lab in Bovaria. In 1895, scientist Wilhelm Röntgen was conducting an experiment to see if cathode rays had the ability to pass through glass. He was mesmerized by the green light that was emitted and noticed that the beam could pass through most solid objects, all except…Read more »
Science and Quackery: Why Uroscopy was a Popular Diagnostic Tool in the Medieval World
Posted by in Quackery Uroscopy was one of the most popular diagnostic practices of the medieval world and many early civilizations observed that characteristics of urine changed in relation to the well-being of the body (Armstrong). The academic literate world believed that close examination of urine could provide clues regarding disease and other bodily ailments. The word uroscopy comes…Read more »
A Stigmatized Disease: How Interpretation Impacted Leprosy Patients in the Medieval World
Posted by in Quackery Leprosy in Medieval Europe was a heavy burden to bear for those suffering from the disease. Even though scientists have a better understanding of what causes leprosy, it is still stigmatized in areas of the world today. In Medieval Europe, the official cause for Leprosy was unknown, partially due to the fact that microscopes would…Read more »
The Yellow Devastation: Philadelphia in 1793
Posted by in Individuals, Quackery The year was 1793 when the city of Philadelphia was struck by a yellow fever epidemic. Muddy swamps around the city served as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the insect responsible for transferring the virus. People began experiencing symptoms by late summer, and by October of that year, at least 500 people had already died (“On…Read more »
The Miasma Theory
Posted by in Quackery Throughout history, many people believed that bad smells were directly linked to instances of illness and death. Cities were often overcrowded places with low sanitation standards, therefore, diseases could spread throughout these city centers fairly quickly. People began correlating the bad odors of the city with disease (Parker 121). By the 18th century, the discovery…Read more »
The Woman Who Birthed Rabbits
Posted by in Individuals, Quackery (Carving of Mary Toft delivering rabbits published on 15 March, 1762. Below the picture is inscribed,”Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World.” Photo Credit: Pickover 113.) Mary Toft was a married English servant who became a press sensation overnight.…Read more »
Killing Rabbits
Posted by in Quackery It is not surprising to learn that a wide variety of tests were developed throughout history in order to check if a woman was pregnant or not. Most tests were incredibly inaccurate, such as the Egyptian method of pouring a suspected woman’s urine on bags of wheat and barley. If the plant grew from the…Read more »
Lysol: A Contraceptive Horror Story
Posted by in Object Focus, Quackery Since the 1920s, it was not uncommon for women to see advertisements that made large claims about the cleaning agent, Lysol, and it’s ability to prevent failed marriages and unwanted pregnancies. In fact, Lysol has had a lengthy past as an unregulated female douching solution, and between the 1930s and 1960s, it was one of…Read more »
Resurrection Men & Body Snatching
Posted by in Quackery Today we can lay a loved one to rest without worrying whether or not their body will be whisked away under the cover of darkness. This was not the case in the 18th and 19th centuries, which saw an insufficient number of corpses being supplied to medical schools (Parker 118). In 1540, Britain, Henry VIII…Read more »
Antisepsis and Infectious Agents
Posted by in Individuals, Quackery (Photo Credit: The Drug Book) Nineteenth century surgeons managed to defeat a major challenger to their practice: pain. The development of anesthesia made it possible for doctors to travel deeper into the human body and take larger risks with invasive surgeries. More complex surgeries meant a higher chance of developing an infection, and unfortunately, that was…Read more »
“I Need That Like I Need A Hole In The Head!”
Posted by in Mental Health, Quackery (Photo Credit: The Medical Book) Trepanning or trepanation is one of the earliest surgical procedures in history. The word trepanation is Greek for trypanon, meaning to drill or bore (Kang 142). In essence, a hole, or a series of holes, would be cut, drilled, or scraped into a patient’s skull using various instruments. Some of these…Read more »
Cataracts: “You’re Doing What To My Eye!?”
Posted by in Quackery (Photo Credit: Crucial Interventions) According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, roughly 24.4 million Americans aged 40 or older have cataracts (American Academy of Ophthalmology). Cataracts are typically defined as a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded; thus reducing the person’s vision. Some common factors that are known to cause the loss…Read more »
Patients and Pain: A Brief History of Anesthesia
(Photo Credit: Crucial Interventions) Let us begin this conversation with an exercise. Imagine yourself laying on a wooden operating table. The bloody residue from past victims..(er patients) is still visible. A crowd of people are seated around the room and all are eager to witness the upcoming spectacle. An infected compound tibia got you into this…Read more »
Antiquated Antidotes 