When it comes to going to the doctor, many people have a lot of fears attached to it. There is plenty of information out there that shows plenty of horrifying medical procedures that were once used but are now seen as bad ideas. This article will discuss 10 different horrifying medical procedures that people used to think were a good idea.
Blood Letting
The first is bloodletting. People used to believe that if you were sick it was because you were full of humor. You were then cut on the skin to allow the blood to flow out of the body which would get rid of these humor and you would begin to feel better.
Radiation Injection
Radiation injections were given to treat cases of acne and other ailments but because of the limited resources in the 1960s, little was known about radiation. This ultimately caused people to get way worse than when they first entered the hospital. Sometimes, unfortunately, these injections were even given in the forehead. There is no way this procedure would be useful in today’s age.
Soothing Syrups
Soothing syrups were something that parents would use to sooth a child that would not stop crying. Little did those parents know that these syrups were filled with narcotics, some even containing 65 milligrams of morphine. If you ever wondered why they worked, now you know.
Lobotomies
Lobotomies are arguably the most feared and gruesome of the medical procedures. Doctors used to think that if you stuck an ice pick through the eye and into the brain, it could cure any mental problem. We now know that it is not the case but you would be interested to know that this procedure is still practiced in some parts of the world.
Trepanation
Trepanation is possibly the oldest of many horrifying medical procedures and it involves the act of drilling into someone’s head in order to get rid of their migraines and stop seizures. Although it would seem to get rid of them, it was simply due to the fact that a hole was now inside of your head.
Leeching Blood
Leeches were actually a popular procedure that was similar to bloodletting; this just involved letting animals suck blood from your body instead of it dripping. No matter where you were complaining of discomfort, that’s where a leech would go. No matter where.
Tranquilizing Chair
Tranquilizing chairs were interesting in which they were a form of shock therapy. You were shocked so much that if you were thought to be insane, it would leave your body. There was even a bucket underneath to catch the insanity. Yes, that does not sound insane at all.
Malaria for Fevers
Malaria for fevers was a procedure that doctors used in which they thought that a fever would kill terrible infections. Unfortunately, many patients died because they were just given malaria. Somehow, the fever would probably be welcomed now.
DDT Delousing
DDT Delousing was popular as it actually worked in killing lice. People did not know, however, that by spraying themselves with DDT you could in fact get cancer. I think had they known, they would have chosen lice over cancer.
The Iron Lung
Used in many different monsters movies, the iron lung was another horrifying procedure. When people couldn’t breathe on their own, they would be put on a machine that breathed for them. Some people were even confined to these machines for years. That is not much of a life if you ask me.
SEE ALSO: Ten Famous History Facts… That Are Lies!
