Good science takes time, it needs to build upon research and repetition. So while it may be understandable how some of these completely insane medical procedures once existed, these days they are almost unfathomable. Our friends over at Bro My God put together a list of the 15 craziest medical procedures that used to exist, and here is just a snippet of that article. Make sure to click on through for the full post!.
#15: Osteotome:
“In an attempt to cure headaches, doctors would use a technique called trepanning to drill a hole into a patient’s skull. The Osteotome – a terrifying type of chainsaw – was used to drill said hole. Thankfully, we have paracetamol now.”
#14: Early Prosthetics
“Prosthetics have been referenced as far back as ancient Egypt. Until more modern times, most looked like something out of a steampunk world, were uncomfortable, impractical, and often embarrassed and ashamed the owner.”
#13: Heroin and Cocaine Cough Syrup
“Before their addictive properties were discovered, both heroin and cocaine were used to dull pain. For a few years, heroin made it into cough syrup until Bayer – the same company that bought us aspirin – discovered the addictive nature of their medicine.”
#12: Spermatorrhea Ring
“During the Victorian era, masturbation was seen as unhealthy. In an attempt to stop the practice amongst men, doctors invented the spermatorrhea. Fitted around the penis, every time a man got a little too sexually excited, the sharp spikes would kill the mood.”