8 Shocking Medical Treatments You Won’t Believe Used to Be Mainstream

It’s hard to imagine in our era of robotic surgeries, evidence-based medicine, and genetic testing, but up until a century ago, doctoring meant mostly guesswork and experimentation. Now, these so-called treatments from medicine’s past seem laughable (or downright horrifying).

By Wendy Glauser

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Mercury

Touted as a treatment for everything from syphilis to tuberculosis to constipation, mercury was a go-to drug in the 1800s. Abraham Lincoln took mercury-laden blue pills for “melancholy,” but stopped them in 1861 because he believed they were linked to his violent rages. In 2010, the pills were discovered in a museum and analyzed by the Royal Society of Chemistry. The result showed Lincoln’s daily dosage of blue pills contained up to 120 times the maximum limit of mercury intake that the World Health Organization deems safe. Elemental mercury poisoning can cause insomnia, emotional changes, and poor cognitive function.

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8 Shocking Medical Treatments You Won’t Believe Used to Be Mainstream

Mercury

Secrets to Staying Healthy & Happy

10 Simple Habits That Can Make You Feel Your Healthiest

3 of the Best Foods to Boost Your Sex Drive

Natural Home Remedies for Fever to Help You Get Comfortable

5 Fairly Astounding Ways Giving Is Good For Your Health

8 Ways to Take Control Of Your Life

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Secrets to Staying Healthy & Happy

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