10 Medical Treatments From Ancient Rome That Are Completely Bizarre

The ancient Roman empire was solely responsible for a lot of scientific advancements that ensured the continued survival and thriving of the human race. They pioneered medical advancements, warfare, and even infrastructure in their massive cities. Sadly, not all of their solutions worked every single time. When it comes to medicine, for example, they had quite a few treatments to help patients, but in reality these medical treatments don’t work whatsoever. Here are ten medical treatments from Ancient Rome that were just plain bizarre.

Acne

Acne, just like it is today, was the scourge of the ancient Roman teenager. Crocodile meat was said to be combined with cyprus oil to remove the rotten spots and freckles. Some suggested bathing in oil and rotten cheese.

Warts

There were numerous cures to take care of warts in Ancient Rome. The people would often burn cow feces, mouse dung, or even the fat of a swan to rid themselves of any warts on the body. Pliny suggested using a fresh podded pea, touching the wart, then wrapping the peas in a cloth and tossing them backwards.

Headaches

It’s nice to know headaches have been a problem for centuries now. The Romans would often sprinkle wine that had had a chameleon soaking in the liquid for some time and putting it over one’s head.

Constipation

Constipation has long been a problem for mankind. When Romans were unable to use the bathroom effectively, eat raw quinces that were preserved in honey are said to help. Also, placing a wolf’s bile in your naval with a mixture of milk, salt, and honey could help, too.

Nausea

Nausea was a particular nuisance during Roman times, but one that could be fixed with numerous cures. One such cure was a three-finger pinch of cum. Another was rose juice, and finally pennyroyal, a common herb, cooked in vinegar.

Flatulence

Even our ancestors suffered from intense cases of flatulence. To fix this, chicken broth was said to purge the bowels effectively. A hen’s droppings could also contain the problem, while basil mixed with cobbler’s blacking was quite helpful sometimes.

Dysentery

Dysentery is generally caused by numerous bacteria, viruses, or parasites entering into the body. It inflames the colon. In Ancient Rome, people would often cure the disease with far-fetched manners, including chicken soup, the flesh of a spotted lizard, and egg yolks without any whites mixed with poppy juice and wines.

Incontinence

Incontinence was said to be cured at the time by removing the bladder from a hyena, soaking it inside of wine, and then consuming the entire thing. Roasted boar’s bladder was also supposed to be super effective.

Gout

Gout, which is an attack of acute inflammatory arthritis, was capable of being cured in a few different ways. Combining mustard, saffron, the fat from a male goat, and the feces of a female goat was the most effective.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a challenging medical problem to treat even in today’s advanced world. At the time, Romans would drink water taken from a local spring while in the middle of the night, which was then placed into the skull of a deceased male.