Sophisticated and essentially humane treatments in healthcare and medicine are often seen as indicators of an evolved, modern society. After all, the manner in which we look after our sick people is one of the defining factors in our effectiveness as a health-conscious and scrupulous nation.
In spite of this, it may surprise some to discover how wrong healthcare techniques can go when delivered with just the right amount of ignorance. Stories of inexplicably bizarre and torturous procedures litter our recent past. What follows is a journey through some of the more notorious and ill-conceived approaches aimed at restoring people to physical and mental wellness — namely, the 10 most barbaric treatments in the history of modern healthcare.
Read more