Ancient Medicine: Patients Had No Chance To Survive

All people have their own phobias. Weird, freaky or just silly, they make us weak in face of some certain object or phenomena. But there are some fears common for most of the people. They say that most of us feel uncomfortable with a thought of visiting a dentist. Some of us joke that when kids – we are afraid of pain, but most of the adults are afraid of bills they will have to pay for such services.

Nevertheless, fear o any medical manipulation is strong no matter how old we are. But if compared to the medicine of the past – we live in paradise with all those pain killers and tiny needles. Don’t you believe me? See it yourself – ancient patients had no chance to stay calm after any of these:

1. Plastic surgeries were first carried out in the 20th century turning most of our celebs into bionic cyborgs. Those faces can hardly show off any emotion, but they are not as awful as their ancestors – faceplates. These were pieces of wood or clay or any other material that could be found and adjusted to look like real skin.

Firstly they were designed for soldiers who were wounded in the face and didn’t want to scare the others away with their look. Later on, people with various face defects started ordering these accessories too.

2. Till the middle of 20th-century men believed in the existence of so-called women’s disease. If a lady had what we call now a depression, was too nervous or, God forbid, aimed to make a career or was interested in science – her husband called for a doctor and claimed his wife was suffering from ‘women’s disease’.

As a treatment – poor female was taken to the hospital, sedated and had to take some serious medications. Sometimes even electrotherapy was a measure. To avoid this – special oxygen masks were used.

3. This one is well known for you from movies. Doctor’s mask was founded in medieval when plague wondered all around Europe killing millions of people. This long ‘nose’ served for measuring the safe distance between patients and doctors to keep the last ones from infection.

4. Those who had any spinal conditions could get relief with one of such devices. Although both look like torture instruments, they were supposed to improve posture and strengthen back muscles.

5. Those who have lost their teeth could count on dentures made of dead-soldiers’ teeth or those of wild animals. Ancient dentists tried out ceramics and precious stones for their richest patients. The ones you see in the image are made of animals’ teeth and metal wire.

6. If the customer belonged to an upper class – golden wires or whole pieces of gold could be used instead. Rich people took care of their look, this is why they often ordered ‘new teeth’ decorated with precious stones, silver or gold. Some of them paid money for encrusting their healthy teeth, which was too risky as the procedure ruined tooth enamel.