When the cure was often more lethal than the disease

History · Published 26 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For centuries, seeking medical help could be a death sentence. From drilling into skulls to administering toxic heavy metals as tonics, historical medicine frequently blurred the line between healing and homicide. Discover how some of history's most famous figures survived—or succumbed to—the bizarre treatments of their era.

The history of medicine is punctuated by practices that modern science classifies as either useless or outright murderous. One of the most striking examples is trepanning, a procedure where surgeons used drills to create openings in the human skull. While its origins date back to the Neolithic period, it remained a staple of historical surgery, often performed with instruments designed for high-impact trauma rather than precision healing.

Chemical and biological interventions were equally perilous. Mercury was administered as a medicine for centuries, despite its known toxicity; historians even debate whether this poisoning contributed to the death of Abraham Lincoln. Similarly, the practice of bloodletting was so pervasive it nearly extinguished the French royal succession. Even royalty were not spared from bizarre regimens: Elizabeth I survived smallpox only by enduring treatments that would be considered horrifying today, and Henry VIII famously commissioned his own unique healing ointments.

The intersection of faith and medicine also produced dangerous results, including the use of 'magic' rings and the incorporation of dead bodies into healing rituals. Even as late as the 20th century, medical practices occasionally remained dangerously outdated. These historical records serve as a stark reminder that before the advent of modern germ theory and pharmacology, the sick were often better off left alone than subjected to the lancets and poisons of 'killer doctors.'

However, not all history is grim. The documentary notes that some medieval treatments were actually effective, even saving the life of a future King of England, highlighting the complex transition from superstition-based medicine to evidence-based science.

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