The human body is a strange and wondrous thing. While we have pushed our bodies to the limits, modern medicine has been doing one better. Although we might focus on our external feats, it is the inner workings of the body where the magic is really happening. Throughout history, many different cultures have turned to the human body as a way of clearing up a whole range of aches and ailments. These all-natural cures might make you a little squeamish, but they were all the rage at the time.
- Placenta
(source: herfamily.ie)
Eating the placenta after birth isn’t as strange as you might have initially thought. While it is only often seen in the animal kingdom, humans too used to consume the organ after they had given birth in order to up their nutrient count. Eating the placenta after birth is claimed to help the recovery time for new mothers, boost feelings of wellness and improve the health of the baby. While you won’t see mothers eating the organ as it came anymore, many people do choose to have it converted into capsules in order to fill up on nutrients after birth.
- Saliva
(source: ancientpeoples.tumblr.com)
Back in Ancient Rome, make up was becoming all the rage but without the modern pharmaceutical developments that we have now, what did people used to do? Tasked with the job of dissolving tough ingredients, female slaves would use their saliva in order to make products more pliable. As well as this, it wasn’t unusual for face masks at the time to include ingredients such as placenta, bile and urine. Bodily fluids, it seems, were all the rage.
- The King’s Drops
(source: viralnova.com)
In the 1600s, the King’s health was of paramount importance and doctors turned to a whole range of strange cures in order to keep their ruler in good health. During the reign of King Charles II, things went so far that he was known to be taking capsules of powdered human skulls. The pills, also known as “The King’s Drops”, were believed to boost his health, keeping him in prime spirits throughout his life.
- Powdered Mummy
(source: deathscent.com)
Ancient Egypt cultures were captured by superstitions and their obsession went far beyond the grave. The people of ancient Egypt were responsible for the trading of powdered mummies, which were consumed as a way of boosting their sex drive. The claims behind the trend were so powerful, in fact, that the powder was still in circulation in the 18th century, where it was used to the same effect.
- Gladiator Blood
(source: wikimedia.org)
At the height of their careers, Roman gladiators were some of the most powerful men in the world. Their strength was so renowned, in fact, that many people believed it could be accessed by consuming certain parts of the warrior. After the bloodshed of gladiator battles, crowds of spectators would rush into the colosseum in order to drink the spilled blood. The belief was that the fluid could cure epilepsy and boost overall health.
- Human Fat
(source: news.mit.edu)
While fat is something that many people try and get rid of, it was once incredibly lucrative. Early European apothecaries used the substance in a number of their medicines that were used to cure things like gout, toothaches and bone pain. It was believed to be so diverse, in fact, that the fat was labelled as a universal cure.