The Craziest Traditional Roman Medicines
We have come quite far in recent years with regards to our understanding of medicine. Compared to what the ancient Romans used on, in or around their bodies, it’s a miracle humanity is around at all.
There was just as wide a range of ailments back then as there is today, most likely more so let’s look at some strange cures for popular medical conditions.
It is hard to imagine what it must have been like living with these ailments at a time when few, if any medicines would stand up to the rigours of scientific testing.
Curing Epilepsy
A serious and unpredictable ailment, Epilepsy has been around for ages. It is understandable that seeing a loved one in an epileptic fit is a traumatic experience for everyone involved. The Roman solutions mostly involved iron for some reason.
One cure was said to be eating the meat of an animal killed by an iron weapon, but that weapon should have killed a man before. Another was supposed to be done after a fit has occurred which is to place an iron nail in the ground where the fit happened.
Treating Warts And Pimples
As with all problems in life, the Romans believed that rubbing gold on a wart would make it go away. Other poultices include sea foam, peas or lying in the moonlight on the 20th day of the month.
For getting rid of pimples Romans recommend eating crocodile meat, rubbing your spots with leak leaves, myrrh oil or a bath in oil and sour cheese.
Naturally these very embarrassing ailments were the scourge of the Roman populace, especially teenagers unlucky enough to be afflicted with acne in an age without proper medicines. Today it is simple to treat acne and even more simple to find online casino no deposit sites.
Doing Away With Headaches
I can understand that a migraine can drive any person to any length to find some relief, but the Romans certainly had some crazy ideas.
One of my favourite cures for a headache is tying the genitals of a fox to your head. Being touched by an elephant’s trunk is also believed to relieve headaches which sounds like it would definitely work on me.
Furthermore an ointment made of cloth, rose oil and menstrual blood is also said to be a good cure for headaches, but I’d much rather prefer a chameleon soaked in red wine, a more exotic cure.
Overcoming Constipation And Flatulence
Constipation in Roman times had a great selection of cures. A Wolf’s Gall bladder on your naval was helpful treatment along with a suppository made of a Bull’s gall bladder.
Cabbage and all fruits were quite rightly also associated with constipation treatment.
Fresh Beet juice was popular as well but helped with both constipation and diarrhea apparently.
Flatulence had a few sane sounding treatments like Basil, Cumin and Asparagus but you could also try some chicken broth, made from the bones of an old rooster and strongly salted.
