Olden Day Treatments

The medicines used nowadays are the result of advancements in science and technology. But in the olden days, people used animals or parts of animals, plants to cure diseases.

In ancient times mastic oil, an essential oil extracted from the resin (mastic gum) of the Pistacia lentiscus var chia, was used to cure ulcers. It was mainly used to cure stomach ulcers. The bile of pythons was also used to cure specific ulcers.

Bloodletting was one of the treatments during that time for all ailments. It first started with the Sumerians and Egyptians but did not go on for long. Later Hippocrates and Galen, who were physicians told that there are four types of humors - yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm. They explained that the four humors had to be in equal amounts in the body to stay healthy. So, if any ailment like a fever was there for a person, they would make a slit in a vein and let some blood (bad blood) flow out into a dish. Then they would apply medicinal plants crushed on the cut for it to heal. It became so common during that time that some barbers would offer to do bloodletting with haircuts and shaves.

In the present, when we have bad breath, we use mouthwashes or breath mints. But ancient Chinese used elephant bile diluted with water as a mouthwash.

Credits : Harini

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