A Drachm For What Ails You

 

We’ve all heard of the old medical procedure of bleeding a patient for…well, almost anything. Less well known are the remedies for various ailments and injuries. Many of them probably did no harm, though most probably required a strong stomach and no gag reflex. I haven't included any that used animal dung as an ingredient although various sorts, including that of peacocks, continued to be employed as medicaments in England until 1721. No, I don't know why they stopped in that year.

Don't try an...