Frightening Turn of the Century Medical Treatments
Today, many of us experience a certain level of fear when faced with the prospect of a trip to the doctor. This is often down to the worry of having an illness, or the idea of being subject to the doctor’s tools! Thankfully, medical treatments today are not what they were at the turn of the century. Back in the early 1900s, doctors did not have access to the technology they have today, which led to some highly questionable techniques taking place.
Radioactive Medicine
In those days, scientists did not have a full understanding of radioactivity. In fact, the effects of naturally occurring radium were considered almost otherworldly due to the fact no-one could understand why or how the effects came about. As a result, doctors began adding radium to water, which was kept in buckets as a source of medicine. This ‘magic’ fluid was given to people with all kinds of ailments, which turned out to be a terrible idea. People began to die, seemingly randomly, from drinking the water. The connection was eventually made, leading to the future development of targeted prescription drugs for specific ailments.