Bizarre Medical Treatments That Were Once Normal

Published on 07/01/2021
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Smoking Will Cure Asthma

People thought that smoking helped alleviate asthma episodes in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Marcel Proust, the renowned French writer, was a fan of this one. According to a study published in the journal Medical History, “therapeutic smoking” has its origins in most ancient civilizations, from India to South America.

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Smoking Will Cure Asthma

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Saffron For Depression

“The Red Book of Hergest,” a Welsh medieval book, includes several odd herbal treatments, including one for “sadness.” You “will never be unhappy” if you add saffron (a spice produced from the flower of Crocus sativus) to your meal or drink, according to the legend. However, there was a caveat: don’t eat too much of it or you may “die of bliss.”

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Saffron For Depression

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