10 Most Disturbing Medical Treatments Performed in History
Transplanting the sexual organs of a monkey into human patients was one of them.
Medical science has come a long way since it was first introduced to the world centuries ago; however, the road has consisted of countless errors, horrors, and strange decisions that may be difficult to understand today. Some of the medical treatments that were utilized by medical professionals in the past were downright terrifying but were a normal part of the medical practice nevertheless.
1. Purposely Collapsing Lungs to Cure Tuberculosis
Plombage, also medically known as extrapleural pneumonolysis or extraperiosteal, was a treatment historically used to cure cavitary tuberculosis, specifically that of the upper lungs. It became most commonly used between the 1930s and the 1950s, some time before effective anti-tuberculous medication had been created.
The technique involved creating a cavity under the upper ribs and filling it with inert material like acrylic balls, oils, ping pong balls, rubber sheets, gauze, and paraffin wax. This would cause the upper lung to collapse. Medical professionals believed that a collapsed lung would heal more quickly. The procedure would often lead to hemorrhages and…