How It Works - UK (2020-02)

066 HowIt Works http://www.howitworksdaily.com

HISTORY

H

ealth is regarded as a top priorit y for

most. When we go to the doctor’s, we go

with confidence that they will provide us

with the correct medication based on the best

medical findings.

While scientific research has brought

medicine and treatment to the levels they are

today, in times gone by anything and everything

was experimented with as potential cures and

Victorian quack

medicine

remedies. People would trust any thing from

pharmacists or prescribed by their doctor that

could make them feel better. But some of the

most popular medicines of Victorian times

simply didn’t work, or worse, were dangerously

addictive and had the potential to cause

permanent damage to anyone who took it. In an

era when legislation didn’t exist to control false

advertising, these medicines were often given

sensational names like ‘Dr Kilmer’s Swamp-

Root Kidney Cure’ and ‘Hamlin’s Wizard Oil’.

They were known as ‘quack medicines’.

The term quacker y comes from an old Dutch

word, ‘quacksalver’, originally used to refer to

someone who uses home remedies and false

knowledge w ith the aim to cure. The

exploitation of ignorance in selling quack

medicine was rife during the 19th century.

Leechesforsickness

Justtheideaofhavinga leechsucky

bloodmakesmanyofusfeelnauseou

However,theywereusedin medicine

thousandsofyearsasa formof

bloodlettingtorelievemanyillnesses

includingnauseaandmorningsickne

Eventuallytheremedywasshownto

weakenpatientsandcauseinfections

puttinganendtothepractice.

Effectiveness

Toxicity

Carbolicacidgermkiller

JosephListerinventedthisspraywiththe

aimtoridinfectiousgermsfromtheair.

Theacidsteamcouldbeusedonpeople

andentirerooms,aimingtocreatean

antisepticenvironment.Unfortunately

Listerwasunawarethatinhalingtheacid

wasincrediblydangerousandthatgerms

carriedonskinweremoreimportantto

focuson.

Effectiveness

Toxicity

Mercuryfordisease

Mercurypillswereregularlyprescribed

fordiseasessuchastyphoid,syphilisand

parasites.Whilethemetalmayhave

helpedsomeinfections,it alsoresultedin

manypeopleexperiencingtoxicside

effects.Thiscreatedcontroversyasto

whetherit wasthemercuryorjustthe

symptomsworsening.

Effectiveness

Toxicicity

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Radam’smicrobekiller

Claimingtocuretuberculosis,in 1887

WilliamRadamusedplant-based

ingredientsandwatertocreatea

substancethathepassedoffasa

medicinethatwouldkillallthemicrobe

in yourbloodandcureyouofmost

diseases.Aftertheproductwasanalyse

in 1913,it wasdeterminedthateach

bottlewasmainlywaterwithalmost

undetectablelevelsofsulphuricacid.

Effectiveness

Toxicity Sour

W

s

ed

Sour

ce: Wiki

Find out about the 19th-century medication

that caused more harm than good

Laudanumpainkillers

Thiscombinationofalcoholandopium

resultedin anincreasednumberof

suicidecasesaspeopleoverdosedonthe

remedy.Astheconcoctioncreated

euphoricsensations,thesetemporary

highsstoppedpain,butleftmanypeople

addictedtothedrug.

Effectiveness

Toxicity