12 Medical Practices We Now Know Were Harmful
Many once-common medical treatments were later found to cause more harm than good.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Medicine has come a long way, but history is filled with treatments that did more damage. From toxic tonics to dangerous surgeries, these practices were once standard recommendations. This list highlights twelve outdated medical methods that we now recognize as harmful or even deadly.
1. Bloodletting
Wellcome Collection on Wikimedia Commons
For centuries, doctors believed draining blood could cure illness by balancing “humors.” In reality, it weakened patients and sometimes hastened death. The practice persisted well into the 19th century before falling out of favor.
2. Mercury Treatments
Wikimedia Commons
Mercury was once prescribed for everything from syphilis to constipation. While it sometimes relieved symptoms, it also caused severe poisoning, leading to tremors, memory loss, and organ damage.
3. Lobotomies
hypersapiens on Flickr
Used to treat mental illness, lobotomies involved severing connections in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. Patients often suffered from cognitive decline, personality changes, and loss of basic functions.
4. Smoking for Asthma
Manish Dungdung on Unsplash
In the early 20th century, some believed inhaling cigarette or herbal smoke could open airways. While it may have provided brief relief, it also introduced harmful chemicals into the lungs.
5. Thalidomide for Morning Sickness
Duckwailk 2017 on Flickr
Marketed in the late 1950s as a safe remedy for pregnant women, thalidomide caused severe birth defects. Thousands of children were born with limb deformities before the drug was pulled from the shelves.
6. Radium Water
Sam LaRussa on Flickr
Sold as a health tonic in the early 1900s, radium-infused water was touted as a miracle cure. Long-term use caused radiation poisoning, leading to jaw decay, cancer, and death.
7. Electroshock Without Anesthesia
Otis Historical Archives National Museum of Health and Medicine on Wikimedia Commons
Before modern safeguards, electroconvulsive therapy was administered without muscle relaxants or anesthesia. Patients risked broken bones, severe pain, and memory loss.
8. Arsenic Medicine
A Pile of Red and White Pills
Arsenic-based tonics were once prescribed for conditions like anemia and syphilis. While they sometimes offered temporary benefits, prolonged use caused skin lesions, organ failure, and death.
9. Lead-Based Makeup
Ashley Piszek on Unsplash
Popular in past centuries, lead powder was used to create a pale, fashionable complexion. Prolonged exposure caused hair loss, skin damage, and neurological problems.
10. Tapeworm Diet Pills
Nathan Reading on Flickr
Marketed as a weight-loss solution, these capsules contained actual tapeworm eggs. While they could reduce weight, they also caused malnutrition, organ damage, and sometimes death.
11. Plombage Surgery
National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
This tuberculosis treatment involved inserting balls or materials into the chest cavity to collapse a lung. While it sometimes helped the infection heal, it also led to severe complications and long-term health issues.
12. Cocaine in Medicine
DMTrott on Wikimedia Commons
In the late 1800s, cocaine was a common ingredient in tonics and even children’s toothache remedies. Though it numbed pain, it was highly addictive and damaging to health.