Fun Facts About History's Oddest Medical Treatments

Fun Facts Daily · Mar 4, 2026 · 13m

For centuries, medical practices were guided by the miasma theory, which posited that diseases like cholera and the Black Death were caused by "bad air" or foul-smelling vapors. This belief led to unconventional treatments, such as the 17th-century practice of storing farts in jars to be inhaled as a shield against the plague. Other historically accepted remedies included the use of mummy powder, or mummia, made from ground human remains, which was believed to cure ailments ranging from headaches to broken bones. This practice originated from a linguistic misunderstanding regarding bitumen, a…