In the past, medical knowledge and research methods were much more limited than today. Scientists had limitations in understanding the causes and treatments of diseases. For this reason, some suggestions and practices were compatible with the knowledge and understanding of that period.
A better understanding of the functioning of the human body, discovery of previously unknown risks and side effects, public health awareness, and patient feedback have helped improve medical practices. Additionally, the open emergence of big data and statistical analysis has provided access to powerful data that supports or criticizes doctor recommendations.
During all this time, many facts have been revealed by scientists. Even though we say “get out of there” when we hear it now, many people did what the doctors said at the time. Let’s see what mistakes scientists have made us in the past.
Smoking was once doctor-approved.
We don’t know if some of you remember, but smoking used to be “not harmful to health.” they would say. On the contrary, it was doctor-approved and doctors were featured in advertising posters to encourage people in this regard. Of course, these doctors were not real doctors, but the doctor figure remained in cigarette advertisements for a long time. The company that started this trend was Lucky Strike.
By the 1930s, it was beginning to spread that smoking was dangerous, and people were calling it a “coffin nail.” This situation made cigarette companies nervous and used doctors to take precautions. American Tobacco Company’s Lucky Strike cigarette brand was the first cigarette brand available to physicians.
Moreover, Lucky Strikes sent free cigarettes to doctors and asked if they were less irritating to sensitive throats. After Lucky Strikes, Philip Morris and Camel brand cigarettes also followed this trend and always used the doctor figure in their advertisements.
The real truth was revealed on January 11, 1964. Surgeon General Luther Terry conveyed the findings of the Surgeon General Advisory Committee on smoking. According to the report, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis were found to be linked to smoking. In the years after this report, first TV advertisements and then printed materials were removed.
Radiation was marketed in combination with many products until it was proven to be lethal.
In the early twentieth century, radiation was believed to have an effect on healing the human body. In medicine, it was accepted that small doses of radiation would not cause harm and even had bactericidal properties.
Becoming popular in the United States and Europe, as well as Japan, radiation was incorporated into many products and offered for sale. Radium was used in blankets to be good for arthritis, in necklaces for rheumatism, and in cosmetic products to prevent aging. In fact, the hot springs discovered to be radioactive attracted great attention.
Toothpaste, suppository, hemorrhoid cream and hair conditioner also received their share from the belief in the healing properties of radio. It is possible to see Radium brand creamy butter, stain remover and hand cleaner products that were formerly used in the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.
When radio-related deaths emerged, the truth began to be realized.
Some entrepreneurs started to bottle and sell the water in the spas. After a while, something was noticed in the water sales. That was because the lifespan of radon in bottles was approximately 4 days. Industrialist Eben Byers was on the agenda of radioactive drinks. The death of the industrialist, who claimed to drink 3 bottles of radon water a day, was reflected in newspaper headlines as “Radium Water Worked Well Until His Jaw Broke”.
Another important factor in understanding that radio was harmful was the “Radium Girls”. Workers painting clock dials with radium were licking the brush to shape it. How many people died due to radiation accumulating in the bones is among the undisclosed secrets.
The lawsuit filed by Radion Girls had a great impact on the harms of radio all over the world, and the first long-term study was conducted. As a result of the work completed in 1993, serious security measures were taken.
“Lobotomy” is considered one of the biggest mistakes of modern medicine.
Lobotomy was a neurological surgery performed in the 1890s as a cure for mental illness. In this method, the connection in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain was cut off. This brutal method, initiated by Swiss Psychiatrist Gottlieb Burckhardt, was first applied to a group of schizophrenia patients.
When Burckhardt removed some parts of the brain, his aim was to transform the state of advanced schizophrenia into a calmer state. The doctor performed many brain surgeries over the course of 10 years. Many of these resulted in death, and some committed suicide after surgery. Wait, now something even scarier is coming. Burckhardt performed these surgeries live, without anesthesia.
After Burckhardt’s fatal surgeries, Portuguese Neurologist António Egas Moniz even received the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his lobotomy. Although, afterwards, a series of actions were taken to cancel the award. Dr. Walter Freeman and Dr. James Watts were among the people who performed the lobotomy surgery.
The patients’ brains were reached through their eyes with an ice pick. Even the thought is terrifying.
Lobotomy has been performed in different ways over the years. One of the methods was to insert an ice pick into the eye socket and reach the brain from there. Another method used was to break a part of the skull and directly remove the brain.
As horrific as it may seem, lobotomy was very popular between the 1940s and 1950s and was performed on many patients. Especially during and after World War I, some even volunteered for this surgery. In those years, approximately 40 thousand people in America underwent lobotomy surgery. After America, the place where lobotomy surgery was performed most was Scandinavia.
There are also famous names among those who underwent lobotomy surgery.
While some had the surgery with their own consent, for some their families decided on this surgery. Famous Oscar-winning Actor Warner Baxter was among those who underwent surgery. American President John. F. Kennedy’s sister, Rosemary Kennedy, was another. Swedish Painter Sigrid Hjertén was among the famous names.
Lobotomy, which is of course illegal and considered a crime today, was also revealed in the novel Cuckoo’s Nest and in the film that was later brought to the big screen.
Sugar, which was the cause of some diseases, was a sign of wealth.
Although we all know the harmful effects of sugar, it has been used for therapeutic purposes for a long time after it was first discovered.
In 8000 BC, sugar was discovered and cultivated by the Guineans. By 600 AD, sugar cane spread to China, India and Southeast Asia through maritime trade. The Greeks and Romans, who learned about the existence of sugar during their visits to India, began to use sugar for therapeutic purposes.
According to medical records of the period, sugar; It was preferred in cases such as stomach disorders, dry cough, lip cracks, chest complaints and indigestion. Even Ibn Sina, one of the important names of Western medicine, has words about sugar being a good food. While Greek physician Simeon Seth wrote that sugar was medicine, the Byzantine Emperor’s palace doctor recommended rose sugar in the treatment of high fever.
Sugar, which is called “white gold” because of the great income from sugar cane, was once a food item that was difficult to find and was only accessible to the rich. Sugar, known for its spread all over the world, began to be used in ceremonies and shows. Sugar sculptures and trinkets became objects of admiration and became increasingly popular.
Sugar was also known as “sweet salt”. Giving it as a treat to guests and its appearance as a source of energy led to the spread of candy. With this popularity, after the 19th century, there was sugar in every home.
Sugar, which found its place as a sweetener in teas and coffees, became more widespread in the 20th century. The fact that everyone uses it shows that sugar is not actually a good thing.
Here comes another medical mistake that makes you say “Give up”.
In 1874, British Chemist Alder Wright synthesized heroin and conducted several tests on dogs. The chemist must have realized the damage and did not further his work. After 23 years, chemist Felix Hoffman of Bayer pharmaceutical company synthesized heroin again. In fact, Felix was told by the company to acetylate morphine to obtain codeine, but the chemist uncovered heroin instead of codeine.
Bayer named this substance “Heroin” and sold it as a cough syrup for children between 1898 and 1910. It is thought that the drug takes its name from the German word “heroisch”, which means “majestic”. Research showed that after a while, heroin turns into morphine in the liver. After realizing this, Bayer stopped selling “Heroin” in 1910.
Yes, many mistakes were made in the past, but we must not forget that billions of people are healthier today thanks to medicine.
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