Medieval Medicine

My special guest tonight is author Nathan Belofsky who's here to enlighten you about the unbelievable medical practices used in the past.  If you want to enjoy recent episodes of Mysterious Radio just search for the show in your favorite podcast app and make sure you to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode!     Now published in five languages, Strange Medicine casts a gimlet eye on the practice of medicine through the ages that highlights the most dubious ideas, bizarre treatments, and biggest blunders. From bad science and oafish behavior to stomach-turning procedures that hurt more than helped, Strange Medicine presents strange but true facts and an honor roll of doctors, scientists, and dreamers who inadvertently turned the clock of medicine backward:     * The ancient Egyptians applied electric eels to cure gout.  * Medieval dentists burned candles in patients' mouths to kill invisible worms gnawing at their teeth.  * Renaissance physicians timed surgical procedures according to the position of the stars, and instructed epileptics to collect fresh blood from the newly beheaded.  * Dr. Walter Freeman, the world's foremost practitioner of lobotomies, practiced his craft while traveling on family camping trips, cramming the back of the station wagon with kids--and surgical tools--then hammering ice picks into the eye sockets of his patients in between hikes in the woods.     Strange Medicine is an illuminating panorama of medical history as you've never seen it before. Follow Our Other Shows Follow UFO Witnesses Follow Crime Watch Weekly Follow Paranormal Fears Follow Seven: Disturbing Chronicle Stories Join our Patreon for ad-free listening and more bonus content. Follow us on Instagram @mysteriousradio Follow us on TikTok mysteriousradioTikTok  Follow us on Twitter @mysteriousradio  Follow us on Pinterest pinterest.com/mysteriousradio  Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/mysteriousradio]