Y’all, crystalclear posted a review of Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything back in November and I immediately put it on hold at the library. It was everything I could have possibly wanted: weird medical facts, crazy pictures and graphics, and a wicked sense of humor. Thank you crystalclear – I will be amazed if this one doesn’t make my top 3 list 11 months from now!
Okay, so the authors break the book into a few different sections. Each section covers all of the stupid weird/harmful/wtf things doctors and laypeople used to think might make people healthier (spoiler alert — nope!). I can’t remember them all, and Caitlin already has my copy, but one section is all the poisonous chemicals we used to use to treat people (arsenic, mercury, radium). Another was filled with weird stuff people would eat (animals, plants, other people). We also learn about weird tools used (a bellows to air out the bowels sticks out in my mind — a lot of people over dozens of centuries felt the need to do weird stuff to your bowels) and weird procedures performed (let’s drain all your blood then burn you with a cautery — and then castrate you, just in case).
It is gross. It is horrifying. It’s not really that funny because like A LOT of people (don’t give kids cocaine!) died. But then it’s also funny because the authors have a dark sense of humor (“Today, we now know that overconsumption of gin—or really any alcohol—can also lead to “gin blossoms.” Yes, sometimes that means a late-night dose of sentimentality and “Hey Jealousy” on repeat as you wax nostalgic about the Clinton years, but also, more harmfully, gin blossoms on your face.”).
And the pictures! Oh my god, guys, the pictures!
Bonus: once you review this on Goodreads, you get a LOT of collections of other weird medical history books. So brace yourselves — badkittyuno loves this shit.
Ooooh, this looks great! As someone who has sought help from “quack” health practitioners (chiropractor, acupuncture, etc.) for ailments that Western medicine can’t even detect (“your blood work looks fine!” “those side effects are in the acceptable range”), I can’t wait to read this.