The Gruesome History Of Medicinal Cannibalism In Europe

By Shehzad in History On 14th July 2016
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#1

During the 16th and 17th centuries, medical science was quite primitive. There was the prevailing thought that "like treats like" when it comes to curing various illnesses. One morbid example would be the belief that ground up bits of skull would cure the headache.

#2

For years, Europeans participated in this type of cannibalism until the late 18th century. Although it isn't the usual cannibalism that we see on media where humans actively eat the flesh of living or newly deceased fellow humans, Europeans at that time used parts of the dead to create medicines.

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#3

One popular "corpse medicine" was the concoction which contained blended bits and pieces of ancient Egyptian mummies. It was believed to cure almost everything, from simple headache to more serious illnesses.

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#4

King Charles II of England was known for his personal remedy called "The King's Drops." It was made with ground up bits of human skull mixed with alcohol, and used to cure illnesses such as epilepsy, convulsions, headaches, and often given as emergency treatment for the dying.

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#5

Some doctors during that time also believed that drinking blood would make a person healthier. According to them, the fresher the blood, the healthier the person would be.

Fortunately, medicinal cannibalism died out along with the supply of Egyptian mummies.

Now, we don't have to consume ground up parts of corpses just to cure our illnesses.