Disgusting & Bizarre Cures

When we seek modern medical care it is comforting to know that bizarre and gross procedures used in medieval times have completely disappeared. Or have they?

Surprise! Some treatments that we consider archaic are still in use today or have recently regained popularity. Some treatments have even won enthusiastic approval by the FDA.

Lets start with a treatment called Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT). MDT therapy was popular since its inception around 16 century c.e. You may may wonder how on earth someone figured out that maggots were a great way to treat infection. They are so disgusting that it will make you wonder why someone would even try them out on a patient. Let alone a patient agreeing to the treatment. Well, it turns out that many soldiers returning from the battlefield for treatment already had some of these disgusting little critters at work in their wounds! Lo and behold these poor dudes recovered better and faster than their pals who were not, um, so lucky to play host to a maggot infestation.

Maggots in a wound CDC photo

The use of maggots to treat infections went out off vogue in the 1940's because of the effectiveness of more aesthetic antibiotic treatment. However, in 1989 some medical studies discovered that maggots were more competent than antibiotics in treatment of some serious infections. Apparently maggots only consume dead tissue and don't touch the live, healthy tissue. During their work maggots expel matter that slows down or kills bacteria (to preserve their meal) and the treatment gives a patient no more than an itching or tickling sensation. As an extra bonus, once they have eaten up all the gross stuff, they pack their little suitcases and leave on their own. The FDA approved Maggot Debridement Therapy in 2004.

Biopharm Leeches - UK

Not to be outdone by maggots the humble leech has reared it's ugly head as another form of wound treatment. Introducing the science of Hirudotherapy! Folks that normally avoid popular fresh water swimming holes because they are terrified of leeches, may willingly submit to Hirudotherapy. It seems that leeches promote better healing by draining blood from swollen areas post surgery, therefore increasing circulation.

A practitioner applies leeches to the problem area where they commence sucking excess blood to reduce swelling. This process allows fresh blood to reach the tissues promoting healing while the leeches anticoagulant prevents premature clotting. While they work, leeches also give you a shot of antibiotic from their gut and their spit acts as a local anesthetic that numbs any pain.

Let's look at one last wiggly critter type of cure before we move on. Enter the parasitic intestinal worm, ugh, pun intended! Apparently scientists have found that intentionally releasing an appropriate parasitic worm into a patient has been beneficial in the treatment of asthma, multiple sclerosis, eczema, ulcerated colitis, Crohn's disease and even some allergies (you may prefer a neti-pot). This treatment is called Helminthic therapy.

Hookworms - CDC photo

As far as I know the treatment is not approved or offered in the United States or Canada. There are clinics that offer this treatment such as one in Tijuana, Mexico. The clinic claims that the treatments have been highly effective despite some unpleasant side effects. I know that you are likely asking yourself an obvious question and one that I also pondered when I started to write this post.


How long do you have to keep these little beggars wiggling around in your intestines and even possibly poking their heads out of obvious hidden places at night? Not so long; only for your entire life!

Alright already! Enough of the freakish parasites! After all, even writers have to sleep at night!

I applaud researchers that have the intestinal fortitude to dig around in the most curious of places for possible cures of various illnesses. There is a strain of bacteria named Clostridium Difficile that due to overuse has developed resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics. The bacteria has a tendency to kick into overdrive in a patients intestines. The end, no pun intended, result is systematic destruction of the infected bowels. Statistics indicate that there are more than three million patients a year infected with this bacteria during stays in US hospitals. The most common infection picked up during hospital stays is C. difficile. This bacteria is responsible for the death of several hospital patients in the US each day.

Enter Fecal Bacteriotherapy, which entails the transplant of fecal matter, yup I said poo, from healthy donors in to the colon of a person suffering from Clostridium Difficille infection. This revolutionary treatment has had an amazing success rate of  97% in a recent study where more than 1500 patients were treated by Bacteriotherapy. Typically the donor of the good stool is a close relative who endures testing to ensure that they are free of a wide spectrum of viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Not surprising for this therapy, there is often reluctance on the part of patients to allow the procedure due to a perception that it is repulsing. However, when the other choice is serious illness or possible death its time to man up and find someone that really loves you to help you out.


Until next time: I leave all possible jokes and puns up to you, my readers.

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Killing to Spread the Word - What the....

As hard as I tried I could not ignore the story of a murderer that went on a carefully planned rampage against humanity in Oslo, Norway. This man joins others that operated on the fringe of self-structured reality until they decided to activate their grandiose plans to rush in a new world order of one kind or another.

Anders Behring Breivik is the latest in a line of crazies that have at one point or another left their indelible mark on society. I agree that this Breivik guy is as crazy as a loon, however he is not insane nor should he be allowed that defense to minimize punishment.

No matter what definition you prefer to determine if a person is criminally insane this dude does not rate that label. No one can plan and execute a precise military style strike operation on the scale that Anders managed and still fit the legal definition required for an insanity defense in Norway.

Breivik would have to be severely psychotic during the commission of his crimes to be classified insane. He would have to have lost all contact with reality, to a point of having no control whatsoever over his actions. In such a state he could never have managed transporting himself from one attack site to another 24 miles (38 km) away, about a one hour drive because of terrain, in a state of psychosis. He simply could not listen to "the voices" in his head without crashing his vehicle into the first object that was in his way.

So with a giant manifesto to support his plan he created a tragedy that strikes at the hearts of shattered families, his country, and the world.

After the killing was over what was Breivik worried most about? Remorse, sadness, dismay, or any bad feelings about what he did? Not at all, his concern was; when can I get into a public courtroom and in front of cameras to further my cause of a new world order! So far Norway has said, "Not a chance buddy."

Breivik

Manson

Although Breivik is clean cut he is no less ominous than Charles Manson who formed a cult to do his dirty work for him. His goal was to bring on a race war that failed to materialize in 1969. Manson believed this race war was eluded to in the song, "Helter Skelter", by the Beatles. He and his followers would be saved from the resulting Armageddon by hiding out in an underground city of gold located in Death Valley. When his race war did not materialize as planned he instead ordered his followers to murder innocent people to get the ball rolling.

Manson is rotting in prison for the rest of his life which is the least that should happen to Anders Behring Breivik.

We can change the world a bit at a time: try to do at least one random act of kindness today.

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