Outdated hygiene practices that are anything but clean

Leeches Were Used to Treat Almost Every Ailment

For centuries, leeches were the go-to medical fix for just about everything that ailed you. Doctors thought that drawing blood balanced the body’s “humors,” so they’d slap on loads of leeches and let them suck away for hours.

Even though it sounds like something out of the Dark Ages, it was a treatment taken seriously. Ironically, it often weakened the patient even further or caused infections. Still, for a long time, leeches were seen as the pinnacle of medical science.