PDF Summary:The Sawbones Book, by Justin McElroy and Sydnee McElroy

The history of medicine is fraught with bizarre experiments and treatments, where audacious scientists and physicians risked their own well-being to advance medical understanding. In The Sawbones Book, husband-and-wife duo Justin and Sydnee McElroy recount the sometimes gruesome, sometimes comical ways medical pioneers confronted diseases, bodily ailments, and incomplete anatomical knowledge throughout time.

From ancient civilizations exhuming corpses for unauthorized autopsies to doctors self-experimenting with toxic substances, the writers reveal the extremes individuals once embraced in pursuit of medical progress. You'll also learn about peculiar psychological conditions, deadly epidemics, and fortuitous breakthroughs like the polio vaccine—ultimately chronicling the evolution of healthcare as we know it today.

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Opium and its derivatives were utilized to alleviate various ailments such as teething pain and insomnia.

The McElroy authors detail the prevalent conviction that opium served as a remedy for numerous medical issues. Opium has been used by individuals for both therapeutic purposes and recreational enjoyment for at least five thousand years. During the 16th century, a variety of illnesses were addressed using a concoction that fused poppy extract with spirits, commonly known as laudanum. Morphine, the active ingredient in opium, was isolated by scientists in the late 18th century, and would go on to be used to create heroin in the late 19th century.

The detrimental effects of these substances were not recognized until a subsequent period.

In the 1800s, substances derived from opium, such as laudanum and others, were commonly utilized across Europe and America for the treatment of various conditions, especially to soothe pain in teething or dehydrated infants. In reality, parents seeking to soothe their restless or challenging children often used these substances as a means to induce sleep. The ailment was frequently referred to as "Quietness." Women who were diagnosed with the now-obsolete condition of "hysteria," often a label for behavior or emotional states that male doctors found troubling, were commonly advised to use opiate-based medications, including drugs such as laudanum and morphine. In the United States during the nineteenth century, women made up the majority, accounting for an overwhelming two-thirds of all cases of morphine addiction.

Mercury and other toxic metals applied as treatments

Employing mercury to manage syphilis and other ailments frequently resulted in serious poisoning due to the substance.

The book offers in-depth insights into the use of mercury since the fourth century in China for treating various health issues. Mercury's enigmatic and powerful aura likely stems from its distinctive liquid state. European healers from subsequent periods also placed their trust in the curative powers of mercury, which gave credence to the adage that a night spent in the company of Venus results in a perpetual relationship with mercury.

Arsenic and other poisons were also experimented with as potential cures

During the latter part of the 1800s, the detrimental impacts of mercury on human health became widely acknowledged due to progress in medical science, which consequently reduced its application in medical therapies, yet its utilization persists in dental practices. The authors emphasize that the harmful consequences of mercury often appeared in forms that mimicked the ailments it was supposed to cure. Fowler's Solution was employed to tackle a variety of health issues prior to the discovery of its harmful properties.

Historical instances of rare health ailments, widespread illnesses, and psychological conditions.

The phenomenon of widespread psychogenic ailments.

Instances of involuntary, widespread dance phenomena have been recorded across Europe, possibly due to societal pressures.

The McElroy authors recount the emergence of a peculiar and troubling ailment that appeared in Europe circa 1021 and persisted until the 17th century, often referred to as the "Dancing Plague." Communities were marked by concurrent incidents of uncontrollable dancing. The episodes frequently lasted for an extended period, often continuing for weeks or months, resulting in exhaustion, injury, and occasionally death among the affected individuals. In 1518, in Strasbourg, France, the authors recount the strange event where Mrs. Troffea was overtaken by an irresistible urge to dance in the middle of a street. In a matter of weeks, the enthusiasm attracted hundreds more individuals. Efforts by authorities to oversee and administer healthcare to the afflicted proved futile, with the relentless dancing persisting until exhaustion or death concluded the phenomenon.

These conditions spread through communities with often tragic outcomes

The Strasbourg dancing epidemic is well-known, but numerous other similar events have been documented in various European localities, including Germany, Holland, as well as in the nations of Luxembourg and Italy. John Waller, in his book "A Time to Dance, A Time to Die," proposes that the incidents in question were distinct and stemmed from psychological disturbances due to intense stress.

Cases of infectious diseases, such as Parrot Fever, were recorded.

Zoonotic diseases passed from animals to humans caused widespread panic and confusion

In the 1920s, McElroy and McElroy chronicle the global outbreak of psittacosis, a zoonotic bacterial infection characterized by fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches, which did not receive much attention. Inhaling desiccated avian feces can transmit the disease, which impacts not only parrots but also a range of other bird types like budgerigars, macaws, and extends to domestic fowl including chickens and turkeys. In that historical period, a considerable danger caused widespread concern, although it has now become rare in modern times.

Efforts to manage these epidemics often ended in vain or resulted in consequences that contradicted the desired intentions.

The authors' story recounts the 1929 outbreak that began in Argentina and then spread across twelve countries. The importation of infected parrots from Brazil initiated an epidemic. The illness swiftly spread following the acquisition of the birds by unaware buyers. U.S. authorities took notice of the outbreak when Simon Martin, the secretary of the Annapolis Chamber of Commerce, received a parrot intended as a Christmas present for his partner. Martin's daughter and son-in-law, who had been caring for the parrot, became sick after it passed away. Efforts to control the outbreak achieved only limited success.

Bizarre psychological and physiological disorders

Conditions like "koro" and "tarantism" afflicted people in specific cultural contexts

Investigating the progression of illnesses throughout time uncovers the influence that cultural and regional differences exert on the misconceptions, identification, and comprehension of diseases, as well as on the knowledge of human body structure. The condition referred to as Koro, characterized by a profound anxiety over the notion that one's sexual organs are withdrawing into the body, is primarily seen in Southeast Asia, though there have been occasional instances in Africa, Europe, and the United States. People might feel a profound sense of anxiety and an unfounded belief that their reproductive organs are shrinking. People afflicted with this ailment also endure sensations of their genitals retracting and numbness, coupled with an overwhelming belief that their demise is imminent.

The conditions reflected the period's basic understanding of psychology and the anatomical structure of humans.

Tarantism, a peculiar mental disorder, surfaced in Italy's southern areas between the 13th and 17th centuries. The widespread notion held that participating in a dance, which would come to be known as the Tarantella, could mitigate the symptoms associated with a tarantula spider's bite. While tarantulas are venomous, the occurrence of their bites rarely leads to fatalities, suggesting that the response is likely more affected by mental perceptions, cultural expectations, and local convictions.

The field of medical science has seen considerable progress.

The creation of a vaccine against polio led to the eradication of a deadly disease.

Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin are acknowledged for developing immunizations that provided a dependable and strong protection against polio.

The book features an uplifting and encouraging narrative about two independent scientists who endeavored to create a protective vaccine against polio during the mid-20th century. Understanding the level of threat posed by polio, which frequently caused severe disability and was often fatal, is challenging. During the summer months in the United States, the virus spread through close contact at social gatherings and through contaminated water sources. During the polio epidemic's peak, parents were terrified that their children might contract the illness by participating in activities like going to school, swimming in public pools or coastal regions, or when going to movie theaters. Polio not only led to paralysis but also weakened the respiratory muscles, necessitating the use of large negative-pressure breathing devices commonly known as mechanical respirators.

Widespread vaccination initiatives have resulted in the virtual elimination of polio across many areas around the world.

After the Salk and Sabin vaccines gained widespread adoption, polio cases in the United States decreased dramatically, leading to a mere few instances by the late 1960s, and in the present day, such cases are extremely rare. Polio remains a challenge in regions where vaccines are insufficiently available or not available at all.

Vinegar's crucial function, along with other traditional home treatments,

Everyday items such as vinegar were often employed for their medicinal benefits.

The McElroys describe various occasions on which vinegar was used in attempts to treat illnesses. In ancient Greece, around 400 BCE, a concoction called oxymel, blending acetic acid with sweet honey, served as a remedy for a variety of health ailments. The Romans utilized vinegar for its health benefits, such as easing discomfort, arresting hemorrhages, and battling infections. Military medics utilized vinegar as a cleansing agent for wounds to prevent infections, which is a notable instance.

Contemporary studies have validated vinegar as a remedy with historical roots.

During the early stages of European colonization in the Americas, military members and sailors were given vinegar, which proved ineffective in preventing scurvy. Vinegar was frequently used to sterilize surgical tools well into the 19th century, and this method continued until the outbreak of the First World War. Vinegar is rarely used for such applications in modern times, yet some studies indicate it may aid those with diabetes and potentially help lower cholesterol or blood pressure when ingested.