History of Criminal Medicine: Poisons, Errors, and Exotic Treatment Methods

Modern people are accustomed to trusting evidence-based medicine, sterile operating rooms, and medical equipment. Yet, for centuries, the path to healing was like sophisticated torture, and the line between science and witchcraft remained eerily blurred. The pursuit of anatomical knowledge and miraculous remedies has been linked to real crime, from the illicit trafficking of human remains and tomb raids to paid killings for autopsy schedules.Historian and cultural studies expert Monica Maria Stablberg explores the horrifying yet captivating world of the past: Here, executioners heal aristocrats and trade in sinful fat, prescribe boiling blood and skull powder for epilepsy, mummies are sold in pharmacies, and graves are dug at night. The author details centuries-old misconceptions about women's physiology, the brutal epidemics of plague, syphilis and leprosy, the terrifying fear of being buried alive, the funeral industry, and much more. The reader is presented with a hymnA reality that pays tribute to humanity's resilience on its journey from primordial darkness to the light of scientific knowledge.