Comment by hackernewds
Comment by hackernewds 3 days ago
How did they medicate for pain for millennia before the advent of painkillers?
Comment by hackernewds 3 days ago
How did they medicate for pain for millennia before the advent of painkillers?
Before the early modern period, large portions of the world did not have any wild or cultivated opium poppies or any other strong painkillers.
Jainism developed in India which did have access to these. Regardless, until the early modern period painkillers and other medical treatment was blanket disapproved of as it was considered likely to be damaging some part of the body. (My non-expert understanding).
People were probably suffering a lot. I can't imagine being a migraine sufferer in 1500. It's miserable enough now.
Are we pretending opioids do not exist in nature? What's next, how did people hallucinate before LSD?