19 Everyday Health Practices from the Past That Would Raise an Eyebrow

Leeching is one of the more widely known medical practices from yesteryear. It makes our skin physically crawl to think about it, but throughout the 19th century, this practice, known as “bloodletting,” was an extremely common way to treat many different types of ailments. Leeching, in particular, was believed to balance the body’s fluids and to even treat infections, but anything else was the truth. Leeches only lead to blood loss and a potential worsening of conditions.