The Cures Mocked for Centuries That Now Save Lives

In this article, Noor Fatimah Ali, PhD in Respiratory Medicine, explores how many ideas that are now accepted science were once seen as unconventional, reshaping our view of what is possible in medicine.

Across human history, the quest for healing has led people to embrace cures that once seemed strange, even remarkable. The recent mockery directed at the Birds of Paradise cure following the Guardian article is a vivid example of how swiftly we can dismiss unconventional ideas, forgetting our own history in the process. Time and again, breakthroughs that now form the backbone of modern medicine, including maggot therapy, leech treatment, and herbal preparations, were once mocked, doubted, or outright condemned by both the public and the scientific establishment. Some of the most trusted approaches in medicine began as controversial ideas. Still, this article makes no claim to promote or encourage unproven therapies. Its purpose is to offer a historical look at medicine and to draw attention to the range of perspectives that have, at times, paved the way for significant breakthroughs, reminding us that unusual, even unpopular ideas have often paved the way for progress.

The world of unconventional cures has always been a place where science and the inexplicable meet, and where the boundaries of medicine are continually being challenged and rewritten. Take for instance, Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in 1928, which introduced the world’s first antibiotic, a simple pill with the power to conquer infections that had killed millions. Yet, long before Fleming’s accidental discovery, some cultures, including ancient Egyptians, were already applying moldy bread to wounds, unknowingly using microbes to fight infection, centuries ahead of scientific understanding. Imagine, however, telling a 19th-century doctor that the fuzzy mold on stale bread would someday save millions of lives, they would almost certainly react with ridicule or disbelief. And yet, what once seemed absurd became the very foundation of modern antibiotics. Across the centuries, breakthroughs like this remind us that yesterday’s  dismissed ideas can become tomorrow’s medical miracles.

FMT: A Miracle from the Margins

One of the most astonishing breakthroughs in modern medicine is fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Once seen as bizarre, FMT is now a standard, life-saving practice. In this treatment, doctors take stool from a healthy donor and introduce it into the gut of a patient suffering from severe infections or bowel diseases, most notably recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infections. The aim is to replenish the gut with beneficial bacteria that can outcompete harmful microbes, reduce inflammation, and restore the natural defenses of the gut. 

While it is successful today, FMT’s journey to mainstream acceptance was anything but straightforward. Even into the 1950s, Western clinicians experimenting with fecal enemas often faced stigma and skepticism. It wasn’t until clinical trials in the 2010s demonstrated clear, conclusive evidence of FMT’s effectiveness, that it gained widespread acceptance among both medical professionals and the public. 

This development coincided with a deeper scientific understanding of the human microbiome, which consists of trillions of microbes essential for digestion, immune function and even brain health. When this ecosystem is disrupted, dangerous pathogens such as C. difficile can flourish, leading to serious, often life-threatening infections. Traditional antibiotics can fail to resolve these infections and sometimes make the underlying problem worse. FMT addresses this by restoring a diverse, healthy microbial community. The donor stool introduces living organisms that help reestablish balance, suppress harmful bacteria and promote healing. 

For patients suffering from recurrent, life-threatening infections, FMT is nothing short of miraculous. Its effectiveness has been considered remarkable: for recurrent C. difficile infections, FMT has been proven more effective than antibiotics alone. It is now endorsed as a standard of care by numerous major medical organizations. Its success has inspired research far beyond infections, exploring its potential in treating a host of conditions from metabolic to autoimmune disorders to neuropsychiatric disorders linked to gut health.

The transformation of FMT from dismissed oddity to established therapy exemplifies the dynamic nature of medical science. Openness, research, and the willingness to investigate new ideas have always driven progress, leading to groundbreaking advances in patient care and turning unusual cures into life-saving medicine.

Unconventional Healing in World Religions

Medicine’s mysteries have never belonged to science alone. Unconventional cures aren’t just the domain of doctors, they’re part of the world’s great religions. Within the Bible, Jesus’s healings are nothing short of astonishing: he restores sight to a blind man using a mixture of mud and spit, and opens a deaf man’s ears with nothing more than his own saliva. Moses, faced with a plague of venomous snakes, creates a bronze serpent that, when gazed upon, cures the afflicted. The Bible contains many accounts of remedies that defy ordinary explanation and often seem extraordinary, even by the standards of their time.

Islamic tradition, too, embraces unconventional approaches to healing. Honey, long valued for its wound-healing and antimicrobial properties, is praised in the Qur’an as a remedy “in which there is healing for people.” Research has confirmed honey’s effectiveness in treating burns and wounds due to its natural antibacterial properties. Some narrations mention the use of camel urine mixed with milk as a remedy. While the practice may seem unusual by modern standards, it does have historical roots and still continues to be practiced in some communities.

“The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Book of Medicine, Hadith 5686)

Narrations also mention that Umm Ayman (or, in some reports, Barrah) drank from a bowl the Prophet had urinated in, unaware of its contents. When she confessed, she was assured by the Prophet that she would never suffer from stomach pain. In the report of Barrah, she was granted protection against hellfire.

Umm Ayman said: ‘‘One night the Prophet got up and went to a side to urinate in the bowl. During the night, I rose and was thirsty so I drank whatever was in it and I did not even realize what it was. In the morning, He said, ‘Oh Umm Ayman! Throw away whatever is in the bowl’. I replied, ‘I drank what was in the bowl’. He thereafter smiled as such that His teeth appeared and said, ‘Beware! You will never have stomach pain.’’ (Mustadrak Al-Hakim, Hadith 6912)

From Umaymah who said, ‘‘The Prophet had a wooden bowl in which he used to urinate which was placed under his bed. One night he searched for it but did not find it and asked for it saying, “Where is the bowl?” The members of the house replied “Barrah, the slave girl of Umm Salamah, drank it.” The Prophet replied, “Surely she has protected herself from the fire with a great wall!” (Al-Khasaa’is Al-Kubra, Suyyuti, Vol. 2, p. 253)

Hinduism’s ancient Ayurvedic system contains numerous references to the medicinal use of urine, known as Shivambu or auto-urine therapy. Ancient texts describe detailed procedures for consuming one’s own urine as a means of treating various ailments, based on the belief that the body’s own substances can heal and restore balance. Cow urine, in Hindu tradition, is used both in medicine and religious rituals, and considered to have a wide range of benefits. While the practices might sound unusual, they have inspired modern scientific study on whether the body’s own substances might contribute to healing. 

As mentioned earlier, we do not encourage or promote trying unproven or unconventional treatments. These examples are shared for historical context and to demonstrate that a wide range of medical ideas, including unconventional treatments, have existed across regions and religions.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is filled with cures that, despite seeming strange to outsiders, have demonstrated real benefits, sometimes even influencing mainstream medicine. Practitioners insert ultra-fine needles at carefully chosen points across the body, to restore balance and encourage the body’s innate capacity for healing. Acupuncture has often been viewed with skepticism in the West, due to its seemingly unscientific techniques. Yet, studies suggest acupuncture stimulates the body's natural painkillers and affects brain regions that process pain. Although scientists are still unraveling exactly how acupuncture works, today acupuncture is widely recognized and recommended as a complementary therapy by major health organizations, including the World Health Organization. 

The Animal Kingdom’s Pharmacy

Sometimes healing emerges from nature’s most unlikely places. Some of the most groundbreaking and unconventional cures being explored today come directly from the animal kingdom, where researchers are investigating everything from the venom of deadly species to the regenerative abilities of amphibians. The future of medicine may well be shaped by the most unlikely sources, creatures that, until recently, seemed to have little to teach us about healing. In the ongoing search for cures, what once seemed impossible could become lifesaving reality.

Take leeches, for example. Once infamous for their role in bloodletting, leeches are now prized tools in modern microsurgery and reconstructive medicine. Surgeons rely on these creatures to restore blood flow and reduce dangerous swelling after delicate operations. The secret to their effectiveness lies in their saliva, which is packed with natural anticoagulants and anti-inflammatory agents that restore blood flow and prevent clotting and tissue death. 

The most well-known compound in leech saliva, Hirudin, prevents blood clotting, ensuring that blood vessels remain open and healing tissues receive the oxygen and nutrients needed for recovery. Leeches’ saliva also contains vasodilators such as acetylcholine, which widen blood vessels helping to improve blood supply to tissues. Anti-inflammatory proteins reduce tissue swelling and promote healing. Their fibrinolytic enzymes help break down existing clots, rapidly reopening blocked vessels. Additional components include antimicrobial compounds that help prevent infection, making leeches invaluable after complex surgeries.

As a result, leeches have become crucial for saving limbs and improving surgical outcomes.  They are sometimes even favored over modern drugs in certain reconstructive procedures, showing how a once-maligned remedy can earn a revered place in modern medicine through new scientific understanding.

In another surprising twist, maggots have become unlikely heroes in wound care. Applied to stubborn, slow-healing wounds that resist conventional treatments, maggots perform a specific task by consuming only dead tissue, thoroughly cleaning the wound and paving the way for new, healthy skin to grow, a process known as maggot debridement therapy (MDT).

The genius of maggot therapy lies in its simplicity and specificity. When placed on a wound, specially sterilized maggots feed exclusively on dead tissue, sparing healthy tissue and targeting only the material that prevents healing. As they consume this dead tissue, they release enzymes that break down debris, which not only cleans the wound but also creates an ideal environment significantly more hospitable to new, healthy skin cells.

Modern maggot therapy has transformed the way doctors approach chronic infections, but it doesn’t stop at cleaning wounds. Research has even shown that maggot secretions have potent antibacterial properties that help combat serious infections, especially those caused by drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA. Additionally, maggots stimulate the growth of granulation tissue, the foundation for new skin.

Today, maggot therapy is used for chronic, non-healing wounds where other treatments have failed, offering many patients a last chance for healing and, in some cases, preventing amputation. When traditional methods fail, these tiny organisms offer a lifeline. The revival of maggots as a therapeutic tool is a clear example of how medicine can turn to nature’s simplest organisms for innovative solutions, demonstrating that even the most unlikely organisms can inspire powerful advances and the most effective breakthroughs.

Unusual animal-inspired cures don’t stop there. Snake venom has led to the development of modern blood pressure medications, including ACE inhibitors. Bee products like honey and venom are used for wounds and arthritis. Leeches and maggots are now FDA-approved for medical use. Fish skin is applied in the treatment of burns.

These remedies, whether involving direct animal contact or animal-derived substances, have long shaped medical traditions and now inspire cutting-edge scientific research. What was once dismissed as outlandish now has approval from  the world’s leading health authorities.

Lessons from History: The Case for Open-Mindedness

Medical history provides a powerful example of open-mindedness. Practitioners during the Islamic Golden Age combined indigenous remedies, Greek medicine, Persian, Indian, and other healing traditions, often experimenting with therapies that initially seemed foreign or mysterious before adopting and improving upon them. Through this spirit of curiosity and integration, they achieved some of the world's greatest medical breakthroughs. 

Today, cures that do not fit the scientific framework are often dismissed as unscientific. This skepticism usually is due to the lack of a clear mechanism or supporting evidence by contemporary standards. However, dismissing such treatments overlooks an important reality, that history is full of treatments that were once dismissed or overlooked, only to transform the very foundation of medicine. Time and time again, rigorous research and scientific validation itself have demonstrated the value of treatments once considered radical, reminding us that the boundaries of possibility in medicine are always shifting. 

Penicillin, leech and maggot therapy, and fecal microbiota transplants, were all once considered outlandish or dismissed, only to be later validated by science and incorporated into mainstream medicine, showing that what is dismissed today may be understood and validated tomorrow, and understanding that not all phenomena are immediately explainable. Not every cure fits neatly within the scope of current scientific understanding. Throughout history, many remedies challenged the accepted beliefs of their time, being used centuries before science could explain them. The existence of microscopic organisms, for instance, was speculated or known by a few long before it could be scientifically proven. This history teaches us that just because science cannot yet explain something does not mean it isn’t real. After all, what once was invisible and seemed impossible, like the existence of pathogens, eventually became established scientific fact. In the world of medicine, the extraordinary frequently becomes the new normal. 

Thus, the most constructive approach to cures is to recognize that healing can come in unexpected forms and to have an open-minded approach. The world is full of mysteries, and what science does not grasp today may reveal its truth tomorrow. Unexplained cures are not necessarily falsehoods or superstitions, but can be opportunities for new understanding. Pursuing these unconventional treatments does not mean rejecting science; rather, it means being open to possibilities science has yet to explore and explain. 

History warns us that rejecting a practice solely because its mechanism is unclear can result in the loss of valuable remedies. Many effective therapies were previously overlooked due to excessive skepticism. These remedies convey a broader human story: that hope and health sometimes arrive through means we least expect.

In summary, the best way forward is recognition of medicine’s long tradition of learning from the unconventional. Practices may appear implausible now, but so did many discoveries that changed the course of medical history.