CURE or KILL Old Remedies that Would Horrify Us Today

by KAREN COOPER

Medicinein the 21st century has brought us things like robots that help perform surgeries and maybe too many medicines for us to wrap our heads around. However, back in the day, medicinal treatments were often not very helpful and sometimes downright terrifying. Here are some that you won’t believe were ever considered to be acceptable treatments.

Bloodletting

First Century Roman Physician Galen believed that blood, as the strongest of the four humors, had a powerful influence on health. His theory was that blood could become stagnate in the extremities of the body and, therefore, cause disease. Based on this idea, surgeons “bled” patients to remove the stagnant blood and restore the balance of the humors. This treatment was recommended for all kinds of ailments from headaches and indigestion to pneumonia and strokes.

Leeches were key to the bloodletting process, and through the ages, have been used as a treatment for infection, skin diseases, dental afflictions, among many other conditions. Maybe their most miraculous attribute has kept them relevant in today’s medicine – leeches secrete specific peptides and proteins that increase wound blood flow, by preventing clotting. Leech therapy can help treat everything from cancer, arthritis, hemorrhoids and high blood pressure to heart disease.

Anesthesia

In today’s world, no one would choose to be operated on in dirty, germinfested conditions…and especially not without adequate pain relief. However, before the mid-19th century, which ushered in major advances in anesthesia and antiseptic methods, the reality for anyone needing a surgical procedure was grim. The first successful public medical demonstration of anesthesia occurred when Dentist William Morton used ether gas in October of 1846 and that began the era of modern anesthesia. Ether gave way to chloroform as the favored drug, but it had dangerous, sometimes fatal side effects. Later anesthesia drugs included ethylene, halothane, sevoflurane (all gases) and later intravenous agents such as the barbiturate sodium thiopental and propofol. Our expectations of medicine have been shaped by the advances of anesthesia. Before the 19th century, 80% of patients died after having operations. Today, that number is estimated to be anywhere from 1-3% depending on a variety of factors.

Trepanning

When you have a migraine, do you ever feel like a nice hole in the head would help? Many of our historic ancestors believed that drilling an opening into the skull was a reasonable way to treat pain and neurological issues. The earliest indications of trepanation date back 7,000 years ago, particularly in Greece, Africa, Polynesia and even America, but the shocking practice remained into the early 1900s. With zero anesthesia, this made for a particularly painful, and sometimes, life-threatening procedure. However, the survival rate of these operations was surprisingly high.

Poo Ointment

It’s exactly what it sounds like – in ancient Egyptian times, the use of animal excrement for healing was recorded in the Eber’s Papyrus. Dating back to 1500 B.C., a range of feces, from dog and gazelle to donkey, could be used to not only treat wounds but to keep bad spirits away, as well. Some women would place crocodile dung into their vaginas, believing it could serve as a contraceptive. I imagine it did!

Mercury

Mercury is infamous for its toxic properties, but it was once used as a common potion and topical medicine. The ancient Persians and Greeks considered it a useful ointment, and second-century Chinese alchemists valued liquid mercury, or “quicksilver,” and red mercury sulfide for their supposed ability to increase lifespan and vitality. Some healers even swore that by consuming brews containing poisonous mercury, sulfur and arsenic, their patients would gain eternal life. One of the most famous casualties of this diet was the Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who supposedly died after ingesting mercury pills designed to make him immortal.

Cocaine For What Ails You

Sigmund Freud is respected for his contributions to psychology. He’s less celebrated for regularly prescribing cocaine to his patients. Not that he was alone. Many the use of cocaine to treat

Winston-Salem’s RubyG’s Buttercreme Sensations is the brainchild of Wyomie Watson and her husband, Eric, serving up house-made sweet treats to Triad locals daily. After retiring from 20 years of working for Forsyth County Government in 2018, Wyomie tested her cake recipes among Eric’s lucky coworkers, who raved about her talent as a baker. Having received such positive feedback, Wyomie and Eric opened RubyG’s Buttercreme Sensations in 2019.

Wyomie’s iconic buttercreme frosting is adored by her children, who described it themselves as “heavenly.” In fact, her children’s feedback inspired the bakery’s motto, “The sky is not the limit; heaven is. Our aim is to make your taste buds feel heavenly.” What makes Wyomie’s buttercreme frosting sensational is the perfect formula that balances sweetness and texture. Many buttercreme frostings have a reputation of being “too sweet,” “too over-powering” or “too heavy.” Wyomie’s frosting magically meets each of these criteria in the middle, making the frosting complementary to her cakes and pleasing to palettes of all kinds. Customers drool over RubyG’s popular banana pudding layer cake, the delicious 7-Up pound cake and the shop’s alcohol-topped cakes for customers 21 and older.

This spring, stop by the shop to taste seasonal flavors, such as pink lemonade cakes and cupcakes, a lemon blueberry pound cake (one of the shop’s best sellers) and the classic RubyG’s strawberry crunch cake and cupcakes. Wyomie is also known for her ability to create themed cakes, having crafted a San Francisco 49ers baseball cap cake for her husband, along with a decorated handbag cake. To continue perfecting her craft, she invests in continuing her education in baking and cake decorating by taking classes and practicing through trial and error.

With the help of her daughter Brittany Holoman, RubyG’s Buttercreme operates smoothly on Peters Creek Parkway. Brittany is Wyomie’s sole parttime employee, working professionally as a chef and having successfully completed her ServSafe certification. She was also Wyomie’s co-conspirator when it came to creating RubyG’s famous deep- fried cinnamon rolls. These deep-fried cinnamon roll creations can be topped with a variety of fruits, making them the perfect sweet treat to savor any time of day.

Wyomie is ever-grateful for her busy husband, Eric, who preps her ingredients ahead of her baking and takes care of the maintenance and cleaning around the shop. Considered the “talker” of the two, and Wyomie’s go-to “PR” person, Eric’s assistance is crucial to RubyG’s daily operations.

With only a few hands on deck, RubyG’s preparation of custom orders and wedding cakes impress clients year-round. With prior experience as a wedding planner, Wyomie parlayed her inside knowledge of the ins and outs of weddings into her career as owner and operator of RubyG’s Buttercreme. She creates custom wedding cakes, offers cake delivery and setup, and hosts in-shop cake tastings for brides and grooms. Ensuring wedding parties and guests are pleased with her creations is one of Wyomie’s favorite aspects of her baking career, and one she strives to achieve with each order received.

To give back to the community, the team at RubyG’s partners with Brenner Children’s Hospital by donating cupcakes for special events, partners with Ardmore Baptist Church’s Pivot Ministry by teaching women from low-income backgrounds how to bake and frost cakes without expensive equipment and has donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Eric has also partnered with Cycle Recycle, which repairs and refurbishes donated bikes and provides them to lowincome families.

If you haven’t tasted Wyomie’s buttercreme for yourself, visit the shop at 667 Peters Creek Parkway. Interested in placing a custom order? Wyomie wants to devote as much time as possible to perfecting your request. For weddings and events, contact RubyG’s Buttercreme Sensations no less than two weeks in advance to secure your cake. Call 336.331.3848 to schedule a cake tasting of a variety of RubyG’s cake flavors and frostings for up to two people for only $45.

Find RubyG’s Buttercreme Sensations online at shop.castiron.me/rubygs-buttercreme-sensations, and follow along on Facebook to see more of Wyomie’s creations.