大象传媒 Scotland - 大象传媒 Scotland - Don鈥檛 try this at home: The nauseating 17th Century smoothie drunk by people attempting to cure themselves of rabies

Don鈥檛 try this at home: The nauseating 17th Century smoothie drunk by people attempting to cure themselves of rabies

10 October 2018

Even today, with all the benefits of modern medicine, receiving a bite from a rabid dog would be a terrifying event.

No wonder then, that back in the 1600s people were prepared to put up with a nauseating treatment in an attempt to keep rabies at bay.

Bites from rabid animals posed a serious problem, as historian Laura Moffat explained on Time Travels.

“Rabies was a big issue back then. If you got bitten by what they called a ‘mad dog’ then you would probably die.”

What to do if you were bitten by a dog in the 17th Century

What to do if you were bitten by a dog in the 17th Century.

Among the remedies of the time was a concoction called Doctor Mead’s Famous Cure for the Bite of a Mad Dog.

“It seems a bit questionable whether drinking it would be successful,” Laura admitted.

“But if you’ve got rabies, you’re going to take any chance you can get.”

What is rabies and could I catch it?

Rabies is a viral infection that is passed to humans from animals. It is extremely rare in the UK but it is still possible to become infected abroad.

Time Travels

Susan Morrison explores the rich and murky depths of Scotland鈥檚 past.

It probably looked nowhere near as appetising as this

Ingredients
• Dried herbs
• Lichen
• Liver wort
• Black pepper
• Turned cow’s milk

Mix the ingredients together.

The patient should drink the concoction every morning, before food, for four days. This should be followed by a cold bath, or bathing in a river or spring.

Repeat for a fortnight, then reduce to every three days for the following fortnight.

Yeah... no thanks!