Watching "Modern Marvels" today on TV, a very interesting episode about early misadventures in medical treatments, including the (again, very early) use of radiation to induce cures, improve male libido, improve overall energy etc. One included removing males' testicles, treating them to radiation, and replacing them. Hundreds of thousands of humans ran over each other to obtain these fake, ineffective, mostly downright lethal treatments and procedures; and spend their money on them. I figured Marie Curie must have been turning over in her grave to see people falling for crazy nutso treatments involving the (mis)use of radiation (since she is credited for discovery of radium). They didn't mention whether polititians at the time were involved in hawking these 'miracle cures. Somebody always profits, at least for a while.
Although the MD who figured out the reason for massive numbers of post-partum deaths; doctors went straight from autopsies to deliveries, no hand washing, was deemed insane, kicked out of prace and imprisoned. Wash hands between patients? Outragious...get the hell outta here. Sheesh.
Candy