Fragments of Human Skull (Burges Collection of Materia Medica, late 1700s)

Although the thought of using human remains as medicine seems alarming to us today, when you look at the illnesses they were thought to be able to treat it is often possible to see the reasoning behind the practice. In this case, consuming human skull was recommended as a treatment for diseases of the head, particularly epilepsy.

Man’s Skull is a specifick Medicine in the Cure of the Falling-Sickness, and indeed of most Diseases of the Head, taking of the crude Powder, rasp’d from the fresh Bone of the Skull, one Scruple or two, in any proper spirituous Liquor.

Although the thought of using human remains as medicine seems alarming to us today, when you look at the illnesses they were thought to be able to treat it is often possible to see the reasoning behind the practice. In this case, consuming human skull was recommended as a treatment for diseases of the head, particularly epilepsy.