Even the most brilliant medical minds have encountered failures or setbacks. These experiences, while often disastrous, provided valuable lessons that paved the way for future medical advancements.

 

 

Electric Light Bath

 

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg is best remembered as the inventor of the breakfast cereal Corn Flakes, but he also conceived of a number of health inventions, including the Electric Light Bath.

Kellogg believed that bathing in electric light would cure a variety of ailments by improving circulation and eliminating toxins. The “bath” featured a large, box-like cabinet lined with incandescent light bulbs. Patients would sit inside the cabinet, surrounded by light, while their heads remained outside, similar in set up to the portable infrared saunas sold online. Despite his reputation as a pioneering health reformer, the Electric Light Bath did not prove to have any of the alleged therapeutic benefits, and it soon fell into obscurity.

Loignon AE. Bringing light to the world: John Harvey Kellogg and transatlantic light therapy. J Transatl Stud. 2022;20(1):103-128.

The Kellogg Rejuvenators. RoadsideAmerica.com.

 

 

Prefrontal lobotomy

 

Nobel laureate Dr. Egas Moniz devised the prefrontal lobotomy procedure in the 1930s as a treatment for severe mental illness. Initially celebrated, the macabre procedure involved severing portions of the prefrontal cortex. The surgery led to severe side effects, including personality changes, reduced cognitive function, and even death.

Eventually, the medical community and much of society realized how misguided Dr. Moniz was and deemed lobotomies completely inhumane. The procedure was permanently discontinued.

Terrier LM, Lévêque M, Amelot A. Brain lobotomy: A historical and moral dilemma with no alternative? World Neurosurg. 2019;132:211-218.

 

 

Focal infection theory

 

He performed many surgeries, removing teeth, tonsils, and even parts of the colon, in an attempt to cure psychiatric patients. These drastic and often dangerous procedures did not cure mental illness and were ultimately discredited.

Wessely S. Surgery for the treatment of psychiatric illness: The need to test untested theories. J Royal Soc Med. 2009;102(10):445-451.

 

 

Rotablator

 

Dr. David Auth invented the Rotablator, designed to grind away arterial plaque using a rotating burr, but it faced technical challenges as well as many clinical complications.

Wu CJ, Azos A. TR Rotational Atherectomy: Is it feasible and safe? Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.; April 28, 2019.

It was not well regarded among his medical colleagues at first.

Wu CJ, Azos A. TR Rotational Atherectomy: Is it feasible and safe? Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.; April 28, 2019.

 

Today, the Rotoblator is in use with enhanced lubrication, safety features, and ergonomics, and has come a long way from the initial disappointing invention.

Sharma SK, Tomey MI, Teirstein PS, et al. North American expert review of rotational atherectomy. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2019;12(5).

 

 

Malarial therapy

 

Dr. Julius Wagner-Jauregg was awarded a Nobel Prize for his discovery that inducing malaria could treat neurosyphilis by causing a high fever.

Initially, the intervention appeared to be effective, but it was incredibly dangerous, leading to countless complications and deaths from malaria. Fortunately, with the advent of antibiotics, malarial therapy quickly became obsolete.

Tsay CJ. Julius Wagner-Jauregg and the legacy of malarial therapy for the treatment of general paresis of the insane. Yale J Biol Med. 2013;86(2):245-254.

 

 

Radical mastectomy

 

 

It was standard treatment for decades but caused significant physical and emotional trauma for patients, and patient outcomes did not justify the means. Survival rates were subsequently shown to be no better from radical mastectomy than with less invasive procedures.

Plesca M, Bordea C, El Houcheimi B, et al. Evolution of radical mastectomy for breast cancer. J Med Life. 2016;9(2):183-186.

 

 

Goat testicle transplants

 

Dr. John R. Brinkley’s brilliance lay in his extraordinary marketing skills and business acumen. He used radio to advertise his services, creating one of the most powerful radio stations of his time and revolutionizing direct-to-consumer advertising.

Medically, he was a controversial figure for his entire career.

 

Despite countless lawsuits and a lack of medical evidence, Dr. Brinkley continued his practice for years, causing many infections, complications, and even deaths.

Lee RA. The Bizarre Careers of John R. Brinkley. University Press of Kentucky; 2002.

 

 

Early versions of gender reassignment surgery

 

While his contributions are now recognized as groundbreaking, Dr. Stanley Biber’s early gender reassignment surgeries were fraught with complications due to the lack of standardized techniques and proper postoperative care. Many of his patients suffered from infections, poor surgical outcomes, and psychological distress.

 

Transorbital lobotomy

 

Dr. Walter Freeman, an American neurologist, established a variation of Moniz's prefrontal lobotomy known as the transorbital lobotomy. The procedure required insertion of an ice-pick-like instrument through the eye socket to sever brain connections.

Freeman performed thousands of these lobotomies, usually with disastrous results, including neurological impairment and fatalities. As with its predecessor, the practice was eventually abandoned.

Caruso JP, Sheehan JP. Psychosurgery, ethics, and media: A history of Walter Freeman and the lobotomy. Neurosurg Focus. 2017;43(3):E6.

 

 

The Baruch Solution

 

Prominent 19th-century physician Dr. Simon Baruch was an early advocate of hydrotherapy, using water to treat a broad range of illnesses. His methods included both drinking water and bathing in it. He developed techniques, such as hot and cold baths, compresses, and douches, customizing treatments to the specific conditions of his patients.

The Baruch Solution, which sometimes involved adding substances like salts or herbal extracts, promised to cure everything from rheumatism to tuberculosis, but was largely ineffective. The regimen never delivered the promised health benefits and failed to gain lasting acceptance among his peers.

Fleischmann L. Dr. Simon Baruch and the bathhouse movement. Off the Grid. Village Preservation Blog. June 4, 2019. Accessed May 30, 2024.