Medieval and ancient medicine we still use

A a 1,000-year-old recipe, pulled from an ancient text called Bald's Leechbook in England, has proven effective against the antibiotic-resistant MRSA superbug, one of the banes of modern medicine.

Superbug salve

So what's in the medieval "eyesalve" that obliterated the MRSA bug? Hey, glad you asked.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham started with fresh garlic...

Cow cure

The medieval remedy also called for bile from a cow's stomach. The recipe gives instructions to brew it with fresh garlic and let it sit for 9 days. The resulting formula killed 999 out of 1,000 MRSA cells.

And it's not the only medieval remedy to survive into the 21st century...

Maggot therapy

From ancient times through the Renaissance, there are records of bug larva being used to clean dead tissue from living people.

And the practice is still used today.

Draining of wounds

Medieval doctors contributed to modern medicine in more ways than you might think.

For example, pioneering medieval researchers bucked ancient doctors by insisting that pus should not always remain in wounds. Instead, medieval surgeons Hugo of Lucca, Theoderic of Servia, and his pupil Henri de Mandeville advocated for draining and cleaning wounds, and dressing them after suturing.

Draining of wounds

To this day, doctors -- including this military physician treating an Afghan man suffering from a gunshot infection -- still drain wounds when necessary.

Dissection

Dissection is an ancient tradition, but it wasn't always widely accepted as a medical tool. In medieval times more doctors began to engage in the crucial practice.

Hearts and minds

Dissection for medical purposes really took off in the late 1200s, thanks in part to an early record of an autopsy dating to 1286.

Innovations in childbirth

Mankind has always sought the safest ways to bring children into the world. It's the ancient physician Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, born in 936, who is credited with early documentation of the "Walcher position" in obstetrics, a technique still used by some midwives.

Bring on the leeches

Ancient and medieval physicians used leeches for a variety of treatments. Today, leeches are making a comeback, largely in reconstructive surgery.

Cesarean sections

The method of delivering babies through a cut in the abdomen dates back to at least 320 B.C.

Holes in your head

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, doctors drilled holes in patients' heads to cure everything from seizures to skull fractures.

Today, doctors are still at it, albeit for different reasons, such as relieving cranial pressure.

Stool transplants

Fourth-century Chinese documents describe the practice of treating fecal diseases with fecal matter.

Cut to today, and modern science is embracing fecal microbiota transplantation, also known as a stool transplant, to help a range of infections and  gastrointestinal problems.

Take the nose

Need to reach the brain? Shortcut through the nose. That's what ancient Egyptians did with their mummies, and it's what doctors do today to fight tumors.

In stitches

Ever get stitches after an unlucky accident? Consider: The oldest known wound suture was found in a mummy from 1100 B.C.