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Prehistoric medicine
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Search complete. 2 mentions across 1 episode found for "Prehistoric medicine".
Oct 4, 2026
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Unknown podcast
The History of Medicine: How Humans Healed Across 300,000 Years | History for Sleep
Oct 4 · 2 Mentions
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9:21speaker_2NARRATOR
They did it through observation, experimentation, and probably a lot of trial and error that killed people before finding what worked.
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9:30speaker_2NARRATOR
But prehistoric medicine wasn't just about plants.
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9:33speaker_2NARRATOR
It was about something far more dramatic, something that sounds absolutely insane until you see the evidence.
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9:40speaker_2NARRATOR
They were performing brain surgery.
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11:53speaker_2NARRATOR
They must have had some way of managing infection, probably plant-based antiseptics.
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11:59speaker_2NARRATOR
Analysis of some trepanned skulls shows residues consistent with tree resins, which have genuine antimicrobial properties, and they must have had some way of managing pain.
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12:10speaker_2NARRATOR
Which brings us to one of the great mysteries of prehistoric medicine.
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12:14speaker_2NARRATOR
How did they deal with pain? We know they did surgery.