Medieval Medical Remedies: What Actually Worked?

You know that dry tickle in your throat? The one that shows up out of nowhere and suddenly you're sniffling, sneezing, and scrolling through Amazon for the tenth box of tissues?

Yeah, I've been there. And last time it hit, I reached for the usualcough drops, steam, maybe a questionable tea blend from the back of the cupboard. But then I remembered something wild: an old remedy from 600 years ago. Made with stale ale, nutmeg, and mustard seed. Not exactly Whole Foods-approved, right? But historians say it was used by royalty. And honestly? It might've worked better than Vicks.

I know, I know"medieval medicine" sounds like a joke. Bloodletting, lizards, boiled owl heads? It's easy to laugh. But what if I told you some of these remediesyes, actual medieval medical remediesare now being studied by scientists and passing the test?

It's not magic. It's not TikTok woo. It's people, hundreds of years ago, watching nature, trying things, and writing it downjust like we do now. The difference? They didn't have labs. They had faith, fires, and ferocity.

So let's talk about it. Not the horror stories. Not the myths. Let's dig into the real stuffwhat worked, what didn't, and why some folk medicine from the Middle Ages feels weirdly modern.

Dark Age Myths

We've all heard it: the Middle Ages were grim, gross, and scientifically clueless. People prayed to saints, blamed demons, and bled themselves half to death. But new research says that's not the whole story.

In fact, historians have uncovered hundreds of manuscriptsold books crammed with notes on herbs, diets, headaches, even skincarethat suggest people were obsessed with staying healthy. Like, TikTok-wellness-obsessed. One international project, the Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine, nearly doubled the number of known medical texts from before the 11th century. And what they found? People were testing, observing, and refining treatments.

Some were written in the margins of poetry books. Others in church bibles. A monk jotting down a cure for a cough while copying psalms. A noblewoman scribbling a sore throat gargle in her personal diary. This wasn't just superstitionit was a grassroots health movement.

Meg Leja, a history professor at Binghamton University, put it perfectly: "People were engaging with medicine on a much broader scale than we thought." They weren't waiting for answers. They were making them.

Cold Relief That Works

Let's get realwhat do you do when your nose won't stop running and your head feels like it's full of wet cotton?

You might grab a packet of Lemsip. But back in the 1400s, King Henry VI's royal doctors had a different idea. Historian Dr. Kathryn Maude found two prescriptions in old government papersone for a head cold, another for congestion. This wasn't just prayer and hope. These were recipes.

The congestion remedy? Take stale ale (don't panicmedieval "stale" meant aged and strong, not rotten), mix in mustard seed and nutmeg, and inhale the steam. Sound familiar? It should. It's basically a medieval vapor rub.

Why might it work? Mustard seed contains allyl isothiocyanatea compound that clears sinuses and fights bacteria. Nutmeg is warming and slightly analgesic. And strong ale? Alcohol can be a solvent, helping carry active ingredients into the steam. It's not magic. It's chemistrywith a side of history.

And the head cold poultice? A warm mix of chamomile, sage, betony, and wild purslane, applied to the top of the head. Kind of like a herbal hot water bottle. Dr. Maude said it was "like using a compress today." And guess what? Three of those herbs have documented anti-inflammatory effects.

Now, I'm not suggesting you ditch your decongestant. But it's wild to think a 15th-century royal recipe might've had more going for it than we assumed.

That MRSA-Killing Salve

Here's a story I can't stop thinking about.

In 2015, a team at the University of Nottingham decided to try something crazy: recreate a 1,000-year-old eye salve from Bald's Leechbook, an old Anglo-Saxon medical text. The recipe? Garlic, leeks (called "cropleek"), wine, and bullock's gall (cattle bile). Mixed in a brass bowl. Left for nine days. Then strained and applied with a feather.

Sounds like a witch's potion, right? But they tested it on MRSAa drug-resistant bacteria that kills thousands every year.

And it worked. Not a little. It killed about 90% of the bacteria in biofilm, which is a big deal. Most antibiotics fail at that.

So no, we're not putting cattle bile in our eyes anytime soon. But it proves something powerful: medieval herbalists weren't just guessing. They were combining ingredients in ways that created something greater than the sum of its parts. Synergy before we had a word for it.

This isn't ancient medicine blindly working. It's evidence that historical remedies were sometimes based on real observation, real results.

Sore Throat Gargle? Yeah, They Had That

Remember those lozenges your grandma swears by? Turns out, so did Lady Augusta Murrayan 18th-century Scottish aristocrat. Her notebook included a gargle for "a sore throat of the putrid kind" (which sounds painful).

Her mix: equal parts port wine, vinegar, and sage tea, plus honey and "bark." Historians believe "bark" meant cinchonayes, the same plant that gives us quinine, the old-school malaria treatment.

Vinegar? Acidic, can inhibit bacterial growth. Sage? Anti-inflammatory. Honey? You already knowscience backs raw honey for soothing throats. Port wine? Alcohol again, as a preservative and solvent.

Is it safe for everyone today? Probably notespecially with alcohol and cinchona (which can interact with meds). But the logic? Solid. And honestlythis sounds like something you'd see recommended on a wellness influencer's page right now.

Fun fact: a 2017 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that rose oila common ingredient in other medieval migraine remediescan actually help reduce migraine pain. So yeah, some of this old knowledge? It's not just nostalgia.

Headaches and Hair Hacks

Headache today? You're in good company. Medieval folks dealt with them too. And their fix? Crush a peach stone, mix it with rose oil, and smear it on your forehead. Sounds like a spa treatment, right?

But againthere's science here. Rose oil has compounds that may calm nerves and reduce pain. And applying something coolor in this case, oily and fragrantcan distract from headache pain. It's aromatherapy before we called it that.

Then there's the weirder stuff. Like "lizard shampoo." One old text says: "Cover the head with summer savory, salt, vinegar then rub in the ashes of a burnt green lizard mixed with oil."

Yeah. I'm not touching that one.

Butget thismodern influencers promote apple cider vinegar and oil rinses for hair growth. Salt for scalp exfoliation. So while we're not burning lizards (good), the concept of DIY, natural hair care? It's ancient. And it's still trending.

Same with "cheese and honey for sores." Sounds gross. But honey has been used for wound healing for thousands of years (it's antibacterial). Some medieval doctors knew that.

What Actually Worked?

Let's be honestnot everything from ancient medicine deserves a comeback. Drinking urine? Rubbing goat dung on your head? Boiling owl heads? No thanks.

And bloodletting? Sure, leeches are still used in microsurgery today (yes, really). But back then, it was often overdone, based on the flawed "four humors" theoryblood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile.

The point isn't that medieval doctors were geniuses. It's that they were trying. They recorded what helped. They adapted. Some remedies were nonsense. But others? They had a real effect.

The real lesson? People in the Middle Ages weren't just passive victims of disease. They were problem-solvers. And sometimes, they got it right.

Remedy	Historical Source	Modern Insight	Science-Backed?
Stale ale + mustard steam	King Henry VI's papers	Decongestant, antimicrobial	Moderate
Eye salve (garlic + bile)	Bald's Leechbook (960 AD)	Killed MRSA in lab tests	Yes (in study)
Peach stone + rose oil	Dark Age manuscripts	Rose oil may ease migraines	Yes (2017 study)
Vinegar-sage-honey gargle	Lady Augusta Murray's notes	Honey soothes, sage reduces inflammation	Yes (partial)
Lizard ash hair tonic	5th-century text	Vinegar/oil base has meritbut lizard? No.	No

So Should You Try It?

Looknobody's saying you should pour ale on your face or mash up peach pits. And please, for the love of all things clean, don't use lizard ash.

But there's value in knowing where some of today's "natural" trends come from. Vinegar rinses. Herbal steams. Honey for coughs. These aren't just modern fads. They're part of a long line of human trial and errorfolk medicine passed down because it helped.

The risk comes when we romanticize the past. When influencers say, "This 1000-year-old secret will cure everything!" and skip the context. Medieval healers didn't just mix random stuff. They followed recipes. They noted side effects. They knew some things were dangerous.

So if you're curious about historical remedies, go for itbut do it wisely. Research real sources (Bald's Leechbook, The Alphabet of Galen). Look for modern studies. And most importantlytalk to your doctor.

Final Thoughts

I'll be honestI didn't try the ale-and-mustard steam. But I did make a sage-honey tea. And I dabbed a little rose oil on my temples when my head started pulsing. And weirdly? It helped.

Was it the remedy? Or just the ritual of slowing down, breathing, caring for myself? Maybe both.

What's clear is this: medieval medical remedies weren't all nonsense. Some were crude. Some were outright dangerous. But others? They were smart, thoughtful, and built on centuries of observation. And now, modern science is starting to catch up.

So the next time you're curled up with a cold, and nothing's workingmaybe think back. Not to judgment. Not to myth. But to the people who came before us, scribbling cures in the margins, trying to feel better. Just like us.

We're not so different after all.

Got a family remedy that's been passed down? One that feels old, maybe even a little mysterious? I'd love to hear about it. What's your go-to when modern medicine doesn't quite cut it?

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.