Photos Where Doing "Science" Meant Almost Anything
There was a time when science meant bravery, curiosity, and little safety concern. Early experimenters treated laboratories like playgrounds full of wires, strange bottles, and odd gadgets. Anything that fizzed, sparked, or glowed was progress.
Researchers inhaled unknown gases while assistants took photographs and laughed nervously at unexpected reactions. Doctors used X-rays as party tricks, and engineers strapped equipment onto animals to see what would happen. Common sense rarely made the guest list during these wild experiments.
These photos show a golden era of reckless discovery when ambition outweighed caution, mistakes became lessons, and the pursuit of knowledge often looked hilariously dangerous.
Radiation for Psoriasis
Children’s spleens were deliberately exposed to radiation to treat psoriasis and study effects.
Surgeries Without Anesthesia
J. Marion Sims performed surgeries on enslaved women without anesthesia.
Gastric Tube Observations
Dr. Beaumont observed digestion through a hole in his patient’s stomach.
Cigarettes for Asthma
Patients smoked herbal cigarettes marketed as asthma treatments.
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Men were denied treatment to observe the progression of syphilis.
Magendie’s Vivisections
Animals were dissected alive in experiments to study the nervous system.
Parachute Drop Tests
Prisoners in Nazi concentration camps were dropped from heights without parachutes to study survival outcomes.
Mercury Shots for Syphilis
Doctors injected mercury into patients to treat syphilis, causing serious health problems.
Two-Headed Dog
Demikhov transplanted dog heads onto other dogs to study organ transplantation.
Cocaine Wine Treatments
Vin Mariani wine with cocaine was sold as a cure for various ailments.
Arsenic Pills for Health
Arsenic was included in pills and tonics to improve general health.
Ben Franklin as a Human Lightning Rod
Benjamin Franklin experimented with electricity by testing electrical devices on his own body.
Ice Pick Lobotomy
Walter Freeman used an ice pick through the eye socket to sever brain connections.
Plutonium in Humans
Patients were injected with plutonium to study absorption and excretion.
Chemical Warfare Suit Tests
Soldiers were exposed to mustard gas to test protective clothing.
Laughing Gas Experiments
Humphry Davy repeatedly inhaled nitrous oxide to study its effects.
The Monster Study
Researchers attempted to induce stuttering in children through negative speech therapy.
Ice Beds for Mental Illness
Patients were submerged in cold water or strapped to ice beds as shock treatment.
Tobacco Smoke Enemas
Smoke was blown into the rectum to revive drowning victims.
Milk Transfusions
Doctors injected cow, goat, or human milk into veins as a substitute for blood.
