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Would you eat a mummy to cure a disease?

Why, in the past, did people eat bits of dead body? And what sort of ailments were they believed to cure? HistoryExtra's Elinor Evans explains more

• Elinor Evans

Published: April 17, 2026 at 9:43 AM

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Why, in the past, did people eat bits of dead body? And what sort of ailments were they believed to cure?

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During the early-modern period, corpse medicine became a widely accepted practice throughout Europe. From the blood of the dead to the ground-up remains of mummies – and even, in Ancient Rome, fresh body parts – throughout history human bodies have been treated as potent remedies.

Drawing on expertise from historians including Dr Richard Sugg and Dr Campbell Price, HistoryExtra's Elinor Evans traces the history of this chilling historical practice.

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• Read more | Early-modern cannibal doctors: why mummified corpse was considered medicine

Authors

Elinor EvansHead of digital (web and video)

Elinor Evans is head of digital (web and video)

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