Some of the information given below is still under debate for its real medicinal values. There are lots of testimonial web pages in the internet if you get time to do a small Google search on these items. The results page will shock you.
Chocolate
During 18th century, chocolate was used as medicine. It was believed commonly that chocolate could cure stomach aches. Studies recently have suggested that cocoa (dark chocolate) may indeed possess certain beneficial effects on human health. With its high cocoa content, cocoa is thought to possess cardio protective properties. It also possesses a significant antioxidant action, protecting against LDL oxidation, perhaps more than other polyphenol antioxidant-rich foods and beverages.
Water
Water was used as a medicine in many ancient cultures. The ancient Mohawk people used a full plunge in the river as a medicine each day. There are numerous examples of water used as a medicine in traditional Mohawk stories. For instance, when a child doesn't mind his parents, is causing a fuss, or is misbehaving, parents will take that child to a sink or other running water source, and drench the child's face in order to teach a lesson. No wonder it worked. :)
Blood
It is widely believed that vampire stories and sucking blood in Eastern and central Africa had medical meanings. Many believed that human blood was used as medicine. Persian roots and its use in nineteenth-century Zanzibar, or the word mumiani in modern Swahili, meant a kind of medicine used externally for broken bones, melted and then drunk.
In Tanganyika, African blood was taken to urban hospitals and converted into red capsules. These pills were taken on a regular basis by Europeans who needed this medicine (or felt like they needed it) to stay alive in Africa. In colonial Northern Rhodesia, it was believed that African blood was necessary to cure European diseases. In Kenya, it was thought that men were taken by the Nairobi Fire Brigade so that their blood could be used for “the treatment of Europeans with anemic diseases. It is believed that ancient Romans also used blood as medicine for some of the illnesses.
Coffee
Due to its mystical connections and assumed magical properties, coffee was used as a medicine and in religious ceremonies. In ancient India coffee was used as a medicine. It was carefully prepared by authorized practitioners only. Before coffee was ever roasted and brewed, the berries were fermented in water creating a wine. This coffee wine was used as a medicine.
Most of the scientific studies are contradictory as to whether coffee has any specific health benefits. The results are similarly conflicting regarding negative effects of coffee consumption. Coffee appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver, and gout. Some believe that the health effects are due to its caffeine content and some think that the antioxidants in coffee prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.
Marijuana
It is still used as a medicine in the Middle East and in India and Asia. Humans have been using Marijuana from prehistoric times, but 20th century saw a rise in its use for spiritual and medicinal purposes. The synthetic form of one chemical in marijuana is also a controversial treatment for medical use.
The American Marijuana Policy Project claims that it is an ideal therapeutic drug for cancer and AIDS patients who suffer from clinical depression, and from nausea and resulting weight loss due to chemotherapy and other life sapping treatments. A recent study by Italian scientists has also shown that a chemical found in marijuana inhibits growth of cancer cells in animals.
Ambergris
It is a waxy, flammable, solid substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. It was known to Arabs as "anbar" and was originally called amber in the West. It was used as a medicine for the heart and brain. During the time of the Black Death in Europe, lots of people believed that carrying a ball of ambergris would help prevent them from getting the plague because the fragrance covered the smell of the air which was believed to be the cause of plague.
This has also been used as a form of medical supplement. For example, the middle Easterners have used it to increase their strength and virility and to treat heart and brain diseases. People also considered ambergris as an aphrodisiac and during the Middle Ages Europeans had used ambergris as a medication for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other disorders.
Monkey's Gall Bladder
The monkey's gall bladder was a common folk medicine in China often used for a wide range of disorders including eye diseases, stomach complaints and even a child's tantrums. Many ancient cultures used monkey blood for increasing the strength and stamina. It was also believed to have anti-aging effects. Over the centuries, people of various cultures have experimented with monkey blood and meat for anti-aging effects. Some even went to the extent of transplanting monkey gonads. In some of the places in Indonesia even until now, monkey brains are consumed as health remedies, impotency cures or as gourmet treats.
Pearl
Pearl is a gem of purity and modesty. It has been believed to be an agent of goodness and it is supposed to bring the wearer comfort in difficult times. They are also thought to improve the memory and to solidify friendships. The gem was even used as a medicine. The Persians even used it to cure insanity and other diseases, and it was given as an aid to increase longevity in ancient China. Even now, there are individuals who utilize pearls in drinking water to stabilize hormones or that wear them directly on the skin to alleviate headaches.
The Mummy Powder
This is one of the strangest of the lot. Ancient Egyptians are known for using various different strange things as cures for popular ailments. Powdered mummy was also used as a medicine! The word mummy comes from Arabic mumiyah, which meant bitumen. It was long believed that bitumen would conserve the mummies. Bitumen was even used directly as a cure. The Egyptians used the powdered mummy to make different potions and used it for longevity.
Urine
Urine is considered as a magic cure for diseases like diabetes, cancer, and tuberculosis as well as for those affecting the eyes, ears, teeth and skin. Urine therapy was practiced widely in the interior villages of India to the extent that old grandmothers gave children their own urine to drink to prevail over fever, loose bowels and many other ailments. In ancient Ayurvedic medicine texts, the mixture of cow urine and human urine was considered as an essential therapy for various ailments.
Three hundred years ago a French dentist advised to wash the teeth with urine many times daily, so that those suffering from teeth ailments could get relief. The knowledgeable scientists describe urine as a product of the body's excretory system but it also contains a chemical composition with minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride and many more, all of which are essential for the body's health. This proves that urine is a least used as a natural tonic.
Side note
I am sure others may have also come across various bizarre treatments or medicines. Feel free to list and discuss them in the comments section.
