Rheumatism sufferers sought relief inside a whale (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Climbing inside the carcass of a whale was once thought to bring relief to rheumatism sufferers, an Australian National Maritime Museum exhibit shows.

Staying inside the whale for about 30 hours was believed to bring relief from aches and pains for up to 12 months, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

It was thought to have started in the whaling town of Eden on Australia's southern coast.

The practice is documented as part of the museum's special whales season.

'Tempting morsel of flesh'

A rheumatic patient would be lowered inside the carcass of a recently-slaughtered whale "leaving just his or her head poking out," the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
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more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-26807485

[Archae]

1. Eeewwww...

Yuck.

[progressoid]

2. Oooooookay.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Did Jonah suffer from rheumatism?

This also reminds me of one of my favourite books as a kid, 'The Spider's Palace' by Richard Hughes - best known for his adult novel, 'A High Wind in Jamaica'. It's a collection of short stories for children, and one of the stories is called 'Living in W’ales' and is about a little girl and a dog who set up house inside a live whale! (Hughes lived in Wales, which may have been the inspiration!)

More seriously, this is just one example of the bizarre 'cures' that people were subjected to before the advent of modern medicine.

Just as well this has fallen into disuse; apart from the gruesomeness for the patients, whales are sufficiently endangered as it is, without yet another reason for killing them.

[Orrex]

4. That's one way to rise above your cetacean.

Ah, the porpoise-driven life.