Treatment of migraine attacks before the twentieth century

Abstract

Migraine accompanies humans throughout their existence and, for the relieve of their pain, various forms of treatment were used. From the Neolithic to the Modern Age, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese, Greek, among other people, have suffered intense attacks of chronic headache. Many different treatments have been used from skull drilling and bloodletting to the use of herbs and plants. People who lived before the twentieth century had no knowledge of any drug treatment.