The ancients tirelessly searched for new medicines, and found a creature underwater that was turning from a deadly weapon into a miracle cure. This secret has been lost … Until then.
Since the beginning of human history, humans have tried to manage pain. From ancient instruments of torture, which caused unimaginable suffering, to magic ointments that relieve pain.
Today we think of aspirin and morphine when we use the word "pain reliever", but in 100 AD the Romans discovered another remedy for pain relief.
At the heart of this forgotten secret is a fearsome deep sea creature. The Roman historian Plutarch described an incredible underwater pain reliever, a rare type of electric ray called the Torpedo.
Ancient Roman texts describe how people suffering from pain in joints and legs were taken to the shore. There they put their feet directly on the back of the Torpedo. Over time, it became easier for them, and the pain disappeared.
Roman manuscripts say that Torpedo could cure almost any pain, from colic to syphilis. But apart from these descriptions in ancient manuscripts, we do not know anything about how this treatment was carried out. How did this dangerous creature relieve pain?
At the Finistera Aquarium in La Carunha, Spain, scientists are constantly studying the Torpedo. This is a fish, the secret of which could not be solved for centuries, because it lives on a sandy bottom, hiding from human eyes. The Torpedo's electrical discharge is self-defense, but it also uses it to kill its prey: it attacks, unleashes an electric shock at the prey, paralyzes it, and then completely swallows it.
To unlock the Torpedo mystery, the fish's deadly electrical discharge must be measured using the latest scientific methods. Two thousand years after the Romans discovered the electrical properties of Torpedo, modern scientists are trying to figure out how it generates electricity.
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Two electrical organs, each containing more than 5 thousand cells, form the "powerhouse" of the Torpedo. When a fish stings, the brain sends a danger signal to the cells and an electrical discharge is generated. Each cell generates a small amount of electricity, and the combination of many cells that act at the same time produces a powerful electrical discharge.
The Torpedo's electrical discharge is measured with an oscilloscope, which measures the charge voltage over time. Torpedo is the Latin name for paralysis, so you need to be very careful when measuring.
The Torpedo releases a 20 volt electrical charge, nearly double the amount of a car battery. It fired three times at 5ms intervals, which can cause serious pain to the person. An important question remains: How did the Romans turn this water weapon into a pain reliever?
The spinal cord gates control pain and keep it out. Electricity inflames the nerve, stimulating this nerve closes the pain gate, so the person feels less pain.
The ancients knew nothing about the painful gates of the spinal cord and did not understand anything about stimulating a nerve to ease pain, but they knew that the help of the electricity that Torpedo produces could reduce pain. Thousands of years later, modern machines have only improved the treatment.