I guess the OP was about “learning from history” so I can only agree with satprof’s response . It appears that it is all about adaptation and improvement of older techniques. However, I think we can’t just use them as they were once used. There is an odd thing about treatments of any kind, in that, if you believe it will work you may well convince yourself that it has done, and importantly, vice versa. As to whether medical students should study ancient practices, there is a place for that I suppose, but I would be happier if they used the modern methods that may have been based on older practices. Having said all of that, if I could believe that there was an ancient practice (practise?) that could rid me of my constant back pain, I would dive straight in. Doubt my GP is going to come up with one though. Maybe he did not study historical methods.