@jimmyt44
The sad truth is that the medical profession really has not progressed that much since the Middle Ages. Treatments are still cut, burn, and poison.
While there has been some progress with certain diseases, the only treatment for some infection is cutting out the infected part. Antibiotics are becoming less useful due to Darwinian evolution of super bugs, like MRSA.
But that hasn't stopped medical and big pharma from trumpeting from the rooftops.
In the 1950s this situation was made worse by lack of proper oversight. When that came, many products were removed from the market.
An example was the Mary Cole Mon Docteur douche kit which was banned because of excessive cure claims. It was a perfectly good douche, but the claims could not be supported. Here is one:
https://img.techpowerup.org/200607/dainty-maid-31.jpg
https://img.techpowerup.org/200607/dainty-maid-95.jpg
So, the medical profession realized that examining a patient and knowing full well that the person would get wee in due time without any intervention and telling the parent to just do supportive measures was 'bad for business' essentially started ordering placebos. A placebo must be SEEN to be effective, even if it is not. It must also not do harm. A parent told to do nothing doesn't feel they got their money's worth.
And what fills this bill? How about a mighty enema or even several? r even an exotic one. It can certainly be seen to work by the mom.... my kid pood so much he filled the toilet.. It's not going to harm the kid, at least physically. It just makes them do what they usually do anyway.
I think that's probably the genesis of doctors ordering enemas back then. Today, it's a 'script for an antibiotic... even for a viral issue.