Ten riveting nonfiction books on history’s greatest medical mysteries

At Mental Floss Marla Mackoul tagged ten books that "delve into some of the wildest moments in medical history." One title on the list:

Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails by Camper English

Until relatively recently, alcohol was considered a treatment for a variety of ailments. Doctors and Distillers travels through time to show how people across the globe have used it in remedies, from uses for wine in ancient Greece to “alchemical” concoctions in China and India. In fact, many classic cocktails were originally invented for healing or stimulating purposes: the Negroni, the Old-Fashioned, and the Gin and Tonic are just a few examples. This well-researched gem covers enormous ground, including significant historical moments like the Prohibition Era and the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue