9. Masturbation Was Punished With Chemical Burns
The Aztecs frowned upon masturbation and punished anyone who was caught engaging in such behavior. Author Gary Jennings, in his book Aztec, described the attitudes surrounding masturbation in Aztec culture as well as the punishment. Jennings stated that men found engaging in masturbation would have ground chili peppers rubbed on their genitals. It is not clear how strictly this prohibition was enforced, nor who was responsible for administering the punishment. One also wonders if it applied to both sexes, or if female masturbation was even acknowledged in Aztec culture.
The active ingredient in chili peppers, capsaicin, causes burning and tingling sensations that can range from irritating to excruciating depending on the concentration of the chemical. Capsaicin can be refined and concentrated into a weaponized form, which is the active ingredient in pepper spray. Anyone who has rubbed their eye after chopping up a jalapeño pepper understands just how nasty this punishment could have been.
Other Indigenous cultures in North America, specifically some Native American tribes, used ground chili peppers to cause mild numbing to prolong sexual performance and enhance their enjoyment. It is said that some Spanish colonizers even tried this after learning of it, much to the judgment of the Catholic priests accompanying them on their voyages.