10 shocking practices that would never be allowed today
If you think you've got it tough today, then here's a quick step back in time to the days when people routinely did things that ranged from crazy to downright dangerous! Add to that some medical practices, which were often unregulated experiments undertaken in order to 'further' science...
Some of these were quite obscure, whilst others were shockingly common - with Europe being home to some particularly weird customs!
1. Cocaine sold over the counter
Back in the day cocaine wasn't considered to be a dangerous or addictive drug. South Americans would chomp on coca leaves and in 19th Century Europe it was used as a local anesthetic to soothe toothache and to wean people off morphine. In the USA, it was even recommended for kids - just check out this advert for cocaine-based toothdrops, sold over the counter for 15¢. A century later, cocaine could be found in wine and Coca Cola and it wasn't until 1914 that most developed countries decided to ban this drug.
2. Sending kids in the mail
© Smithsonian Institution/flickr.com
Yes you read it right! Once upon a time (the early 20th Century to be precise), parents would send their kids to their grandparents in the post! In the USA you could send your child by regular mail for the princely sum of 15¢ - much cheaper than paying for a child and their chaperone to take the train!
3. Hanging baby cages
In 1930's Britain, people who lived in apartments would hang their babies out of the window so that they could get some fresh air! You could easily buy different styles of cages that meant working mothers who lived in apartments didn't need to take their babies for walks. We can't even bear to think of all the accidents that must have occurred and fortunately this barbaric practice was phased out during the 1940's.
4. Keeping a hermit in your garden
© Johann Baptist Theobald Schmitt/Wikipedia Commons
Side shows were popular during the 19th Century and one that appealed to wealthy homeowners was to keep and show off a hermit who lived in their garden. The industrial revolution in Europe apparently sapped the nobility's spiritual wisdom and these hermits were considered to be knowledgeable sages - the result of living alone with plenty of time to reflect on the meaning of live. To have your own on-site wise man or woman became THE must-have garden accessory for any well-heeled family!
5. Barbaric medical treatments
© Medical Archives/Wikipedia Commons
Whilst medicine needed to involve experiments to reach the high standard of health care we have today, some practices were nothing short of torture! From using leaches to applying electric shocks, doctors would pretty much try their hand at anything. This photo of Lewis Sayre (a famous New York orthopedist) shows him stringing up a patient with back problems in an extremely painful-looking contraption.
6. Uranium in children's games
Exciting and safe??? Before the harmful effects of radioactivity were known - despite the works published by Pierre and Marie Curie - dangerous radioactive ingredients were often included in kids' games during the 1950's. Just think that your parents or grandparents could well have played with 'atomic energy labs' that contained actual polonium and uranium!
7. Human zoos
Until relatively recently, visiting 'freak shows' was a popular family outing and some of these included exhibiting people from other cultures or countries, who were shipped over to Europe and the US during colonial times. A highly dubious 'ethnological' practice that is actually horrifying, as seen in this Congolese village that was set up for the 1958 Brussels World Fair.
8. Open days at psychiatric hospitals
Gawping at people was also allowed in psychiatric hospitals where patients were stripped of all dignity and exposed to public ridicule. With patients being badly treated, malnourished and left to rot, these barbaric institutions were state-financed and authorities turned these hospitals into freak shows in order to generate added income. A favorite with the upper echelons of society, people would pay to see and openly mock patients suffering from mental illnesses.
9. Body part collections
© Australian War Memorial/Wikipedia Commons
Serial killers aside, it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to keep a collection of body parts. It was, however, far more common than we think, whether it was shrunken head trophies, scalps or 2nd World War soldiers who wanted to keep a memento of enemy soldiers they'd killed. Having a collection of body parts was, therefore, something to be proud of and these exhibits would often take center stage in wealthy homes.
10. 'Gentle' cigarettes for pregnant women
Now known to be a No.1 killer, there was a time when cigarettes were recommended for pregnant women on the pretense that smoking could prevent constipation - just check out this Philip Morris ad. Around 70 years' ago smoking was still allowed in hospitals - patients had ashtrays by their beds and doctors often featured in cigarette advertisements!
By Straker Julia
Writer
Passionate about writing, I write articles on the subjects that I love. Creativity and Animals themes are my favorites!
