People are strange, and their beliefs or practices even stranger. History will show this to be true. Some things we consider bizarre and abnormal were in fact common practices back then. Nowadays, we would consider some of these things not only weird, but illegal. Some may not believe this list to be factual, but research will prove them wrong. How man could have done some of these things in the past is really shocking to say the least. You be the judge.
Sending children through the mail system.
You have heard of mail-order brides, but this tops that. Kids were allowed to be sent literally by mail, sort of a delivery service by the mailman. We suppose that at that time, people deemed this to be safe and legal, as maybe there was no other option. Now, this will be considered child abuse and barbaric. Strange, but true.
Babies and toddlers in outdoor cages.
Another one for the books, it seems parents as well as authorities in the 1930’s had no problems with kids being placed in wire cages hanging out of a window ledge, in apartment buildings. Most British families then did this so the kids could get fresh air while the mother cleans the place or is busy with other duties. It seems so cruel and inhuman for us nowadays to even imagine it. The cage could break off sending the kid plummeting to his death.
Inhumane treatment methods.
Unfortunately during the olden days, doctors were clueless as to ways to treat certain medical conditions. Some really were barbaric and inhumane. Bloodletting was considered a cure-all for diseases and illnesses, as was electric shock and lobotomy, where they would drill holes in the skull. Even stammering was treated by cuts to the tongue. Hard to imagine what it was like to get sick during those days, surely everyone did not want to go through these cruel and painful treatments.
Treating patients with cocaine.
Again, the medical profession then was ridiculously bizarre. While maybe cocaine may not have been seen as addicting, it surprisingly was not also considered harmful and illegal. Cocaine was sold in drugstores without the need of a prescription. It was used to treat toothaches, and as a sedative for kids.
Smoking cigarettes was prescribed by doctors for pregnant women.
American doctors some 70+ years ago prescribed smoking cigarettes to pregnant women to get rid of constipation. Smoking was also allowed in the hospitals, surprisingly even just after giving birth. The tobacco companies surely took advantage of this for their ad campaigns. While there is really nothing illegal about this, it just shows how unusual things were back then.
Human zoos to showcase other races of people around the world.
If we think human trafficking is illegal and immoral, what more human zoos for entertainment. As recent as 1958, Belgians could go to a “human zoo” to see races from other parts of the world, considered to be proof of Darwin’s theory. This nowadays goes way over racism, it boggles the mind as to what people were thinking then.
Keeping garden hermits
Another “slavery” type of practice, rich people commonly kept a personal hermit in the 18th century. They created handmade grottos for their own personal “living decorations” to live in. The poor are still sometimes abused by the rich, but this was really ridiculous. It is like having a homeless man living in your garden so that you can display them as one of your decorations or toys.
Toys that could be radioactive were normal.
The 1950’s had certain toys that would be considered unsafe and illegal today. Some popular toys such as the mini-laboratory actually included real polonium and uranium. You would think that people would have been wiser especially since this was after the use of atom bombs which devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Some people collected body parts.
Unusual but it was a common practice. Some reputable gentlemen had this strange hobby and even had their own pathoanatomical rooms, similar to a mini-museum of body parts. Even some soldiers have been known to bring home their enemies’ skulls. Morbid, strange, but that was how things were then.
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