Publisher's Synopsis
Can you imagine playing with mercury with your bare hands? What were we thinking? Discover the wild things we used to do with Dangerous Things That Used to Be Safe.
Throughout human history, we have always looked for ways to live longer, look more beautiful, and cure ailments. But the search for miracle drugs, beauty products, and better living led to a number of medications, diets, fads, and activities that we now know to be insane. You or your parents might remember running behind the pesticide truck or smoking on airplanes. If you think people do unusual things these days, a look into the past will find that our ancestors were up to some pretty weird stuff. From radioactive water touted as having healing properties to lobotomies and LSD therapy, this humorous collection will astound even the most dedicated of history buffs and trivia experts. Including: - Green dye for wallpaper and clothing was made from arsenic- Heroin was originally sold as cough medicine
- The snow in The Wizard of Oz is asbestos
- Smoking cigarettes was prescribed to pregnant women with anxiety
- There used to be radium makeup, paint, toothpaste, deodorant, health tonics, and hairspray
- Cocaine used to be in Coca-Cola drinks
- Soldiers would spray DDT on their bodies to get rid of lice
- Cars had solid metal dashboards, and kids would sit in the front seat
- You could send kids through the mail in 20th century America (it cost 15 cents!) Yearning for the good old days? Take off those rose-tinted glasses. With this unbelievable book, you'll be wondering how the human race made it this far.
