Some of Our Ancestors' Killer Occupations: Part Two of Three

Our first post in this mini-series (published on 12 June 2023) highlighted the chemicals many of our ancestors smeared on and/or ingested as they sought to make themselves look better. This week, we'll focus on how they often endangered their health while working. The hazards of some jobs are obvious. We know that miners of all kinds faced multiple dangers: roof collapse, flooding, and constant inhaling of dust and debris that poisoned their lungs. Our ancestors who worked in factories regularly breathed particles of whatever substance was in the unventilated air, leading to permanent lung damage. The hazards of working in the early years of the industrial age were enormous, as most of the factories were unregulated. But let’s consider jobs that some of our ancestors had that were equally hard on their health but which we don’t often think were all that dangerous. 

Our Ancestors' Killer Fashion Trends, Part I: What We Do for Vanity!

Over the centuries, fashion trends have come and gone, as have humans’ need to follow them. People have coated their faces in makeup, ingested all kinds of materials “guaranteed” to make them look and feel better, and worn clothing and accessories made from a wide assortment of materials. In doing so, they have also exposed themselves and the people who created all these products to an array of toxic chemicals, some of which eventually killed the makers, some the users, and some, both.