15 Gross and Weird Things We Did Before Modern Technology
![15 Gross and Weird Things We Did Before Modern Technology](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/8/885718_320x180.jpg)
Ah, the good ol’ days! When life was simpler, and the only thing you had to worry about was finding a way to keep your windshield clear, brushing your teeth with a twig, using a Farmers’ Almanac page to wipe your butt, dropping frogs in your milk to keep it from going bad, taking a Saturday night bath with your whole family, gargling with pee to prevent cavities, oiling up and wearing scented cloths to bathe, shaving with a clam shell, using bread as an eraser, injecting urine into a mouse to determine pregnancy, using electric shocks from a torpedo fish to treat migraines, using urine to treat leather, drinking alcohol to boost performance, pumping your own gas, and using polyurethane, sponges, cartilage, wood, and glass balls for breast augmentation.
In today’s world, these practices seem downright bizarre, but they were once the norm. Here’s a list of some of the wildest things people used to do before modern technology. Enjoy!
Urine luck with that dental advice!
![Gross and weird things before modern technology DENTAL HYGIENE In the 1700s, gargling with pee was thought to prevent cavities. French dentist Pierre Fauchard wrote about it in 1728. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/3/885723.jpg)
Guess we know why the Almanac was so popular?
![Gross and weird things before modern technology TOILET PAPER Before TP, people used water, sticks, pottery, sponges, straw, corncobs, and Farmers' Almanac Mary Have Bulli pages to Q clean up. THE NEW-YORK FARMER'S ALMANAC, FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1818, BEING THE SECOND AFTER BISSEXTILE OF LEAP YEAR, CRACKED And 4td Year of American Independence, till 4th July CONTAINING The Lanations Conjections, Eclipent, Jadgreent of the Weather,](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/0/885720.jpg)
Ah, the good ol’ days of DIY windshield wipers!
![Gross and weird things before modern technology WINDSHIELD WIPERS Early drivers had to get creative, using stuff like plug tobacco or veggies to clean their windshields in bad weather. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/6/885726.jpg)
Brushing up on ancient dental hygiene!
![Gross and weird things before modern technology TOOTHBRUSH Since 3000 ВСЕ, people have been cleaning their teeth with chew sticks - twigs with frayed ends. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/2/885732.jpg)
Ah, the good old days of clam-shaving!
![Gross and weird things before modern technology SHAVING Prehistoric people shaved with clamshells, flint knives, and shark teeth. Later, others used gold or copper razors and obsidian glass. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/7/885727.jpg)
Urine-induced rodent romance: the 1927 pregnancy test.
![Gross and weird things before modern technology PREGNANCY TEST Injecting urine into a mouse or rat to see if it went into heat: that was the 1927 pregnancy test. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/3/885733.jpg)
Shock therapy, ancient style!
![Gross and weird things before modern technology MIGRAINE TREATMENTS Romans and Greeks used electric shocks from torpedo fish to treat migraines. Europeans kept using it until the 1700s, when electric eels were found for stronger shocks. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/2/885722.jpg)
You’re probably starting to realize the pre-modern world ran on urine.
![Gross and weird things before modern technology TREATING LEATHER Urine was used to soften and tan animal hides ,because its high pH breaks down organic material and removes hair and flesh. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/5/885725.jpg)
Ah, the good ol’ days of lugging gas cans around!
![Gross and weird things before modern technology PUMPING GAS Since 1905, Americans have been able to pump their own gas. Before that, they had to buy it in cans and fill up themselves. ALL- PURPOSE GASOLINE and CAN CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/1/885721.jpg)
Frogs: Nature’s preservative.
![Gross and weird things before modern technology PRESERVING FOOD Russians used to drop frogs in milk to keep it from going bad. As it turns out, frog goo has germ-fighting powers. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/0/885730.jpg)
Bread: not the best eraser.
![Gross and weird things before modern technology ERASERS Until the 1770s, people used bread as an eraser. It wasn 't a great option, as it could easily get moldy or rot. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/9/885729.jpg)
Bathing: Risky business?
![Gross and weird things before modern technology BATHING In the 1400s and 1 500s, people thought bathing was bad for you. Those who bathed anyway took extra steps, like oiling up and wearing scented clothes. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/4/885734.jpg)
Public Domain
Cheers to the good old days?
![Gross and weird things before modern technology ENERGY DRINKS Early 20th century athletes used alcohol and drugs to boost their performance. This went on until the '20s when the drugs became prescription-only. Alcohol was still used in competitions until the '70s and '80s. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/8/885728.jpg)
Saturday night’s al-right for ba-thing! ♫
![Gross and weird things before modern technology BATHS Saturday night baths were a tradition during the industrial revolution. The whole family shared one bath, with the oldest members going first and the kids getting the dirtiest water. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/1/885731.jpg)
Breast implants in the ’50s: a real grab bag.
![Gross and weird things before modern technology BREAST IMPLANTS In the '50s, they put all kinds of stuff in breasts: polyurethane, sponges, cartilage, wood, glass balls. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/4/885724.jpg)