Did You Know?
Victorian women would paint their faces with deadly nightshade to dilate their pupils.
The practice, called "bella donna" (beautiful lady), made them appear more attractive but could cause blindness or death. The toxin from the plant would make their pupils dramatically dilate, creating what was considered a desirable, dreamy look.
Did You Know?
The Tudors believed that rubbing a dead person’s teeth on their gums would prevent toothache.
This macabre dental practice involved rubbing teeth taken from corpses on painful gums. The practice was widespread enough...
Did You Know?
Persian kings would debate important matters twice – once sober and once drunk.
Important decisions were discussed first while sober, then again while intoxicated. If an idea seemed good in both...
Did You Know?
Victorian ladies would paint their faces with arsenic to appear pale.
Arsenic wafers were eaten or made into face cream to achieve a fashionable pale complexion. This deadly practice...