In 1378, one election led to two popes
The Romans are known for their extravagant parties, where they indulged in an endless flow of food and drink. What were they celebrating? Maybe their accomplishments in road construction and sanitation...
When their bellies were full, they would intentionally vomit to create space for more food. They would then rely on the vomit collectors to empty and clean the buckets.
For many years, it was unheard of for a ruler to use the restroom unaccompanied. A lucky nobleman would be honored with the task of assisting the king or queen with any bathroom-related matters.
The groom of the stool often became a trusted confidante of the monarch, which could increase their importance in the royal court due to the intimate nature of their role.
In the past, the task of constructing a violin was more challenging than it is today. Violin strings were made by intertwining fibers stripped from sheep's innards.
Thanks to advancements in violin string making during the 17th century, this practice has become less frequent. Nonetheless, certain musicians still choose sheep gut strings for their distinctive sound!
In the 1800s, rats had gained a reputation for spreading diseases. Some fortunate or unfortunate Victorians were responsible for capturing these rodents.
Professional rat catchers would apply oils to attract rats and then kill them barehanded. Occasionally, they would employ dogs, but this wasn't always the case.
While the job itself merely involved dipping wood in phosphorus solution, exposure to the fumes emitted by the solution caused a terrible condition later known as "phossy jaw."
During the 19th and 20th centuries, individuals afflicted with this disease experienced the development of abscesses in their gums, often leading to the necessity of jaw removal.
During Victorian England's scavenging economy, bone was considered a useful material and was sometimes used to make necklaces.
There existed an occupation called "bone grubbing" where individuals would scavenge for animal (or human) remains to sell to bone dealers.
During the Victorian era, animal hides were preserved by soaking them in lime, removing the fat, and subsequently immersing them in dog feces for preservation.
Fortunately, modern tanning techniques have become less odorous and unpleasant. However, traditional tanning centers like Fez in Morocco are still recognized for their potent aroma.
This job still exists nowadays and its purpose is to obtain venom from snakes in order to produce antivenom, which is a crucial treatment for snake bites. Although unpleasant, it holds great importance.
People interested in this line of work can expect to work with various types of venomous snakes, including cobras, mambas, vipers, asps, corals, copperheads, kraits, sea snakes, and rattlesnakes.
During the 19th century, the study of medicine witnessed significant growth. Scientists of that era depended on resurrectionists, also known as "body snatchers," to exhume human corpses from their graves for scientific investigation.
While definitely unlawful, the activity was highly lucrative, with body snatchers sometimes resorting to murder to satisfy the demand!
In Victorian-era London, a tosher was a scavenger who searched the sewers for valuable items to trade. This term also included thieves who removed copper from boats.
Being a tosher was both perilous and unpleasant, but also highly profitable. A tosher working full-time could earn enough to provide for approximately 200 people.
These individuals had a similar job to toshers, but worked along the polluted banks of the River Thames, which may not have been any healthier than the sewer.
Mudlarks were not as prosperous as toshers, but still had financial autonomy. Typically, mudlarks were youngsters ranging from eight to 15 years old.
The role of a chimney sweep primarily involved removing ash and dust from chimneys and was typically assigned to young children who could fit into narrow spaces.
The job, to put it mildly, was not pleasant and carried numerous dangers, such as being consistently exposed to and breathing in harmful substances.
Leeches were often difficult to acquire, thus leech collectors took on the task of finding these parasites by luring them with their own legs.
During the 19th century, doctors would employ a method known as "bloodletting" to treat ailments and diseases by extracting blood from patients, commonly with the aid of leeches.
During Tudor times in England, prior to the introduction of modern sewage systems, it was common for houses to have a cesspit where human waste would be deposited, resulting in a persistent foul odor.
An unfortunate group of "gong farmers" were responsible for collecting the waste from cesspits and moving it away from the town. Their work was restricted to nighttime hours.
The Black Death is noted as the deadliest pandemic in human history, resulting in the demise of 75-200 million individuals throughout Eurasia and North Africa.
During the plague, many victims were laid to rest in mass graves that were referred to as "plague pits." It was the responsibility of the plague burier to handle the burials.
Sources: (Jobsite)
See also: These are the noisiest jobs in the world
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be born into wealth (or win the lottery!) The rest of us, unfortunately, have to earn a living through work. While some people are lucky enough to pursue their passions and make a livelihood out of it, others find themselves obliged to tolerate jobs that may be unenjoyable at best. Yet, even those in today's most undesirable occupations could consider themselves fortunate compared to those who held the least appealing positions in the past.
Curious? Take a look at this gallery to discover some of the most horrifying jobs in history and decide which one is the worst!
What was the worst job in history?
This gallery has some impressive front-runners!
LIFESTYLE Work
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be born into wealth (or win the lottery!) The rest of us, unfortunately, have to earn a living through work. While some people are lucky enough to pursue their passions and make a livelihood out of it, others find themselves obliged to tolerate jobs that may be unenjoyable at best. Yet, even those in today's most undesirable occupations could consider themselves fortunate compared to those who held the least appealing positions in the past.
Curious? Take a look at this gallery to discover some of the most horrifying jobs in history and decide which one is the worst!