11 Deadly Household Products From Victorian England

Parkesine was one of the first plastics. The Victorian Era invented it, and it gained popularity fast. People molded it into combs, collars, toys, and billiard balls. The compound burned easily and could explode on impact, making billiard games very dangerous.Parkesine was one of the very first forms of plastic. The Victorian Era invented it, and it became incredibly popular. People molded it into combs, collars, children's toys, and billiard balls, among other things. The compound burned easily and could explode on impact, making those billiard games quite dangerous.

Victorian Era interior decor used wallpaper heavily. This was not just any wallpaper.Scheele's Green wallpaper.This green shade used arsenic. Deadly chemicals in the dye flaked off, creating dust that people inhaled. Infants and young children suffered lung diseases or died from inhaling the dust.

Before pasteurization, drinking tainted milk could make people sick, but usually not kill them. During the Victorian Era, rumors spread that milk could cause illness.Boracic acid.Boracic acid, also known as boric acid, purified milk and extended its shelf life. People adopted this idea, adding the white powder to milk their children drank. This poison caused vomiting and diarrhea, killing about 500,000 children in England.500,000 children.This happened in England.

Indoor plumbing.Indoor plumbing was a new invention during the Victorian period. Running water made sinks, bathtubs, and toilets popular home additions. Public sewage systems were not yet complete. Methane backed up in sewers, spreading into homes. The gas exploded when it touched lit candles. Sometimes, a toilet exploded, killing the person in the room.

Women needed pale skin during the Victorian time. Face powders and paints helped achieve this, some containing lead.The most popular brand.of the period.Laird's Bloom of Youth.This brand contained the chemical. Lead damaged women's motor skills, causing what they called "lead palsy" in their hands. Continued use led to death from lead poisoning.

Commercial bakeries entered the United States during the Victorian period. This offered the advantage of buying bread instead of baking it at home. Deadly disadvantages existed. Some bakeries thinned their flour with alum powder to save money. Alum, like aluminum, made the bread whiter and better looking. This caused malnutrition, bowel issues, and constipation in children because of the powder.

Most people used candles for light during the Victorian Era, even though electricity and oil lamps existed. This became a problem when open flames met the very starched, flammable cotton popular then.This fabric.Cotton clothes, used in crinolines and ballet skirts, were one of the first cheap fabrics made by machine. Simpler cotton made nightshirts. These fabrics burned. Quick action stopped the fire; otherwise, death happened.

Laundry mangles cause injury.Devices wet clothes, pushing them to remove water. These existed for years. Victorian Era machines used electricity. Getting a sleeve or skirt caught could kill you. Body parts could get pushed through the mangle.

A new baby bottle emerged during this time. It used a glass bottle, a thin rubber hose, and a small rubber nipple. The woman who invented it was...Mrs. Beeton.Mrs. Beeton claimed the bottle allowed independent feeding. The bottle sat upright while milk flowed through the tube. The bottle did not need washing because the hose and nipple were disposable. This was a deadly error. Both disposable rubber pieces became breeding grounds for bacteria, spreading infections to infants before antibiotics existed.

Natural gas entered homes mid-19th century. This gas powered lights brighter than candles and heated homes better. Devices using the gas lacked...Safety switches or release valves.Gas continued to seep into sealed rooms without these. This suffocated people while they slept or caused violent explosions.

Corsets became necessary for dressing. They squeezed the waist, creating the hourglass shape Victorian women wanted. Over time, the corsets pushed around bones and internal organs.Corsets pushed around bones and internal organs.If corsets were too tight, breathing became hard. Women would faint or need rest to catch their breath after short stands. Many tight corsets restricted breathing to the point of...Suffocation and death occurred..