Vintage Hygiene Practices That Are the Very Opposite of Clean

Romans Ingested Silphium Leaves as an Early Form of Birth Control

Ancient Greeks and Romans valued a plant called Silphium for its supposed healing and contraceptive powers. Women would consume it to prevent pregnancy, and it also served as a remedy for various other ailments. It became so popular that the plant was harvested into extinction.

Interestingly, the seed of Silphium was heart-shaped, which some believe inspired the modern heart symbol. That’s one romanticized origin story with a surprisingly botanical twist.