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 had a love for the Silphium plant. They used it to treat many ailments like tooth cavities, bites, and growths, and even as a form of birth control. Many women would drink a concoction of this herb, claiming it was an aphrodisiac. The Romans came to love this plant so much that it went extinct. It was probably a good thing, though, since it wasn't a suitable birth control method.

It was theorized that the shape of the beloved plant's seed looked like a heart. Therefore this inspired the shape used on the Roman currency.