Smelling salts used to be used on a person who had what?

Marcy, can be highly toxic & dangerous when inhaled.

tia, Usually because the corsets were laced far too tight and inhibited breathing.

Marcy, It's a miracle that you're still alive

It was. thought that would help a person become aware of their surroundings.

Both my grandmother's (born in 1890s) carried smelling salts in decorative bottles in their handbags in the 1960s. Corsets were still commonly worn at that time, plus there was no HRT to help menopause symptoms, so it's understandable why they often felt faint...