Lungs
As we all know, essentially, the main function of our lungs is to allow us to breath properly. In a similar way, from the 14th to the 16th centuries, people were occupied as “lungs.” These people were hired mostly by alchemy shops and labs to fan the shops when a fire broke out.
Quite ironically, the people who worked as “lungs” eventually suffered from blackened lungs, after inhaling too much smoke mixed with toxic materials in the labs while fanning the fires at the shops. That’s how the profession was eventually put to rest, during the 16th century.