To control fleas, Egyptians used to smear a slave with the milk of an ass and make him stand in a room, acting as a human flea trap.
Centuries ago, women used to wear fur around their necks, in hopes that the fleas would gravitate toward the fur.
Modern remedies for fleas are much simpler: Take a bath, vacuum floors, and run your clothes through a clothes dryer.
Source
Hilary Dole Klein and Adrian M. Wenner. Tiny Game Hunting: Environmentally Healthy Ways to Trap and Kill the Pests in Your House and Garden. (University of California Press, 2001) p39.