The 1920s, 30s and 40s when "science", especially as it pertained to electricity, magnetism, and what would become general relativity was sort of like that. It was far more experiment driven as the theoetical and mathematics foundations of modern technology were not as well understood. The idea of shoving an electrode into someone's brain to cure cancer held water as did psuedoscience like drinking ionized water or using light to cure cancer.
Industrial laboratories were far more developed but also far more gritty, without modern computing you needed a woodshop for prototyping and a final metal shop for final designs. This was greasy, filthy work that demanded smocks and coats for protection .As electrolysis got better (and cheaper) batteries became available, and this particular form of electrochemistry is especially hazardous. From this we get modern silicone wafer etching and mass produced circuit boards, enabling 3d cad and automated machines which eliminated a lot of the grit.
