Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 March 2017
International Women's Day
Young, old, rich, poor, witty, serious, beautiful, plain, calm, impossible, thin, fat, somewhere in the middle, whatever we are, we're all being celebrated today, it's our day! (Please join in the celebration, Pallottine and View!)
Friday, 8 March 2013
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Hysterical!
I was browsing a website that has a section called "Amazing Fact Generator" and came across this statement:
The vibrator was invented by a physician to treat women who suffered from "hysteria."
I decided to check it out and found this on Wikipedia:
A physician in 1859 claimed that a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria. One physician cataloged seventy-five pages of possible symptoms of hysteria and called the list incomplete; almost any ailment could fit the diagnosis. Physicians thought that the stresses associated with modern life caused civilized women to be both more susceptible to nervous disorders and to develop faulty reproductive tracts. In the United States, such disorders in women reaffirmed that the U.S. was on par with Europe; one American physician expressed pleasure that the country was "catching up" to Europe in the prevalence of hysteria.
It was observed that such cases were quite profitable for physicians, since the patients were at no risk of death, but needed repeated treatment. The only problem was that physicians did not enjoy the tedious task of vaginal massage (generally referred to as "pelvic massage"): The technique was difficult for a physician to master and could take hours to achieve "hysterical paroxysm". Referral to midwives, which had been common practice, meant a loss of business for the physician. The chaise longue and fainting couch became popular home furniture to make women more comfortable during home treatment. Fainting rooms were also used for more privacy during home treatment.
A solution was the invention of massage devices, which shortened treatment from hours to minutes, removing the need for midwives and increasing a physician’s treatment capacity. Already at the beginning of the 19th century, hydrotherapy devices were available at Bath, and by the mid-19th century, they were popular at many high-profile bathing resorts across Europe, the United States and other American countries. By 1870, a clockwork-driven vibrator was available for physicians. In 1873, the first electromechanical vibrator was used at an asylum in France for the treatment of hysteria.
While physicians of the period acknowledged that the disorder stemmed from sexual dissatisfaction, they seemed unaware of or unwilling to admit the sexual purposes of the devices used to treat it. In fact, the introduction of the speculum was far more controversial than that of the vibrator.
By the 20th century, the spread of home electricity brought the vibrator to the consumer market. The appeal of cheaper treatment in the privacy of one’s own home understandably made the vibrator a popular early home appliance. In fact, the electric home vibrator was on the market before many other home appliance "essentials": nine years before the electric vacuum cleaner and 10 years before the electric iron. A page from a Sears catalog of home electrical appliances from 1918 includes a portable vibrator with attachments, billed as "Very useful and satisfactory for home service."
Women's sexuality has been misunderstood or discarded for a long time, not to mention their rights... But I must confess that I find these early ads for vibrators absolutely hilarious.
The vibrator was invented by a physician to treat women who suffered from "hysteria."
I decided to check it out and found this on Wikipedia:
A physician in 1859 claimed that a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria. One physician cataloged seventy-five pages of possible symptoms of hysteria and called the list incomplete; almost any ailment could fit the diagnosis. Physicians thought that the stresses associated with modern life caused civilized women to be both more susceptible to nervous disorders and to develop faulty reproductive tracts. In the United States, such disorders in women reaffirmed that the U.S. was on par with Europe; one American physician expressed pleasure that the country was "catching up" to Europe in the prevalence of hysteria.
It was observed that such cases were quite profitable for physicians, since the patients were at no risk of death, but needed repeated treatment. The only problem was that physicians did not enjoy the tedious task of vaginal massage (generally referred to as "pelvic massage"): The technique was difficult for a physician to master and could take hours to achieve "hysterical paroxysm". Referral to midwives, which had been common practice, meant a loss of business for the physician. The chaise longue and fainting couch became popular home furniture to make women more comfortable during home treatment. Fainting rooms were also used for more privacy during home treatment.
A solution was the invention of massage devices, which shortened treatment from hours to minutes, removing the need for midwives and increasing a physician’s treatment capacity. Already at the beginning of the 19th century, hydrotherapy devices were available at Bath, and by the mid-19th century, they were popular at many high-profile bathing resorts across Europe, the United States and other American countries. By 1870, a clockwork-driven vibrator was available for physicians. In 1873, the first electromechanical vibrator was used at an asylum in France for the treatment of hysteria.
While physicians of the period acknowledged that the disorder stemmed from sexual dissatisfaction, they seemed unaware of or unwilling to admit the sexual purposes of the devices used to treat it. In fact, the introduction of the speculum was far more controversial than that of the vibrator.
By the 20th century, the spread of home electricity brought the vibrator to the consumer market. The appeal of cheaper treatment in the privacy of one’s own home understandably made the vibrator a popular early home appliance. In fact, the electric home vibrator was on the market before many other home appliance "essentials": nine years before the electric vacuum cleaner and 10 years before the electric iron. A page from a Sears catalog of home electrical appliances from 1918 includes a portable vibrator with attachments, billed as "Very useful and satisfactory for home service."
Women's sexuality has been misunderstood or discarded for a long time, not to mention their rights... But I must confess that I find these early ads for vibrators absolutely hilarious.
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Lovely to see honest, sporting behaviour
I was so engrossed watching the women cyclists and spotting familiar sites that I neglected to prepare a post...
Well done Netherlands, Britain and Russia. Congratulations to all the competitors for taking part in such a long ride (on some lovely roads) and being so gracious at the finishing line.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Women
Today it's the International Women's Day. Hurrah for all women everywhere!
We like a bit of humour and Tumbleweed sent me a funny e-mail that fits the bill.
Thought you should know that the book "Understanding Women" is now out in paperback.
Here's a picture of the hardback edition:
In the light of recent shenanigans from right wing politicians and pundits in the US, all anti-women, anti-contraception, etc, American women need to have a laugh every now and then. Having a voice and being able to take charge of their own healthcare decisions doesn't make women Feminazis, prostitutes or sluts. On the other hand, men dictating what women can and cannot do with their bodies and making life very difficult for them regarding healthcare make these men "Chauvinistpignazis." It's hard to believe that these men live in the 21st century...
Austin posted this picture in the last thread. It says it all!
Thank you, TW and Austin.
We like a bit of humour and Tumbleweed sent me a funny e-mail that fits the bill.
Thought you should know that the book "Understanding Women" is now out in paperback.
Here's a picture of the hardback edition:
In the light of recent shenanigans from right wing politicians and pundits in the US, all anti-women, anti-contraception, etc, American women need to have a laugh every now and then. Having a voice and being able to take charge of their own healthcare decisions doesn't make women Feminazis, prostitutes or sluts. On the other hand, men dictating what women can and cannot do with their bodies and making life very difficult for them regarding healthcare make these men "Chauvinistpignazis." It's hard to believe that these men live in the 21st century...
Austin posted this picture in the last thread. It says it all!
Thank you, TW and Austin.
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