#female hysteria

Pressure from social groups cause Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York to drop actress Sarah Bernhardt from their advertising campaigns after  it is revealed, that once, at a party, while drunk, in something totally unrelated to what Mutual Life has anything to do with, she said to a guest that she thinks female hysteria is caused by the moon. 

happy pride

Ladies,

Do you suffer from cramping, irritability, or change in mood or appetite? Do you cause disagreements in your home with bouts of unladylike complaint?

You may suffer from female hysteria. Fear not. Centuries of the greatest medical minds have been to work finding a solution to this problem.

This condition has been reported by Hippocrates, while the ancient Egyptians detailed the ailment on ancient papyri. Plato had a theory about the wandering womb, a dangerous condition when the uterus wanders the body and interferes with the heart, jeopardizing the very life of the lady in question. It was clear, a cure must be found!

Galen, a 2nd century physician, noted the condition in sexually repressed women. it seemed to affect virgins, nuns, and widows frequently. He also noted a few married women suffered as well. Sexual activity was the recommended treatment.

In 1859, it was estimated a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria, as was reported in a seventy-five-page document of the time. By 1860, water treatments were widely used. The lady simply sat in a chair while being given a pelvic massage with a steady flow of water. The treatment was successful when she reached a state of hysterical paroxysm.

The prescription for said ailment was increased sexual activity for the married, marriage for the unwed. As a last resort, a vaginal or pelvic massage could be provided by a skilled medical provider.

The Victorians took this condition very seriously. By 1870, a clockwork vibrator was a tool used by doctors everywhere. In 1910, an advertisement assured, “Vibration is life.” The vibrator became a vital tool to maintain a woman’s health, and now it was available for home use!

Sears’ catalog advertised a vibrator and accessories in 1918. It was billed as a “very useful and satisfactory home device”.

Thank Heaven, healthcare was finally in good hands!

Today, the vibrator is a multi-million dollar industry. So successful is this treatment that the syndrome is no longer included in medical texts.

That’s a lot of happy women.

Source: http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/2009/01/female-hysteria.html