(I want to apologize for the NSFW-subject, and for the ones to come. I’d love to show how the 19th century is not just embroidery and flowery wallpaper, and I’m always very surprised to find things like this, hence.)
In 1859, it was claimed that a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria. This number makes sense if you consider that there was a 75-page catalogue with possible symptoms, and this list was seen as incomplete. Some of the symptoms of female hysteria are faintness, nervousness, insomnia, fluid retention, heaviness in the abdomen, muscle spasms, shortness of breath, irritability and a loss of appetite for food.
The exact cause of hysteria is not clearly defined, except that is was a ‘womb disease.’ According to the Victorians, it had either to do with pent-up fluids in the female body, stress of modern-day life, or the ‘wanderings of the womb.’ It was definately an upper-class disease, an American physician expressed pleasure that the country was ‘catching up’ to Europe in the prevalence of hysteria.
Luckily, there was a temporary solution for hysteria (hysteria was a chronic disease so it could never be fully cured.) The woman suffering from hysteria would go to the doctor for a ‘pelvic massage to the point of hysterical paroxysm.’ The doctors thought this to be a very tedious task indeed, and due to this, the first vibrators were invented: around 1870 the first ones were in use by physicians.
There is a Dutch book which deals with the issue, but I don’t think it has ever been translated. In Frederik van Eeden’s ‘Van de Koele Meren des Doods,’ a young wife gets ill and, after examining her, the physician encourages her husband to engage in the marrital duties more often. This book was written in 1900, and I think may be one of the earliest to show how the lack of physical affections in the Victorian marriage might affect a women’s mood.
I’m not sure if this is authentic or not, but it seems pretty great, doesn’t it?
A vibro-massager from 1902.
An interesting post on the subject.
Unrelated (or is it?) The diary of a Victorian surgeon, one post a day. This seems very promising!
Thank you for adding me to your blogroll. In the dumps we find Lydia Pinkham’s vegetable compound which was made here in Canada in a factory building that still stands in Cobourg Ontario, and some of the other Dumpdiggers have told me this is 1800′s female douche juice. I don’t know if that’s accurate or not… or maybe even inappropriate to mention here as its not really related.. hmm..
But rest assured we never found a vibrator in the dumps, or dildos or anything like that… the Victorians were very discreet about such things.
Oh, that’s very well possible, I think. If I remember correctly, taking a shower was for a long time though to be a very good way to not get pregnant :D They’re strange types, the Victorians…
It appears to me that medical ignorance has not changed that much during the years. Back then it was Hysteria, today’s indefinable desease of choice is ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD as it is know in the Netherlands).
Although I’d advice against giving difficult children a “pelvic massage” as that might land you in jail, real quick like.
Just a note, ADD and ADHD are not the same thing. Close, but not.
ADD–Attention Defecit Disorder
ADHD–Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
no wonder so many women suffered from hysteria….
thank heavens for Anne Summers.
I just found your blog, as I was also going to post regarding France’s “Monarchie de Juillet” in my own blog, so I was curious as to what else was out there. I am very much enjoying looking through your posts, particularly this one, which interests me very much, as I am focusing on the representation of women throughout the works of a 19th-Century French author (Alfred de Vigny). There was a French doctor by the name of Charcot who conducted many studies on female hysteria in the 19th Century (in France). I would assume that there have to be translations of Charcot’s work, as he remains at the forefront of studies of 19th century hysteria. I thought this might be interesting for you and perhaps fuel some additional posts!
Best,
Lesley
Lesley, thank you for your addition! I had not heard of Charcot before but it seems very interesting, I’ll see if I can find some of his writing.
If you leave your url I’ll add you to my blogroll!
Kind regards,
My pleasure! Here’s the link to my blog:
http://layoder.wordpress.com
Look forward to reading more of your posts!
Best,
Lesley
So, let’s see… a “disease” with no known cause(s), a 75 page catalogue of possible symptoms and no known cure? That sounds like a situation in which any woman could find herself. Then, there’s the Victorian era stricture that women aren’t supposed to enjoy sex so their husbands cannot tell whether their techniques are effective and the Biblical strictures that forbid adultery and masturbation and you have a situation that begs for mitigation by a trusted, professional set of hands. Psychotherapy was in its infancy, the clergy had no answers, so the medical profession felt the pressure to produce a solution. But, doctors don’t like to treat syndromes with no cause or cure. It’s not scientific. It’s a problem begging for an ongoing physical therapy mitigation. But, in the meanwhile, some doctors could enjoy a practice of manipulating some women to orgasm. What a way to build a “medical practice!”
Good heavens…!
That frightened the horses…
O.S.M.
Hi! Writing a paper on the history of hysteria and came across your blog, wondering what your references were? Especially in regards to the catalogue of symptoms.
Hi Eli,
I’m very sorry to say this blogpost was written when I was just a novice blogger and researcher so all sources were just internet sites. Some googling tells me you can find the list with symptoms thing here though:
Laura Briggs (2000). “The Race of Hysteria: “Overcivilization” and the “Savage” Woman in Late Nineteenth-Century Obsterics and Gynecology”. American Quarterly 52: 246-73.
Which seems an academic source so if you can find that one you’re set! Good luck!
[...] | Apr 21st 2009 In the late 19th and early 20th century, many women were diagnosed with female hysteria, a generally vague affliction that could cause things like irritability and trouble making [...]
Hi,
When we started to work on mass hysteria and where we are standing today – it is a interesting journey to realize a politics around the notion of a particular illness. Our research is still going on and it was very significant that your understanding around hysteria which you published was quite a good one which helped us. If you have more information on the history of hysteria & mass-hysteria & gender politics around the issue then please keep in touch & it will be very helpful if you provide some article as attachment to my mailing address. Thank you.
Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking your feeds too now, Thanks.
I’m Out! :)
[...] http://19thcentury.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/female-hysteria/ [...]
Hi! cool service!
hi there this is a very up to date and informative can i put a link on one of my blogs -regards Angela
Very nice information.
[...] The Victorian Era is known for it’s sophisticated aesthetic. I think what makes it particularly interesting is that these standards existed amongst such filth and poverty. The Victorian view of sex has always been an interesting topic for me. I think it’s fascinated how they seemed to do everything in their power to just pretend sexuality didn’t exist. Ironically, this cluelessness about sex led to the invention of the first vibrator. [...]
thought you might be interested in this play that came out recently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Next_Room_(or_The_Vibrator_Play)
“In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) is a play by Sarah Ruhl. It concerns the early history of the vibrator, when doctors used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for “hysteria.” Other themes include Victorian ignorance of female sexual desire, motherhood and breastfeeding, and jealousy.[1] The play was nominated for three 2010 Tony Awards.[2]“
Fascinating blog. I especially liked the entry on female hysteria…although that antique massager looks a bit questionable! Keep up the great work :)
Dermut, ADD and ADHD are very real. You would know this if you knew someone or a family member that had it. Attention Deficit Disorder versus Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
http://add.about.com/od/adhdthebasics/a/ADDvsADHD.htm
You might find this is an interesting evolution in “hysteria” treatment….
http://www.discostick.co/pg/pages/view/217/about-the-discosticktm
Wahl sold a vibrator in the early 50s which looked very similar to the one pictured from 1902. I suspect it was sold in Eaton’s or Simpson’s department stores in Canada.
So cool!
“Van de Koele Meren des Doods” = Of the Cool Lakes of Death
That looks kind of uncomfortable, to say the least…
[...] Female hysteria .recentcomments a{display:inline !important;padding:0 !important;margin:0 !important;} [...]
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The words in your post seem to be running off the screen
in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know.
The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon.
Cheers
Corsets caused serious health problems.
[...] bezeichnen. Den Damen half es wohl und im 19. Jahrhundert verbreite sich dann der Gedanke der „weiblichen Hysterie“ mit ganz ähnlichen Behandlungsmethoden. Gemäß dem Zeitgeist dann auch in maschineller Art und [...]
[...] Women’s bodies were a thing to be feared as their own wombs could cause hysteria, which led to some … interesting inventions, advertised with the usual subtlety. Or if you prefer a more direct approach have a look at this! [...]
After doing lots of reading on the use of corsets and tight-lacing at that time, it was actually the side effects of this daily ritual that caused women to pass out and have many internal problems that were not belived to be associated with corsets. So, women were diagnosed as hysterical, ill and crazy. When in reality, they could not breath properlly and had major internal organ failure and other issues. I see some someone else also posted about the use of corsets.