History or Hysteria of the vibrator
August 21, 2016Did you know that the forerunner of today’s modern vibrator was invented to help alleviate a medical condition afflicting women called “hysteria”?
Prior to the 20th century female patients who consulted their doctor with symptoms that included nervousness, sleeplessness, anxiety and irritability (to name a few) were diagnosed as suffering with the medical condition “hysteria” (from the Greek word “hyster,” meaning uterus). Up to that time it was widely viewed that women did not experience sexual desire and were educated to believe that they did not have a sex drive and that their only purpose was to please their husband and give birth to offspring.
Doctors would treat “hysteria” by giving their patient a pelvic massage to help alleviate the symptoms. It was incorrectly thought that a woman’s womb was the cause of these issues and that massaging her genitals would induce “hysterical paroxysm” (an orgasm to you and me, but not recognised as such because of the aforementioned belief that women did not possess a sex drive in the first place). Amazingly, after said handjob (er.. pelvic massage) the patient’s symptoms would dissipate or disappear very quickly!
The treatment for “hysteria” (better known today as “sexual frustration”) became very popular with patients and very lucrative for medical practitioners. The downside for the doctors was that all of that massaging gave them cramped and aching fingers and hands. It was physically demanding and at times they had difficulty in maintaining the “treatment” until orgasm was achieved.
Mechanical devices would eventually evolve to assist practitioners with the treatment of “hysteria”. These included water-driven or steam-driven devices but they could be unwieldy, unreliable or even dangerous. Then, in 1880 English physician Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville patented the first electro-mechanical (electric) vibrator. Its large size, however, meant it could only be stationed permanently in a doctor’s rooms. Due to its increasing popularity, women would seek out personal devices which could be moved from the doctor’s premises to a location of their choosing.
As early as 1902 the first portable electric vibrator was patented for use at home, becoming only the fifth home electrical appliance behind the teakettle, fan, sewing machine and toaster.
The rest, as they say, is history. Those early devices that were created to treat the “hysteria”-afflicted would become the forerunner to the modern devices that an estimated third of all women (and quarter of all men) love to use today.
So are you looking for your first device, or perhaps want to upgrade? View the sexEstore range of vibrators available in various shapes, sizes, colours and textures. The choice is vast and the choice is yours! How will you enjoy the good vibes?
The sexEstore team - Your online sex toy store
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