Hysterical Women Used to Be Treated with Vibrators

3.01.2012 | By: I. M.

Read about the use of vibrators in the past and how they ended up in bed.

Today a vibrator is almost an indispensable erotic toy of every woman. (PhotoXpress)

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Use of vibrators for hysterical women

The method of massaging the vulva dates back to the time of Hippocrates. In the 19th century it was established as a very effective form to treat hysteria and neurasthenia or nerve weakness in layman terms. The purpose of vulva massage was not of a sexual nature. The procedure was rather slow, tedious and calm and it lasted until a patient reached the final emotional stage when the sign of hysteria and neurasthenia disappeared. This method was, of course, very popular among women. As the manual procedure was too strenuous and in some cases lasted a long time, they started using hydrotherapy. This means that the female genital area was massaged with jets of water.

In 1880, a British doctor invented an electric vibrator that was intended for use in every psychiatrist’s office. It was supposed to be used by patients to calm them down within ten minutes.

Use of vibrators at home

Naturally, various manufacturers immediately took an opportunity and presented vibrators for home use. Thus, the company Hamilton Beach of Racine, Wis., patented the first vibrator for home use in 1902.

Until 1917 and the second World War the sale of vibrators for home use drastically increased, and they were of excellent quality. In the 1920s, a lot of photographs and films appeared and presented them to the public. One of the most known films was The Nun’s Story.

Popularization of vibrators

Vibrators were advertised for their home use from 1950s to 1970s. All the advertisements were ambiguous. Namely, they showed vibrating brushes for hair, massage devices for the neck and back or accessories for vacuum cleaners, and at the same time, they concealed the real purpose of their use. Thanks to the feminist ideas and Reagan administration in the USA, vibrators became even more popular. In 1973, Betty Dodson organized masturbation groups for women which encouraged them to use vibrators. She also published the book Sex for One, which was translated into eight languages. The same year saw the opening of a sex shop for women in New York called Eve’s Garden. As there was an increase in the rate of HIV infections, Reagan administration took action and started promoting safe sexual intercourse. Leaflets were distributed to households to promote the use of vibrators in order to avoid AIDS.

Today, of course, there are very few taboos left about the use of vibrators. They have become an everyday toy for adults. The most popular among all the vibrators is called the bunny and it also appeared in the series Sex and the City.