A few weeks back, I came across a fascinating article in a reputable science magazine that revealed a story I couldn’t believe I had missed: the vibrator, a popular tool for pleasure owned by nearly 80% of women in the U.S., was supposedly invented during the Victorian era as a remedy for “hysteria.” How had I never heard of this before? My interest was immediately piqued, prompting me to investigate further.
Numerous reputable sources echoed this narrative, claiming that hysteria was a widespread issue among 19th-century women, potentially affecting up to 75% of them. The prescribed treatment? Manual stimulation by a physician to induce “paroxysms”—yes, that’s exactly what you think.
Hysterical Women Just Need a Good Paroxysm
According to the tale, both the women and their doctors genuinely believed in the illness, and neither considered the treatment to be sexual. However, achieving these “paroxysms” was a labor-intensive process, often delegated to midwives. Can you imagine? This scenario has the makings of an entire genre of romantic fiction. Picture a tense Victorian woman, struggling with an unexplainable urge, only to be referred to a charming midwife with gentle eyes peeking through her lace bonnet. “I assure you, Miss, it’s not improper,” the midwife would say while working her magic. “It’s a legitimate medical procedure!”
Exhausted Midwives and a New Invention
Even midwives found the task draining. Just then, inventor Joseph Mortimer Granville patented an “electromechanical vibrator” in the 1880s, originally intended for general muscle aches. It dawned on medical professionals that this device could also be applied to “other areas.” This invention drastically reduced the time required to induce a paroxysm from an hour to just five or ten minutes.
As the story goes, the vibrator gained immense popularity, becoming one of the first electric appliances to grace the modern home, alongside the sewing machine and toaster. Throughout this period, using the vibrator on the clitoris was considered a clinical remedy, devoid of sexual undertones.
Common sense suggests that women were aware of the device’s true purpose, likely engaging with it while pretending it was merely a back massager, similar to how I feigned innocence in my 20s. However, the widespread acceptance of the vibrator waned when Sigmund Freud argued that paroxysms were inherently sexual. How embarrassing.
The Technology of Orgasm
This narrative about the vibrator’s origins gained traction with the publication of Rachel Maines’s book, “Technology of Orgasm,” in 1999. Presented as an academic work with extensive citations, it seemed credible. Maines’s findings were referenced in various media, including a documentary and a film, solidifying the vibrator’s origin story as fact.
Surprisingly, I had never heard this enticing tale until now. However, upon closer inspection, I discovered it’s largely unfounded.
The Reality Behind the Vibrator
Sex historian Hallie Lieberman, author of “Buzz: The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy,” took the time to verify Maines’s claims by examining the sources cited in her book. What she found was a troubling mix of speculation, misrepresentation, and even falsification aimed at supporting Maines’s theory.
In her defense, Maines claimed her work was merely an “interesting hypothesis” and not intended to be taken as gospel. Yet, her authoritative tone and extensive citations suggest that she was aware of the narrative she was crafting.
While Granville did invent the electric vibrator in the 1880s, it was primarily meant for pain relief in men, with only a brief mention of its use for treating impotence. The claim that medical professionals suddenly realized they could save their hands by using this device instead of performing manual stimulation on patients is unfounded, according to historian Fern Riddell.
Riddell highlights that the Victorians were aware of female orgasm, as evidenced by marriage guides encouraging husbands to ensure their wives’ satisfaction. The perception that doctors and midwives were oblivious to the sexual nature of their actions is entirely false. Once the vibrator became available for home use, it undoubtedly served as a source of sexual pleasure. However, the notion that medical practitioners were unaware of this reality is simply not credible.
Ultimately, this narrative is just that—a story. Fiction, and we must acknowledge it as such.
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Possible Search Queries:
- History of vibrators
- Victorian medical practices
- Understanding hysteria in women
- Sexual health in the 19th century
- Evolution of sexual devices
In summary, the widely accepted narrative that the vibrator was invented for treating female hysteria is largely a fabrication, often misrepresented in popular culture. While the device indeed has a rich history, it is essential to approach its origins with a critical eye and recognize the difference between fact and fiction.