The history of the vibrator (This is so ridiculous!)

At first

For many years it was held that various diseases that afflicted women were due to ‘hysteria’ and that their uterus complained of neglect. In fact, Plato seems to have thought that the womb was ‘an animal within an animal’ and that it had to be pacified if it got out of control.

Anything from tiredness, headaches, distraction, melancholy and insomnia, irregular breathing and confusion were thought to be due to ‘hysteria’. Highly sexual or passionate women were considered to be most affected, as men obviously thought that was strange.

Therefore, there was little doubt in their minds that the cause of all their problems was sexual frustration and that they wanted sexual liberation.

How did they cure her?

You will never believe this!

A doctor or midwife had to manipulate a woman’s vulva, which in those days was thought to be part of the uterus. This manual massage continued until there were contractions and lubrication. This was often called the ‘hysterical paroxysm’ (now called an orgasm).

The women would feel so much better after that! It’s hard to believe, but this form of manual massage until women had an orgasm seems to have been used as a treatment for sexual problems as early as the 4th-5th centuries.

Initially midwives dealt with all sexual and reproductive difficulties for women. But soon modern medicine would get involved and doctors, it seemed, took the treatment very seriously.

‘Hysteria’ was considered to be a prevalent disorder, second only to ‘fevers’, or the classic cold. It was also classified as a chronic disease that was incurable.

Single women with ‘hysteria’ were frequently urged to marry vivacious husbands and then make love forcefully and repeatedly ensuring the women were sexually liberated. Horseback riding was also recommended!

After a while, other therapies were also offered, including manipulation with a jet of water (the cold shower).

Orgasm usually occurred within a few minutes of such treatment. However, it became clear that several patients requested more treatment than was ‘good for them’. Not surprisingly, in the 19th century it was quite common for women to visit their doctor’s office repeatedly. After all, masturbation was still considered a sin, so what choice did they have?

Today’s vibrator was in its beginning

A ‘revolution for weary physicians’ came in 1869 when steam vibration and massage equipment for the treatment of female problems was patented. It was designed for supervised use only, in case of misuse.

The motor was attached to the table and a patient placed his pelvis on top of the vibrating ball on the table.

It was considered a perfect invention, saving doctors a great deal of time and consequently allowing them to see more “sick”.

Most doctors had trouble treating patients with their own fingers, and this new device would be a godsend. They could complete in minutes tasks that might have taken up to an hour instead.

Other extraordinary techniques were also used, for example, gasoline and air driven vibrating tables, rotating chairs, swivel chairs and many others.

The women didn’t realize it, of course, but they were getting their ‘therapy’ for the same reason women now use sexual aids: to relieve sexual frustration.

What seems strange to us now, is that it was considered normal for women during Victorian times to call their doctor to gain sexual pleasure and relief that they did not get at home.

‘Rachel Maines’, historian and author states that because it was thought that women could only obtain sexual pleasure through vaginal penetration, these peculiar ‘remedies’ were not seen as a sexual encounter.

Subsequently, since using them did not involve the vagina, it was not sexual contact, just a medical procedure! In

the 16th century Gabriel Fallopius claimed to be the first person to discover the clitoris. “It is so hidden that I was the first to discover it, several years ago,” he proclaimed.

At the same time, however, it seems that ‘Pietro d’Abano’ was the only one who understood what the clitoris was for. He proclaimed: “Women are aroused by desire…by rubbing the upper orifice near the pubis. The pleasure to be derived from this part of the body is comparable to that obtained from the tip of the penis.”

Despite this, both society and the medical profession continued to deny it for four hundred years! In fact, both gynecologists and sexologists continued to deny the clitoris and its purpose until the 1980s.

the next phase

About twenty years after the steam powered vibrator, a more versatile battery powered vibrator was available.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were at least two dozen different types of vibrators available to the medical profession.

Soon, entrepreneurs saw the potential of producing vibrators and selling them directly to women. They were marketed as normal household appliances rather than for sexual use. They were promoted in reputable publications as ‘aids every woman would appreciate’. In fact, these particular devices were only the fifth largest household appliance after the kettle, toaster, sewing machine, and fan.

Throughout the 1920s, early ‘naughty movies’ and early pornography featured women using these ‘massagers’ for sexual pleasure. But, as a result of this, by the 1930s they were no longer openly promoted and their medical use stopped.

modern vibrators

Fortunately, the notion of hysteria as a disease was discarded in the 1950s.

the vibrator it became popular again during the 1960s and this time in all its sexual glory.

Masters and Johnson used vibrators in their research on sexuality in the late 1960s. Penis-shaped vibrators were beginning to be sold in sex shops, and mail order was becoming common.

Feminist author and sex therapist Betty Dodson began teaching masturbation workshops in 1971, focusing on the use of vibrators. She claims that she was the first to introduce electric vibrators exclusively for sexual use.

In 1974, Joani Blank published ‘Good Vibrations’: The Complete Guide to Vibrators. Ella joani invented the ‘Venus Butterfly’ vibrator and in 1977 she opened ‘Good Vibrations’, the first sex shop dedicated entirely to the vibrator.

This day, women universally view their vibrator as part of their sexual freedom and independence.

Vibrators now come in all shapes and sizes and many women use them regularly to work out their ‘hysteria’.

Thank God for the 21st century!