Hysteria
May 25, 2016 | by Ellen Dial
The greatest medical discovery ever known!
We’ve all laughed hysterically, cried uncontrollably and/or have been caught up in or observed mass hysteria – our current political climate and certain campaigns spring to mind. But what did this word mean, back in the day? Did it simply mean extremely funny? Or was it used to explain violent responses to incredibly sad or frightening situations?
Yes, but that’s not all!
For approximately 3000 years, it was applied almost exclusively to women and was blamed upon recalcitrant lady parts. These parts caused great emotional upheaval, nervous weakness, swooning, vapors, sexual fainting – the catch all diagnosis for all manner of womanly misbehavior, and at its most extreme, almost guaranteeing its holder a one way ticket on the crazy train.
Even more amazing, “hysteria” was not removed from the DSM (the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, noted as “hysterical neurosis”- as coined by Sigmund Freud) until the late 20th century… really? Even though it’s based upon NO scientific fact or respected medical research what so ever. None.
There you have it.
Hysteria, noun
1. an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality, laughter, weeping, etc.
2. Psychoanalysis. a psychoneurotic disorder characterized by violent emotional outbreaks, disturbances of sensory and motor functions, and various abnormal effects due to autosuggestion.
3. Psychiatry. conversion disorder.
Definition courtesy of: Dictionary.com
Women’s health has, since the beginning of all recorded time, been a source of great controversy, fear, misinformation and well, hysteria. Surely we neither understand our plumbing, nor can we make decisions concerning the same. Additionally, said plumbing is the cause of our perceived weakness and inabilities. I mean, what would a female DO in the courtroom, in the White House or on the front line? Right? Those parts would get in the way, causing a woman to become: hysterical.
In fact, several months ago, lady parts were blamed – splashed all over social and national media – as the reason a female caused a male to be uncomfortable. On the TV machine.
Woot, there it is.
Let me step off my soap box and let’s wander our way through the weird and disturbing history of …. Female hysteria.
Lady Parts | Roamin’ Wombs
OK. So way back, really way back – early Greek and Roman times- learned men of the era were under the impression that uteruses traveled throughout a woman’s body. They wandered to and fro, wreaking all manner of emotional havoc in its wandering wake and was responsible for the dreaded imbalance of bodily humors. This naughty bit caused women to be unreliable, nervous, overly emotionally, physically/mentally weak and disloyal in their marriages. They also believed, for some insane reason, that a uterus (or you-tris, as my wonderful Grandmother used to intone in a hushed murmur) could leave its owner’s body and lure unsuspecting men away from a happy home and hearth, leading him to all manner of naughty behavior.
Get thee to the asylum!
How did the learned men of the day know this? Well, they just did, and because, witchcraft. This farcical theory was accepted, naturally, as fact.
All in all, if one steps back and takes a look, these ancient organs were pretty darn amazing! Magical, as a matter of fact! Drifting around. Luring innocent men. Making a woman Coo-coo for Coco Puffs. Even better, it knew when to return to its rightful owner and be put to good use.
Wild! Amazing! A sight to see, to be sure.
Through the ingestion of terrifying potions and purgatives, the application of odiferous poultices and humiliating physical manipulation (pelvic massage), a woman could be reunited with her womb and uterine harmony would soon ensue. Humors, balanced. Everyone back in their rightful and appropriate place. Exhibiting appropriate behavior and following the rules.
How appropriate!
This cycle of wandering, imbalancing and reuniting went on for a very, very long time. Lived through the fall of the Roman Empire-drifting through the Age of Reason and Enlightenment …. Quietly. Until…. The turn of the 18th century.
Lady Parts | Female Hysteria Goes Mainstream!
The term female hysteria was first openly noted and recognized by physicians around 1801. It was definitely a thing and a real medical diagnosis . The underlying reason a woman was unhappy or overtly passionate, thought naughty thoughts, talked back, acted like a man or was unduly anxious.
While these learned men didn’t believe a womb could leave the body or travel unfettered around a woman’s body – I mean, seriously! They did believe it could, however, become dislodged in some manner. Not glamp in your chest cavity, but be nudged from its proper location. Become agitated. Unhappy. Create various nervous conditions, bad or ill mannered behaviors. Verbal outbursts. Crying jags. Laughing fits. Dissatisfaction with family, husband and children.
Basically, any emotionally uncomfortable or unseemly response could racked up to female hysteria. Women/girls with frequent diagnosis or severe cases could end up with an admission to an asylum or sanatorium for safe keeping and/or treatment. If the woman wasn’t crazy yet, six months in Bedlam or daily cold water blasts would do the certainly do the trick, grumpy uterus notwithstanding. Even more horrifying, they could end up with surgery, to remove the secondary cause of such unseemly behaviors, read about it here.
And the treatment? Oh, Lordy. Hard to discuss without blushing or gasping in shocked dismay. I mean, in the here and now? Can we say malpractice suit? Inappropriate. Completely unethical. Lurid fodder for TV news pundits and the stuff of Twitter wars. Throw onto that fire the surgical intervention noted above? Wow!
Delightful and invigorating
But back then? Typically acceptable and respected. Discussed at official doctor meetings. Books were written. Seminars offered. The stuff of white papers. I’m sure a lot of harrumphing occurred, over whiskey and cigars. A veritable plethora of quackery was created to treat female hysteria. Snake oils, “spa” treatments and devices. Pretty much a whole industry was birthed, as it were.
Lady Parts | The Doctor Will See You Now
Of course he will!
Hysterical paroxysm (need I explain?) was the cure. Of course, most effective when brought about by a male physician. Trust me, I’m a doctor.
Early on, women received treatment in their homes. Right there, in the privacy of her boudoir or front parlor. No questions asked. This is what you need. We know best. You’ll soon feel better. But as the practice gained momentum, during the Victorian era, physicians began to open offices, I’m certain the waiting rooms were very interesting.
Research shows that, physicians didn’t typically gain enjoyment from performing this treatment, they found it burdensome and exhausting. But apparently, quite profitable. If you want to see some examples of the treatment – check out the mini-series, “The Crimson Petal and the White” or the movie, “Hysteria” – both interesting and very different representations of female hysteria, the former rather dark and disturbing, the latter humorous.
Have we tap danced around treatment long enough?
What came out of the physician’s nagging carpel tunnel syndrome? Vibrators. There, I said it. Let’s create a machine to do the dirty work! Much easier. Neater. Faster. Why, you could treat 100’s of women a month! Huzzah! Vibration is life.
Here is health!
Even better? You could prescribe one for home use. Isn’t that grand? Of course, a woman would need to see the doctor from time to time, to ascertain progress and confirm proper technique.
Check out the early ads I’ve included – these weren’t typically relegated to the shameful purgatory of the back pages . But right out there, touting the ease and comfort of its use – for hysteria as well as aches/pains and even embarrassing dandruff!
Of course, with the advent of modern psychiatry, a more astute knowledge of one’s physical body and sexual response in general; in addition the burgeoning women’s rights movement, the diagnosis of female hysteria began to fade away. Though we can see it’s use up to the 1950’s!. Relegated to the shadowy back pages of medical journals, only to be trotted out on occasion. Where it lingered, lonely and largely unused, until it’s removal in 1980 with the DSM II.
It’s now a source of amusement and perhaps curiosity. Not to be forgotten, or brushed aside. A reminder of how far we’ve come in battling repression and how far we’ve yet to go.
To our dear readers: What are your thoughts on female hysteria? Do you see it still being bandied about in our national conversations?
The writer would like to thank : fusion.net, lastwordonnothing.com, Wikipedia.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.com “Women and Hysteria in the History of Mental Health”, Tasca,Rapetti & Fadda, wired.com, jezebel.com, huffingtonpost.com, fgmnetwork.org
And those who lost their images freely on the Internet.