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The
Technology of Orgasm: 'Hysteria,' the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction
by R. P. Maines
Price - $10.47
Average Rating: 
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For
centuries, women diagnosed with "hysteria"– were treated
by massaging their genitals in order to induce "paroxysm."
Male physicians, however, considered the practice drudgery, and sought
various ways of avoiding the task, often foisting it off on midwives
or, starting in the late 19th century, employing mechanical devices.
Eventually, these devices became available for purchase and home use;
one such "portable vibrator" is advertised in the 1918 Sears,
Roebuck catalog as an "aid that every woman appreciates."
The Technology of Orgasm is an impeccably researched history that
combines a discussion of hysteria in the Western medical tradition
with a detailed examination (including several illustrations) of the
devices used to "treat" the "condition." Don't
expect any cheap thrills, though; the titillation Maines offers is
strictly intellectual. |
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- Great Book
