Birth Control in Late 19th & Early 20th Centuries
I.CONTRACEPTION & ABORTION IN LATE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY
1.BACKGROUND
A.BIRTH RATES FELL DRAMATICALLY IN LATE 19TH C.
a.ESPECIALLY WESTERN EUROPE
B.BUT DESIRE TO LIMIT BIRTHS NOT JUST 19TH & 20TH C PHENOMENON
C.THROUGHOUT HISTORY WOMEN HAVE EMPLOYED MYRIAD &
D.OFTEN EXOTIC CONTRACEPTIVE TECHNIQUES
E.AS WELL AS ABSTINENCE, ABORTION & INFANTICIDE
a.TO PREVENT & SPACE BIRTHS TO CONTROL SIZE OF FAMILIES
F.IN LATE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURIES
G.CHANGES IN SOCIAL, ECONOMIC & PHYSICAL CONDITIONS
H.LED LARGE NUMBERS OF WOMEN TO HAVE FEWER CHILDREN
I.WHAT WAS NEW & ULTIMATELY REVOLUTIONARY
J.WAS INSISTENCE BY WOMEN OF ALL CLASSES THAT ACCESS TO SAFE
& EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CONTRACEPTION & ABORTION THEIR
RIGHT
2.19TH C CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES
A.VARIETY OF THEM - MORE OR LESS UNRELIABLE a.COTTON SPONGE
b.VAGINAL CAPS
c.DOUCHES AFTER COITUS
(1)VINEGAR
(2)BAKING SODA
(3)ALUM
(4)WHITE OAK BARK
(5)HEMLOCK
(6)GREEN TEA
(7)RASPBERRY LEAVES
d.SNEEZING, COUGHING, SQUATTING AFTER COITUS
e.MALE CONDOMS
(1)ALTHOUGH COSTS LOWERED AFTER VULCANIZATION OF
RUBBER IN 1840'S
(2)STILL TOO EXPENSIVE FOR MOST WORKING CLASS
(3)MOSTLY USED BY MIDDLE CLASS MEN TO AVOID
VENEREAL DISEASE
f.COITUS INTERRUPTUS
(1)MOST WIDELY USED
g.VAGINAL DIAPHRAGM INVENTED 1880'S
(1)BUT DIFFUSION UNEVEN & SLOW
(2)ESPECIALLY AMONG POOR
3.ABORTION
A.WHEN CONCEPTION FAILED
a.AS IT REGULARLY DID
b.WOMEN TURNED TO ABORTION
B.LIKE CONTRACEPTIVE INFORMATION
C.ADVICE ON ABORTION PASSED ALONG AMONG WOMEN
D.OFTEN FROM MOTHER TO DAUGHTER
E.OR FRIENDS, CO WORKERS, ETC.
F.HERBS, POTIONS, VIGOROUS EXERCISES, HOT BATHS
2
a.PREFERRED & USED FOR CENTURIES
b.AS WOMEN CONSIDERED THEM NATURAL WAYS TO ABORT
G.IF THESE FAILED OBJECTS SUCH AS
a.QUILLS, NEEDLES OR BARK INSERTED INTO WOMB
b.OR VARIOUS SOLUTIONS INJECTED WITH SYRINGE
H.WOMEN ALSO OBTAINED STRONG ABORTIVE DRUGS FROM
PHARMACISTS
I.& THOSE FROM MIDDLE & UPPER CLASS PAID DOCTORS TO PERFORM
ILLEGAL ABORTIONS
J.MIDWIVES FREQUENTLY PERFORMED ABORTIONS FOR WORKING
CLASS WOMEN
K.WOMEN VERY AWARE OF DANGERS OF THESE PROCEDURES
L.WE THINK CONTINUING HIGH RATES OF MATERNAL MORTALITY
a.MAY HAVE BEEN LINKED TO DEBILITATING AFFECTS OF
REPEATED MISCARRIAGE & ABORTION
4.OUTLAWING OF ABORTIONS
A.ENGLAND 1805
B.FRENCH BESIDES DEFEATING SUFFRAGE BILL AFTER WWI
C.FRENCH ENACTED BILL 1920
a.OUTLAWED SALE & DISTRIBUTION OF BIRTH CONTROL
b.PUNISHABLE WITH HEFTY FINES & PRISON TERMS
D.ABORTION BECAME MAJOR CRIME
a.FOR ABORTIONISTS
b.WOMAN PROCURING ONE
E.FRANCE NOW HAD MOST OPPRESSIVE LAWS IN EUROPE
a.IN AREA OF FERTILITY & REPRODUCTION
F.FOR DECADES FRENCH HAD CITED LACK OF VIRILITY BEHIND BOTH
THEIR
a.DEFEAT BY GERMANS IN 1870
b.FALLING BIRTH RATE
G.FRENCH POLITICIANS & PHYSICIANS CHASTISED
a.MILITANTLY EMANCIPATED WOMEN
b.UNBRIDLED SPORTSWOMEN
c.COSMOPOLITANITES
d.BRAINS
e.TO RETURN TO THEIR WOMANLY DUTY TO REPRODUCE
H.AS MEN RETURNED FROM WAR MAIMED, SHELL-SHOCKED &
HYSTERICAL
a.LIKE WOMEN
I.SO CONTROL OF REPRODUCTION BY FRENCH LEGISLATURE
a.TO SHOW WHO MALE & WHO FEMALE
5.BIRTH CONTROL CLINICS
A.FIRST BIRTH CONTROL CLINIC EUROPE
a.HOLLAND 1881
b.DR. ALETTA JACOBS
c.FIRST WOMEN DOCTOR IN NETHERLANDS
B.SHE DEVELOPED DIAPHRAGM
C.BY 1915 HOLLAND DISPENSING THEM IN STATE RUN BIRTH CONTROL
CLINICS
a.CAME IN 14 SIZES
D.DUTCH CUT THEIR MATERNAL DEATH RATE IN HALF
3
E.ALONG WITH EARLY DETECTION OF ILLNESS
a.BECAUSE WOMEN GETTING FITTED FOR DIAPHRAGM HAD TO
BE EXAMINED BY MEDICAL WORKER
F.MARIE STOPES
a.OPENED FIRST BIRTH CONTROL CLINIC IN ENGLAND 1921
b.KEPT STATISTICS ON FAILURE RATE OF CONTRACEPTIVE
TECHNIQUES
G.OTHER CLINICS FOUNDED BY MOSTLY WOMEN
H.NONE OF METHODS OFFERED BY THESE CLINICS TOTALLY RELIABLE
I.BERLIN, GERMANY
a.1911-1913
(1)100 WORKING CLASS MARRIED WOMEN QUESTIONED
(a)64% USED CONTRACEPTION
(b)40% HAD LEAST 1 ABORTION
6.CONCLUSIONS
A.MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN THIS PERIOD OCCURRED
a.WHEN WOMEN TOOK ISSUES OF ABORTION & CONTRACEPTION
b.OUTSIDE INFORMAL WOMEN'S NETWORK
c.THEY DEMANDED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS PROVIDE THEM
WITH EFFECTIVE CONTRACEPTION & SAFE ABORTIONS
d.& GOVERNMENTS RECOGNIZE WOMEN';S RIGHTS TO DECIDE
FOR THEMSELVES WHETHER OR NOT TO BEAR CHILDREN
B.WOMEN ENCOUNTERED SERIOUS OPPOSITION FROM BOTH RIGHT &
LEFT
C.FROM THOSE WHO BELIEVED WOMENS DEMANDS WOULD LEAD
a.TO FREER SEXUALITY
b.FURTHER FALL IN BIRTH RATE
c.DESTRUCTION OF FAMILY
d.WHOLESALE CHANGES IN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEXES
D.OF COURSE, MANY OF ADVOCATES OF BIRTH CONTROL RECOGNIZED
& DESIRED SOME OR ALL OF THESE CHANGES
E.MOST BELIEVED THAT END TO INVOLUNTARY MOTHERHOOD WOULD
IMPROVE WOMEN'S SOCIAL & ECONOMIC POSITION
F.& RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE
G.BUT WOMEN WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER MIDDLE OF 20TH
CENTURY FOR EFFECTIVE BIRTH CONTROL METHOD
7.ANNIE BESANT 1847-1933
A.WITH CHARLES BRADLAUGH
B.SHE PUBLICLY TRIED FOR PUBLISHING AN OBSCENE PAMPHLET ON
CONTRACEPTION
C.COST HER CUSTODY OF HER CHILDREN
8.HYSTERIA & SICK ROLE AS CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES
A.FEELING SICK WAY OUT TO AVOID SEX
B.MALE DOCTORS COOPERATED BY RECOMMENDING ABSTINENCE
C.OTHERS USED SICKNESS AS WAY TO GAIN ATTENTION & POWER
D.THIS CALLED HYSTERIA
a.EPITOMIZED CULT OF FEMALE INVALIDISM
E.HYSTERIA AFFECTED UPPER AND UPPER MIDDLE CLASS WOMEN
ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY
F.NO DISCERNIBLE ORGANIC BASIS
G.TOTALLY RESISTANT TO MEDICAL TREATMENT
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H.SYMPTOMS OF HYSTERIA
a.FITS
b.FAINTING
c.HYSTERICAL LOSS OF VOICE
d.LOSS OF APPETITE
e.HYSTERICAL COUGHING OR SNEEZING
f.SCREAMING, LAUGHING & CRYING
I.MANY WAYS IDEAL DISEASE FOR DOCTORS
a.NEVER FATAL
b.REQUIRED ALMOST ENDLESS AMOUNT OF MEDICAL
ATTENTION
J.& DOCTORS CONTINUED TO INSIST HYSTERIA REAL DISEASE
a.HYSTERIA = GREEK WORD FOR UTERUS
K.HOME REMEDIES
a.SMELLING SALTS
L.DOCTORS RECOMMENDED
a.SUFFOCATING HYSTERICAL WOMEN UNTIL FITS STOPPED
b.BEATING THEM ACROSS FACE & BODY WITH WET TOWELS
c.EMBARRASSING THEM IN FRONT OF FAMILY & FRIENDS
M.AS SOCIETY HAD ASSIGNED AFFLUENT WOMEN TO LIFE OF
CONFINEMENT & INACTIVITY
N.MEDICINE HAD JUSTIFIED THIS ASSIGNMENT BY DESCRIBING WOMEN
AS INNATELY SICK
O.IN EPIDEMIC OF HYSTERIA
a.WOMEN BOTH ACCEPTING THEIR INHERENT SICKNESS
b.% FINDING WAY TO REBEL AGAINST INTOLERABLE SOCIAL
ROLE
9.SIGMUND FREUD
A.UNDER FREUD'S INFLUENCE
a.FEMALE NATURE PASSED FROM GYNECOLOGIST TO
PSYCHIATRIST
B.AS PSYCHOANALYSIS IS CHILD OF HYSTERICAL WOMAN
C.IN MANY WAYS PSYCHOANALYSIS REPRESENTED SHARP BREAK
WITH PAST
a.& GENUINE ADVANCE FOR WOMEN
D.IT WAS NOT PHYSICALLY INJURIOUS
E.& IT DID PERMIT WOMEN TO HAVE SEXUAL FEELINGS
a.ALTHOUGH ONLY VAGINAL SENSATIONS BELIEVED NORMAL
FOR ADULT WOMEN
b.CLITORAL SENSATION IMMATURE & MASCULINE
F.BUT IN NB WAYS, FREUDIAN THEORY OF FEMALE NATURE
a.IN DIRECT CONTINUITY WITH GYNECOLOGICAL VIEW WHICH IT
REPLACED
b.IT HELD THAT FEMALE PERSONALITY INHERENTLY DEFECTIVE
c.THIS TIME DUE TO ABSENCE OF PENIS
(1)RATHER THAN TO PRESENCE OF DOMINEERING UTERUS
G.FREUD'S OTHER BELIEFS
a.WOMEN ANATOMICALLY INFERIOR TO MEN
b.GIRLS EXPERIENCED SENSE OF LOSS & ENVY WHEN
DISCOVERED HAD NO MALE SEX ORGAN
c.FEMALES COULD OVERCOME THEIR FEELINGS OF INFERIORITY
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WHEN REACHED ADULTHOOD
d.ONLY BY EMBRACING THEIR ROLES AS WIVES & MOTHERS
e.BY GIVING BIRTH TO SON
(1)WOMAN CAME AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO RESOLVING
HER SENSE OF ANATOMICAL INFERIORITY
f.WOMEN STILL SICK
g.THEIR SICKNESS STILL TOTALLY PREDESTINED BY THEIR
ANATOMY