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The Weird, Fun, & Miscellaneous > Lists of reasons from the late 1800s for committing women to the West Virginia’s Hospital for the Insane.

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message 1: by Gary (last edited Mar 09, 2018 03:52PM) (new)

Gary | 1472 comments

Hard to pick out a favorite one of these, but I'm going to have to go with "Gathering in the Head" just because it's so abstract. "Novel reading" would have to be a close second for obvious reasons related to this particular group.

I had to look up "Scarlatina" and was a little disappointed to find out it's just another word for scarlet fever. I was kind of hoping it was an abnormal fascination with flamenco dancers or something.


message 2: by Amber (new)

Amber Martingale | 662 comments LOL.


message 3: by Jo (new)

Jo (glitchyspoons) | 25 comments deranged masturbation well


message 4: by Gary (last edited Mar 10, 2018 07:46PM) (new)

Gary | 1472 comments Jo wrote: "deranged masturbation well"

Lots of masturbation on that list. I understand "Masturbation and Syphilis" because syphilis, but having both "Suppressed Masturbation" and "Masturbation for 30 Years" on there seems unfair....


message 5: by Yoly (new)

Yoly (macaruchi) | 795 comments Yikes, "Ill treatment by husband"
So, it was like "Your husband is being an ass, well, time for you to yo to the asylum now..."

What the hell is "female disease"? Oh man I hope it doesn't mean what I think it means...

If that whole list is true, then women's existence was little dull, you couldn't even get excited about religion.


message 6: by [deleted user] (new)

Like, are Jealousy and Religion a tie, or do you have to have the both of them at the same time?


message 7: by Yoly (new)

Yoly (macaruchi) | 795 comments So jealous religious women were out of luck...


message 8: by Gary (last edited May 13, 2018 10:37AM) (new)

Gary | 1472 comments I just read that "in the 16th and 17th centuries, medical researchers saw the presence or absence of the hymen as founding evidence of physical diseases such as "womb-fury", i.e., (female) hysteria. If not cured, womb-fury would, according to doctors practicing at the time, result in death."

"Womb-Fury" is also the name of my Joan Jett cover band.

Happy Mothers' Day, BTW.


message 9: by Amber (new)

Amber Martingale | 662 comments I hope the band name was a joke. Because that's what it sounds like. I can't think that any women at those shows don't go home laughing their heads off... .


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