The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, also took an interest in hysteria, though his views on its causes fluctuate throughout his career. A physician in 1859 claimed that a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria, which is reasonable considering that one physician cataloged 75 pages of possible symptoms of hysteria and called the list incomplete; almost any ailment could fit the diagnosis.

For women, “hysterogenic zones” near the ovaries were especially sensitive areas for convulsions and tremors (Alvarado, 27). Hysteria was an illness that was first described around 4,000 years ago.

Alvarado, Carlos S. “Nineteenth-Century Hysteria and Hypnosis: A Historical Note on Blanche Wittmann.” Australian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.

Dating back to 1900 BC in Ancient Egypt, the first descriptions of hysteria within the female body were found recorded on the Kahun Papyri. Asafoetida is also known to have very relaxing properties, and is therefore recommended for use in treatment of hysteria. [4], In ancient Greece, wandering womb was described in the gynecological treatise of the Hippocratic Corpus, "Diseases of Women",[5] which dates back to the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Mesmer identified a fluid within the body, of which he named “animal magnetism.” He believed that the magnetic action of the hands upon the diseased part of the body could treat the patient by interacting with the fluid (Tasca et al., 114) Basically, his theory suggests that the body gives off some sort of invisible force that can be manipulated to cure people of illness.

Tasca, Cecilia, Mariangela Rapetti, Mauro Giovanni Carta, and Bianca Fadda. However, new evidence suggests that doctors would have been using these vibrators to stimulate the internal organs believed to be responsible for the imbalance, like the kidneys, intestines, and lungs. The American Psychiatric Association dropped the term hysteria in 1952.

There are, however, various other symptoms of hysteria, such as an inexplicable urge to perform rigorous activities that will help to let off steam. Hysteria health advice: Info on hysteria. The black berry fruit is considered an effective home remedy for hysteria.

A healthy body allows for peace of mind and will thus avoid any implication of hysteria. The patient should avoid alcohol, tea, coffee, tobacco, white sugar and white flour, and products made from them. Because the flow of blood through the heart is unrestricted, blood pressure remains normal and hysteria can be avoided, in circumstances where difficult situations arise.

1860. While the consumption of lettuce and fresh vegetables may have no direct bearing on the condition itself, consuming lettuce and fresh vegetables can help cleanse the body of any toxins that could be causing health problems further magnifying problems related to hysteria. Almost every form of treatment somehow relates to the maternal roles that women play.

There were various forms of “genital massage,” ranging from the manual massage, where doctors apply pressure on the woman’s clitoris with their fingers, to hydrotherapy, where the doctors apply pressure using water (Starr and Aron, 373-374).

The electropathic girdle was not something one plugged into the wall outlet, but instead was a garment with many different magnetized inserts which were supposed to help heal the internal organs by being worn in proximity to the stomach. [18] One American physician expressed pleasure in the fact that the country was "catching up" to Europe in the prevalence of hysteria.

Since ancient times women considered to be suffering from hysteria would sometimes undergo “pelvic massage” — manual stimulation of the anterior wall of the vagina by the doctor until the patient experienced “hysterical paroxysm”. Healthy living, combined with consumption of the correct foods, a good amount of exercise and stress relieving activities will play an important role in treating hysteria. In this Spotlight, we investigate how it can…. Yogasanas which are useful in hysteria are bhujangasana, shalabhasana, matsyasana, dhanurasana, halasana, paschimottanasana, yogamudra, and shavasana. In fact, he found that many of his female patients imitated the seizures of epileptic patients in an attempt to seek attention (Ross, 277). Via/ Wellcome Collection. Via/ Wellcome Collection. As mentioned in earlier posts, the Victorian era still mainly associated hysteria with women, and therefore most forms of treatment related to them, and not men. The herb rauwolfia is very useful for hysteria.

( Log Out /  One theory which gained traction in the early 2000s was that doctors had been using these devices on women in a sexual manner, as their husbands did not or could not please them. Yes, the vibrator was originally conceived as a medical prescription used for treating hysteria. Expressing yourself to a partner or a friend is another extremely important activity when it comes to treating hysteria and dealing with stressful situations.
While physicians of the period acknowledged that the disorder stemmed from sexual dissatisfaction, they seemed unaware of or unwilling to admit the sexual purposes of the devices used to treat it. In this Spotlight, we look at the top underdiagnosed conditions in…. To that end a horrifying device called the uterine elevator was developed to make “adjustments” on women.

In this Spotlight feature, we look at three no longer recognized…, We discuss five unusual medical procedures from ancient civilizations and more recent history. Sexual relaxation is also a widely used and well recommended method of relieving stress.

By contrast, he would advise men with hysteria to engage in lots of outdoor exercise. Other cures for female hysteria included bed rest, bland food, seclusion, refraining from mentally taxing tasks (like reading) and sensory deprivation. Some physicians regarded all contraceptive practices as injurious to women for this reason. Other cures were less harsh, like the so-called anti-hysteria water. [3] In this culture, the womb was thought capable of affecting much of the rest of the body, but "there is no warrant for the fanciful view that the ancient Egyptians believed that a variety of bodily complaints were due to an animate, wandering womb". Maines argued that, in the late 19th century, doctors would often treat female patients’ hysteria symptoms by manually stimulating their genitalia.

Its diagnosis and treatment were routine for hundreds of years in Western Europe. This treatment relates greatly to the early Greek theories of the “wandering uterus.” Some more drastic forms of treatment included cauterization of the genitals, and hysterectomy (Starr and Aron, 373). In most cases of hysteria, it is desirable for patients to start the treatment by adopting an all-fruit diet for several days, taking three meals a day of juicy fruits such as oranges, apples, grapes, grapefruit, papayas, and pineapples. Studies of the causes and effects of hysteria were continued in the 16th and 17th century by medical professionals such as Ambroise Pare, Thomas Sydenham, and Abraham Zacuto who published their findings furthering medical knowledge of the disease, and informing treatment.

ven Charcot, who openly notes that hysteria is not an illness of the uterus, believes that a woman’s ovaries are still sensitive “hysterogenic zones.” Basically, it would appear as if even scientific theory and development was still emphasizing the importance  woman’s maternal role in Victorian society. Convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19: Where are we now? Victorians didn't invent the vibrator", "A failure of academic quality control: The Technology of Orgasm", "The History of Hysteria: Sexism in Diagnosis", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Female_hysteria&oldid=983397925, Historical and obsolete mental and behavioural disorders, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 October 2020, at 00:58. Three kilograms of this fruit and a handful of salt should be put in a jug filled with water.The jug should be kept in the sun for a week. He dispelled the beliefs that hysteria had anything to do with the supernatural and attempted to define it medically.

The 2011 rom-com Hysteria popularized the view that vibrators are tools meant to cure hysteria in female patients. Another cure for female hysteria was the shifting of a woman’s internal organs.

See How Irish Linen Was Made in the Old Days, The Stave Churches of “Little Norway” and Beyond, Book Found in Closet Turns Out to Be Valuable Logbook of a 1700s Slave Ship, Ancient Roman Mystery Objects That People Still Haven’t Figured Out, Historical Treatments for Hysteria That Were Absolutely Bonkers, symptoms of hysteria were extremely varied, horrifying device called the uterine elevator.
For more on the 19th-century treatment of hysteria, read The Road to Wellville by T.C. For example, doctors put strong smelling substances on the patients’ vulvas to encourage the uterus to return to its p…

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Mesmer alleged that he could act on this magnetic undercurrent and cure humans of various maladies, including hysteria.

Outbursts of hysteria are not uncommon, but it is necessary to identify the stimulant that is causing the hysteria before attempting to assist the person to overcome his or her fears. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.