My dearest Readers,
Happy New Year! 2012 makes me realize how far we as a civilization have come. Um...for the most part anyway. Heh. This month, I'll be delving into Part 2 of Eugenics. And what better way to delve into our 1919 book than with a diagram that asks WHAT WILL HER FUTURE BE?
Good question for all of us girls.
The diagram shows two paths. At the top we have a bright little girl who represents thousands of girls back in the day. Happy, loving and cheerful....BUT....if not properly "trained" this bright little girl may follow the course picture to the left. At 15, "in the company of boys of questionable character; at twenty, modesty and self-respect lost due to said company; at 26, immoral and an outcast from home and society; and at forty, (love this!), prematurely old, with life wrecked, poverty and wretchedness her lot."
Okay, okay, so maybe I should ease off on all the sexist stances in this book and see where we could find something more engagingly positive. *Paging through* Diseases Peculiar to Men. Hm. THAT sounds engagingly positive. Let's dig in.
MEN SHOULD KNOW -- "There are certain derangements and diseases peculiar to the male sex." (Us women already knew this. Smirk.)
SPERMATORRHOEA (That doesn't sound good...It sounds like sperm is leaking out of one's ass) -- "Exceedingly disastrous in its effects upon the mind and most destructive on the body. Seminal emissions occur during sleep." (Ah. Referring to what we know today as being Wet Dreams)
A VERY RARE DISEASE -- "Spermatorrhoea itself is a VERY RARE disease, although it is undoubtedly a very serious one when it occurs,"
WHAT BRINGS IT ABOUT? -- "Self-abuse." (Ha) "For Medical treatment of Spermatorrhoea, see Medical Department of this book."
*Paging through quickly to find medical Department of this book*
PRESCRIPTIONS -- (Holy monkeys! There are actually listed self-drugging prescriptions in this book. Cooooooool) Hm. Can't find the Medical Treatment for Spermateorrhoea. Dang it. But there is a Prescription for Diarrhea. Same thing, right? Just leaking from a different hole. Prescription is as follows:
No. 16
Diarrhea Remedy
Tincture Rhubarb, 1 ounce.
Tincture Jamaica Ginger, 1/2 ounce.
Tincture Catechu, 1/2/ ounce.
Lime-water, 1 ounce.
Paragoric, 1 ounce.
Dose: One teaspoonful every time the bowels move.
Oh, now wait. I just found a prescription for Impotence, sexual debility, gleet and self abuse. Awesome.
No. 28
Impotence, sexual debility, gleet and self-abuse
Tincture Gelsemii, 1 1/2 drachms.
Tincture Belladonna, 2 drachms. (Omgosh, I looked it up and its Deadly Night Shade....NICE)
Brom. Potassi, 4 drachms.
Aqua Destill. q. s. 2 ounces.
Dose: Teaspoonful three times a day. See that bowels are not constipated.
I don't know what half this shit is, do you? And people were chugging this stuff? No wonder they didn't live long. And oh! I looooove this one. It's for earaches. Mix 1 ounce olive oil and 20 drops of LAUDANUM. Nothing like opium to knock you out for a few days. But of course your freakin ear ache will go away! Everything will when you're doped up. Duh.
Okay, time to move away from the drug section before I get arrested.
Let's go back to the section known as THE SOCIAL EVIL. That looks good.
"It is computed that 30,000 males are daily infected with venereal diseases in the United States." (I agree venereal disease must have been spawning left and right. But 30,000 a day? Every last man would have been diseased by the end of one year...Was it upped to create paranoia? Note to self: there is no source quoted for this statistic. Hmmmmm). Now wait. Here's more of a real stat. "In the public institutions of New York City about 10,000 cases of venereal disease are treated annually." Youch. Those are the ones that stepped forward, mind you. Of course these were the days when condoms were still being REUSED.
And on that note....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! LOL.
In honor of the New Year and that I have a new book out that is kicking off a new series, I will be giving away one signed copy of FOREVER AND A DAY to one lucky commenter who posts their favorite "drink." (legal or not). Be sure to post your email address with your comment. Winner will be chosen by January 15th and contacted directly via email.
Much love and until next month,
Delilah Marvelle