One aspect of the history of menstruation that is fascinating to a modern reader is the phenomenon of ‘vicarious menstruation’, in which a woman bleeds regularly from another orifice, or even from a wound. While modern medicine still recognises conditions in which other mucous membranes bleed along with, or instead of, the womb lining, the cases… Continue reading Vicarious menstruation
Author: fluff35
I blog on a range of subjects arising from various aspects of my life. On https://theretiringacademic.wordpress.com, I focus on my reactions to early retirement and think about aspects of teaching and research which I hope will be stimulating to those still working in higher education. On https://shared-conversations.com, I blog as an authorized lay preacher in a pretty standard parish church of the Church of England, who needs to write in order to find out what she thinks. I took part in the Oxford/St Albans/Armed Forces C of E 'Shared Conversations' in March 2016, worked on the Living in Love and Faith resources from 2017 and was elected to General Synod in October 2021, and continue to try to reflect on some of the issues. On https://mistakinghistories.wordpress.com I share my thoughts on various aspects of the history of medicine and the body.
I have also written for The Conversation UK on https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-king-94923/articles
Menotoxin – when menstruation can kill?
In the 1920s there was a serious medical debate about an invisible substance called ‘menotoxin’. This was believed to exist in menstrual blood; it could blight flowers and prevent jam from setting, and bread from rising. The theory can be seen as a surprising throwback, in the age of germs (germs, rather than air or… Continue reading Menotoxin – when menstruation can kill?
Period pains – have women always suffered from menstrual cramps?
A recent YouGov survey of 1000 British women showed that the majority had period pain, and 52% had found it affected their ability to work. John Guillebaud, a professor of reproductive health at University College London, suggested that the level of pain is almost as bad as a heart attack. Have women always suffered pain? Early twentieth-century advertisements for ‘Hall’s… Continue reading Period pains – have women always suffered from menstrual cramps?
The history of tampons – in ancient Greece?
Did ancient Greek women use tampons? It’s clear that women today are curious as to what women in the past did when they were menstruating. I did my PhD on ancient Greek menstruation and I also feel I’m on a crusade to clear up some of the ‘creative’ (actually, just plain wrong) statements about Hippocrates… Continue reading The history of tampons – in ancient Greece?
The history of menstruation
Julia Margaret Cameron’s Hypatia Everything has a history: even menstruation. I managed to write an 80,000 word doctoral thesis on menstruation in classical Greece, which just goes to show that there's a story to be told there! I've shared a few of the weirder beliefs here. One of the questions I couldn’t answer in… Continue reading The history of menstruation
Mistaking histories 