A few weeks ago, I came across a fascinating article that revealed a story I had never encountered before: the vibrator, a popular device used by nearly 80% of adult women in the U.S., was reportedly invented in the Victorian era to address “hysteria” in women. How had I missed this? My interest was piqued, so I did some research. Articles in various reputable publications echoed this narrative, claiming that a significant number of 19th-century women—up to three-quarters—were believed to suffer from hysteria. The prescribed treatment? Manual stimulation by a doctor to induce “paroxysms.” Yes, you read that right.
The Curious Case of ‘Paroxysms’
The narrative suggests that both women and their doctors believed in the existence of a medical condition, and neither party perceived the treatment as sexual. However, achieving these so-called paroxysms was a labor-intensive task, often delegated to midwives. Can you imagine? This would make for an intriguing plot in a historical romance. Picture a tense Victorian woman, unable to shake off a peculiar sensation, only to be referred to a charming midwife who reassures her, “I swear it’s not improper, Miss; it’s a legitimate medical procedure!”
Enter the Electric Vibrator
Interestingly, as midwives grew weary of their demanding roles, an inventor named Joseph Mortimer Granville patented an “electromechanical vibrator” in the early 1880s, originally designed for general muscle pain. It soon dawned on medical professionals that this device could also address, ahem, “other areas.” This innovation drastically cut down the time needed to induce paroxysms from an hour to just five or ten minutes. The vibrator quickly gained popularity, becoming one of the first electric appliances to grace 20th-century households, right alongside the sewing machine and toaster.
Sifting Through the Myths
The story of the vibrator’s origin gained traction with the release of Rachel Maines’s 1999 book, Technology of Orgasm. Her work, backed by extensive citations, presented a convincing argument that the vibrator was invented to help doctors relieve the symptoms of hysteria. However, upon closer inspection, sex historian Hallie Lieberman scrutinized Maines’s sources and discovered a troubling amount of conjecture and inaccuracies. Maines later claimed her book was merely an “interesting hypothesis,” despite its authoritative tone.
Granville’s invention was indeed created in the 1880s, but it was primarily aimed at treating male pain—not as a tool for doctors to alleviate female hysteria. Historian Fern Riddell emphasizes that Victorians were well aware of female pleasure and even provided advice on ensuring wives were sexually satisfied. The notion that doctors were blissfully unaware of the sexual implications of the vibrator is a myth.
While the vibrator became associated with pleasure once it entered households, the idea that it was developed purely as a medical device for hysterical women is more fantasy than fact. And despite its sensational origins, we must recognize this narrative for what it is—an entertaining story rather than historical truth.
For more on this subject, check out our other blog post on the fascinating topic of home insemination here. If you’re interested in artificial insemination kits, a great resource can be found here. Additionally, for more information on infertility statistics, visit this excellent resource here.
Summary
The narrative that the vibrator was invented to treat female hysteria is largely a myth. While the device was indeed created for medical purposes, its connection to women’s orgasms has been exaggerated over time. Historians suggest that Victorians were aware of female sexual pleasure, contradicting the idea that doctors and midwives were oblivious to the vibrator’s implications.
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