How men could get all of the symptoms of a wandering womb the headaches and vertigo and, of course, very sudden incredible deathwithout owning an actual womb, is quite problematic for the theory. The wandering uterus furor uterinus and contemporary applications of ancient medical wisdom by kriota willberg this parchment, fullcolor mini comic. The greek physician hippocrates is generally credited with first suggesting that hysteria was the result of a wandering uterus. It features some old advertisements for the treatment of such ailments. Laity is the awardwinning author novels like how to be dull, white rabbit, dream book, a cutthroat business, lush situation, owl stretching, unquiet dreams, chastity flame, and pelzmantel, editor of the anthologies my wandering uterus, respectable horror, weird noir, noir carnival and drag noir, plus writer of umpteen short stories, scholarly essays and more. Because there was very little understanding of womens biology the term hysteria was used to describe most of the physical and emotional female illnesses. Wanda, the wandering uterus in ancient greece, the concept of a wandering womb was developed as a medical explanation for all manner of female conditions. Throughout history women in pain have been portrayed as hysterical. Not so much because of what they lack as because of what they. Laity is the awardwinning author novels like how to be dull, white rabbit, dream book, a cutthroat business, lush situation, owl stretching. The uterus was believed to wander around the body like an animal, hungry for semen. The wandering womb is a provocative tour through religious, medical, and social histories, pinpointing humorous, outrageous, and hairraising beliefs, practices, and longstanding falsehoods that permeate human cultures. Apr 05, 2017 the course is titled the wandering uterus.
Laity put out a call for submissions of womens travel stories and so the project began. The history of wandering uterus syndrome is hilariously interesting to me so when i read about this collection of stories i was immediately drawn to it. The term pms was coined, a catchall diagnosis that picked up where hysteria left off. He noticed hysteria was common in women and thought it was caused by a displaced or wandering uterus. Yet that is precisely what medical practitioners in the past believed was the cause behind this mysterious disorder. The wandering womb womens health nursing past and present. Jul 23, 2011 medical book the wandering womb even with advances in medicine, some in todays society believe they can control womens sexual identity. Mar, 20 for example, this piece talks about womens weakness, hysteria and wandering organs, as defined by medical practioners in previous eras.
Ask me about my uterus is a a searingly honest account of abby normans struggle to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. Mar 09, 2018 my wandering uterus toc posted by katelaity on february 23, 2018 march 9, 2018 the allbut final table of contents for my wandering uterus, the collection of travel writing by women that byron and i were foolish enough to brainstorm together joking. The term hysteria is traced back to the late fifthearly fourth centuries bc. It is the attempt of women to define for themselves what they can. Review of the wandering womb 9781573922647 foreword. There are many doctors today both men and women who still treat and diagnose. In fact, if a woman was not regularly pregnant, she would suffer from hysteria, a catchall category for somatic symptoms stimulating almost any kind of physical disease or mental. The dust jacket disguises this book s contents, which cover uterine dropsy, labour and testicles.
The wandering uterus meyer, cheryl published by nyu press meyer, cheryl. The womb was considered to be animallike and erratic moving around a womans torso in response to scents and other primal stimuli. This book offers new insights and provides a wealth of upto date information on a subject that changes every day. Mar 05, 2018 my wandering uterus, is a compelling work that compiles essays, stories, and poetry about different women and their experiences hitting the road. The theory of the wandering uterus is a perfect example. Taking her title from an ancient greek belief that womens health problems were caused by a wandering uterus that needed to be confined and controlled, meyer exposes the way in which myths and prejudice about female sexuality continue to influence the practice of law and medicine today. And while people no longer believe the uterus has a mind of its own, its still used as the hapless scapegoat for countless unexplainable symptoms.
The diverse body of voices and talent included in this anthology makes it a fun read that offers insight into the world of travel, life, love, and the human connection. I am grateful to be published with such a talented crop of ladies and glad to share my own story of travel. My wandering uterus coverreveal jessica marie baumgartner. This fancy schmancy tote bag can be yours, including stickers of both the my wandering uterus cover image and the lovely ute face designed by sl johnson. A brief history or why i teach the yellow wallpaper terri kapsalis a cofounder of theater oobleck and a collective member at chicago womens health center, she teaches at the school of the art institute of chicago. Journeys through gender, race, and medicine and gets its name from one of the ancient causes of hysteria. Hysteria, the wandering uterus, and vaginal massage. Many ancient writers believed that the womb or uterus had a life of its own, and a hystera the greek term wanted and needed to be filled le. A cultural history of outrageous beliefs about women lana thompson 1999 forward by vern bollough throughout much of history, and even to some extent today, definitions about womens place and role in society and in the family have been made by men. Politics and the reproductive rights of women by meyer, cheryl l. Ancient doctors believed that the womb could move about in a womans body, putting pressure on other organs and so causing serious illness. Platos view of the wandering uterus order to attain their desires. The belief originates in the medical texts of ancient greece, although it persisted in european academic medicine and popular thought for centuries.
This statement by plato is just one of the many outrageous beliefs about women that thompson explores in her book, the wandering womb. The wandering womb library royal college of nursing. How men could get all of the symptoms of a wandering wombthe headaches and vertigo and, of course, very sudden incredible deathwithout owning an actual womb, is quite problematic for the theory. The wandering womb as a concept was popularized by doctor edward jorden, who published the. The third objection was that the wandering womb, which drives the woman to sex, is a female counterpart to the penis, which plato says drives the man. Female anatomy, especially the womb, has for centuries been.
What this diagnosis implied was that the afflicted females uterus was roaming the body interfering with other areas, resulting in the symptoms that they had. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The ancient greek physician hippocrates was one of the first to identify this disorder. Female anatomy, especially the womb, has for centuries been shrou. Elissa steins latest book, with susan kim, is flow. I highly recommend this book to both sexes, especially medical students. It gets its name from one of the ancient causes of hysteria. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book.
Wandering womb was the belief that a displaced uterus was the cause of many medical pathologies in women. The wandering uterus project is designed to redress the antiwoman rhetoric that has reemerged and begun to dominate the political discourse. The wandering uterus was another familiar term that went hand in hand with hysteria. The uterus wasnt being used for what it was meant to be so it was wandering around their body.