From Pine View Farm

The Strange Story of “Hysterical Paroxysm” 0

The local rag had a fascinating little story this morning.

Long before Doc Johnson:

By the late 19th century, hysteria was hitting epidemic proportions, with women complaining of paralyzed limbs, sudden inability to speak, and other bizarre symptoms magically relieved by their doctor’s touch.

But some doctors complained the technique was difficult to learn. According to one biographer, Sigmund Freud tried to learn it, Maines says, but never got the hang of it.

So appliances were developed to assist the doctors in their work.

For a scholarly discussion of the topic, follow this link (and imagine how long it took me to find something scholarly!).

It seems to me that, if states wish to outlaw these appliances, they should also consider outlawing watermelons.

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