We’re getting hysterical this episode! Clara cheers Sabrina up with some crazy facts about the Victorian diagnosis of “hysteria”; a condition that doctors diagnosed women with based on just about any reason you can imagine, from too much gas to epilepsy. In this episode, we’ll unravel the tangled mess of pseudo-science and outright sexism that defined hysteria for centuries. From ancient Greek physicians blaming wandering wombs to Victorian doctors prescribing, ahem, very personal treatments (or did they?), the story of hysteria is as ridiculous as it is infuriating. So grab your massagers and a bucket of cold water and join us as we expose the madness behind the so-called “madness.”

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SOURCES:

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill

BBC - The vibrator: from medical tool to revolutionary sex toy

McGill - The History of Hysteria

NCBI - Gender bias in research: how does it affect evidence based medicine?

Time - Declared Insane for Speaking Up: The Dark American History of Silencing Women Through Psychiatry

NCBI - Women And Hysteria In The History Of Mental Health

CNN - In car crashes, women are more likely to die than men. This new crash test dummy could help save lives

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