Rachel P. Maines "Orgasm Technology 'Hysteria,' Vibrator and Female Sexual Satisfaction."

Author: Rachel P. Maines Title: The Technology of Orgasm: "Hysteria," the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction. Publication Year: 2011 Description: A topic that, thanks to the film "Hysteria: A Romantic History of the Vibrator," has become popular and widely discussed in the media. Rachel P. Maines’ book is an attempt at a less lighthearted and more substantive approach to the topic, adding fuel to the fire throughout the discussion. Although the author is a historian of technology, she devotes a great deal of time to the titular "hysteria"—a condition that, until its removal from the WHO’s list of diseases in 1952, was the most frequently diagnosed illness in human history! From the perspective of medical professionals, the medical view of the female orgasm—from ancient times through the turbulent 19th century, when the role of doctors in treating this condition was most pronounced—also becomes significant. In an era when every inch of a woman’s body was carefully concealed beneath several layers of fabric, doctors attempted, in the privacy of their offices, to treat this mysterious ailment through various, sometimes highly elaborate methods, and the growing number of patients became the inspiration for creating a subject that still stirs great emotions to this day. One of the book’s key elements is its accurate, scientifically grounded analysis of female sexuality from a psychosocial perspective. Told with lightness and eloquence, this story certainly silences all those who claim that the history of medicine is boring and serves as an excellent read for those to whom nothing human is alien.