Women at Home in Victorian America: A Social History

[switchknitter]

Ellen M. Plante reveals all the different facets of life during 19th-century American women -- clothes, home decor, motherhood, weddings, old age, and so forth. Plante quotes a lot from popular advice manuals and magazines of the day, such as Godey's Lady's Book. It's interesting, but the writing style isn't particularly engaging. Also, just for

Comments

[plaidomatic]

Water cure is just the older term for hydrotherapy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrotherapy

However, in specifc reference to treatment for "hysteria," I would imagine it's may refer to something similar to what girls (and boys) have been doing with hot tub jets, detatchable showerheads and the business end of a running tub faucet for years.

[switchknitter]

Oh, I know what it is. I read a great book on the history of mechanical sex toys a while back, and there was a whole chapter on it. I just would have been amused if Victorian book had said it.