Early Contraception

I am in the process of reading a book titled “The Book of Amazing History”.  Most subjects are only a page or two long.  I found that you can skip over some of the things that already stored in one or two brain cells in a forgotten area of your brain.

The most interesting article so far is the one on “early contraception”.  Stick with me and you might find something of value.  (but I doubt it)

In ancient Greece, women not wishing to have children were instructed to jump backwards seven times to avoid pregnancy.  I cannot vouch for the results of such a practice but would think it a bit dangerous if you were having sex on the side of a cliff.

Ancient Roman women were advised to carry a pouch on their left foot that contained a cat’s liver.  An alternative was to spit in the mouth of a frog. This practice could result in a shortage of cats and defiantly would not work in the more arid areas of the empire.

Barrier methods have included pebbles, half a lemon, and dried elephant or crocodile dung.  No information was given on the exact method of (or location of) the use of this practice.

The following is a direct quote. “In 1550 B.C., a suggested concoction of ground dates, Acicia tree bark, and honey (applied locally) was probably fairly effective, since acacia ferments into lactic acid, which disrupts a normal a pH balance”.  I wonder how long this mixture would have to be kept in place before fermentation took effect.   

In eastern Canada one aboriginal group believed that women drinking tea containing beaver testicles prevented Pregnancy.  If the tribe was especially horny this could lead to a shortage of beavers and an increase in the population.  This would directly affect the fur trade.  All beavers beware

As early as the seventh century B.C. a certain fennel plant was found to be extremely effective to prevent pregnancy.  It was a morning after “pill”.  It only grew in a small area in lybia and is now extinct.  Attempts to re-create it have been unsuccessful.

Men have always used a form of condom dating back as far as 1000 B.C.  Animal intestines were a favorite material.  No information was given on the number of times this “condom” could be reused.  It is my belief that men in the middle east found that leaving the goat or sheep alive allowed for a more efficient use of the intestine.  This, in turn, allowed for an increase in goat population and a healthy increase in providing more milk for the general population.   This practice of leaving the goat alive, however, is still in use in some areas of the middle east.  The introduction of the rubber condom in 1844 also helped the goat population to increase.

The introduction of “the pill” in 1960 made things a lot easier for woman.  The “sheath” remains the favorite method used by men.