[Carolyn]

It is prehistoric - carved from wood, bone, horns, antler; anything. The examples are many. Look up phallus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo#History

The world's oldest known dildo is a siltstone 20-centimeter phallus from the Upper Palaeolithic period 30,000 years ago that was found in Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm Germany. Findings of the archaeologists show that ancient Egyptians used dildos 2500 years ago. Also these sex toys were used by ancient Greeks. A vase with a woman using a dildo depicted on it was found by scientists. This vase was made in the fifth century B.C. First dildos were made of stone, tar, wood and other materials that could be shaped as penis and that were firm enough to be used as a penetrative sex toys. Chinese women in the 15th century used dildos made of lacquered wood with textured surface.

Probably more interesting is the invention of the vibrator, and the medical philosophy behind it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria#Victorian_era

A physician in 1859 claimed that a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria, which is reasonable considering that one physician cataloged 75 pages of possible symptoms of hysteria and called the list incomplete; almost any ailment could fit the diagnosis. Physicians thought that the stresses associated with modern life caused civilized women to be both more susceptible to nervous disorders and to develop faulty reproductive tracts. In America, such disorders in women reaffirmed that the United States was on par with Europe; one American physician expressed pleasure that the country was ”catching up” to Europe in the prevalence of hysteria.

Rachael P. Maines, author of The Technology of Orgasm: "Hysteria," the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction, has observed that such cases were quite profitable for physicians, since the patients were at no risk of death but needed constant treatment. The only problem was that physicians did not enjoy the tedious task of massage: The technique was difficult for a physician to master and could take hours to achieve "hysterical paroxysm." Referral to midwives, which had been common practice, meant a loss of business for the physician.

A solution was the invention of massage devices, which shortened treatment from hours to minutes, removing the need for midwives and increasing a physician’s treatment capacity. Already at the turn of the century, hydrotherapy devices were available at Bath, and by the mid-19th century, they were popular at many high-profile bathing resorts across Europe and in America. By 1870, a clockwork-driven vibrator was available for physicians. In 1873, the first electromechanical vibrator was used at an asylum in France for the treatment of hysteria.

While physicians of the period acknowledged that the disorder stemmed from sexual dissatisfaction, they seemed unaware of or unwilling to admit the sexual purposes of the devices used to treat it. In fact, the introduction of the speculum was far more controversial than that of the vibrator, perhaps because of its phallic nature.

By the turn of the century, the spread of home electricity brought the vibrator to the consumer market. The appeal of cheaper treatment in the privacy of one’s own home understandably made the vibrator a popular early home appliance. In fact, the electric home vibrator was on the market before many other home appliance ’essentials’: nine years before the electric vacuum cleaner and 10 years before the electric iron. A page from a Sears catalog of home electrical appliances from 1918 includes a portable vibrator with attachments, billed as ”Very useful and satisfactory for home service.”

It is prehistoric - carved from wood, bone, horns, antler; anything. The examples are many. Look up phallus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo#History

The world's oldest known dildo is a siltstone 20-centimeter phallus from the Upper Palaeolithic period 30,000 years ago that was found in Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm Germany. Findings of the archaeologists show that ancient Egyptians used dildos 2500 years ago. Also these sex toys were used by ancient Greeks. A vase with a woman using a dildo depicted on it was found by scientists. This vase was made in the fifth century B.C. First dildos were made of stone, tar, wood and other materials that could be shaped as penis and that were firm enough to be used as a penetrative sex toys. Chinese women in the 15th century used dildos made of lacquered wood with textured surface.

Probably more interesting is the invention of the vibrator, and the medical philosophy behind it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria#Victorian_era

A physician in 1859 claimed that a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria, which is reasonable considering that one physician cataloged 75 pages of possible symptoms of hysteria and called the list incomplete; almost any ailment could fit the diagnosis. Physicians thought that the stresses associated with modern life caused civilized women to be both more susceptible to nervous disorders and to develop faulty reproductive tracts. In America, such disorders in women reaffirmed that the United States was on par with Europe; one American physician expressed pleasure that the country was ”catching up” to Europe in the prevalence of hysteria.

Rachael P. Maines, author of The Technology of Orgasm: "Hysteria," the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction, has observed that such cases were quite profitable for physicians, since the patients were at no risk of death but needed constant treatment. The only problem was that physicians did not enjoy the tedious task of massage: The technique was difficult for a physician to master and could take hours to achieve "hysterical paroxysm." Referral to midwives, which had been common practice, meant a loss of business for the physician.

A solution was the invention of massage devices, which shortened treatment from hours to minutes, removing the need for midwives and increasing a physician’s treatment capacity. Already at the turn of the century, hydrotherapy devices were available at Bath, and by the mid-19th century, they were popular at many high-profile bathing resorts across Europe and in America. By 1870, a clockwork-driven vibrator was available for physicians. In 1873, the first electromechanical vibrator was used at an asylum in France for the treatment of hysteria.

While physicians of the period acknowledged that the disorder stemmed from sexual dissatisfaction, they seemed unaware of or unwilling to admit the sexual purposes of the devices used to treat it. In fact, the introduction of the speculum was far more controversial than that of the vibrator, perhaps because of its phallic nature.

By the turn of the century, the spread of home electricity brought the vibrator to the consumer market. The appeal of cheaper treatment in the privacy of one’s own home understandably made the vibrator a popular early home appliance. In fact, the electric home vibrator was on the market before many other home appliance ’essentials’: nine years before the electric vacuum cleaner and 10 years before the electric iron. A page from a Sears catalog of home electrical appliances from 1918 includes a portable vibrator with attachments, billed as ”Very useful and satisfactory for home service.”

LOL I was going to steer clear of this topic but it has become quite educational... LOL So At one point lovely young women could count on the medical expert-tease of there favorite doctor..to calm their hysteria..LOL LOL..Hmmmmmm..LOL Well, a nice massage sounds good! LOL!

Oh I better skiddattle out of thread as me is blushing! LOL

LOL...I'm so glad I didn't live in the 1800's.  I can't imagine having to go to the doctor for that!  How mortifiying!

[i am bored]

 [xx(]disturbing [xx(]

[tony6789]

lol nic

[Karen W.]

LOL...I'm so glad I didn't live in the 1800's.  I can't imagine having to go to the doctor for that!  How mortifiying!

BOY, You can say that again.. LOL going to the doctor to be "serviced" so to speak..LOL or "cured"... LOL..... Oh my gosh! LOL

[another_someone]

Might I suggest a little hint for people - when the quoted text exceeds the amount of new material you are adding by quite such a margin (worse still, the same text is quoted twice in the same message), it does not help readability.

[Karen W.]

Might I suggest a little hint for people - when the quoted text exceeds the amount of new material you are adding by quite such a margin (worse still, the same text is quoted twice in the same message), it does not help readability.

HEE HEE HEE Your right George I actually thought about that when I quoted it! LOL was not sure how to go about taking just the part I wanted LOL.. I know how was just not in a state of mind (dead tired) to be able to do it correctly! LOL.. Sorry for your poor eyes...I did not know it was quoted twice.. lets see if I can cut it back now that I am rested and awake! LOL

[Karen W.]

ALL done and much better! LOL Hugs George!

[jolly]

Carolyn so basically doctors used to say: ´your suffering from Hysteria lady, and I need to massage you, lay down´

I haven't misread that?

Doctor: "its for your own good lady, now lay down" and I thought Freud was bad.

[Karen W.]

That's about what  I read it to mean.. LOL

[sooyeah]

Reporter: "So are there lots of cases of Hysteria?" - "Well funny you should ask, it is sadly becoming more and more prevalent, take this lady" - "OH DOCTOR! OH DOCTOR!" - "As you can see she is extremely hysterical". "This lady over here has just finished her treatment, as you can see she is now very relaxed and smiling" - "Don't touch me!"

"It is bizare though, the more treatment with give them the worse they get".   

[milkyrain]

Since the days of Plato, women were told that their uterus could wander around there body, strangling them if it crossed their chest and making them ill with hysteria. Hysteria was a strange illness with symptoms which included chronic arousal. To coax the uterus back in place the doctor would massage the women's genitals until paroxysm was reached. When this happened the inflamed uterus released some liquid and the women momentarily lost her breath.
       The amount of procedures was so great that midwives took over this duty performing mostly for widows and chaste women such as nuns. By the 18th century water jets cropped up in spas specially to treat hysteria and vibratory operating theatres were set up so lots of women could be treated at once.
In 1870 a clockwork massager was on the market and 10 years before the electric iron reached peoples homes electric vibrators were sold as regular household appliances. It wasn't until the invention of the porn film that someone caught on.
for more info and pictures see my website;

[milkyrain]

sorry didnt link; newbielink:http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/Hysteria.html [nonactive]

[gerimancht]

I wish to know who it was that invented the dildo?

As you know in 4000 years , the dildo made of stone ,then develop to wood ,glass , but now it is made of soft medical silicone , in any way ,I think A dildo or vibrator is a great gift for friends and lovers alike. In word ,So Many girls and  women are too ashamed or uneducated to ever go out of the way to buy themselves a dildo.
 I received a vibrator as a gift from a friend when I was 17 years old and it was a great introduction to self-exploration. If I had not received the vibrator gift , may not have ever learned to appreciate masturbation.We are sexual beings. Explore! If you like vibrator -woman ,just try ,enjoy this gift ,Really ! I wasn't even that close with the guy who gave it to me but I still like it none the less. A dildo or vibrator is a great gift for any female. If they can't appreciate it or think its weird then they need it even more. Sexuality shouldn't be something we hide as if it is a sin.

<<<<<Spam link removed>>>>>>>

[gerimancht]

I wish to know who it was that invented the dildo?

eve

[Danne]

Eve was the root of all evils, lol.

[gerimancht]

sorry , i am not so clear ,but I think A dildo or vibrator is a great gift for friends and lovers alike. In word ,So Many girls and  women are too ashamed or uneducated to ever go out of the way to buy themselves a dildo.
 I received a vibrator as a gift from a friend when I was 17 years old and it was a great introduction to self-exploration. If I had not received the vibrator gift , may not have ever learned to appreciate masturbation.We are sexual beings. Explore! If you like vibrator -woman ,just try ,enjoy this gift ,Really ! I wasn't even that close with the guy who gave it to me but I still like it none the less. A dildo or vibrator is a great gift for any female. If they can't appreciate it or think its weird then they need it even more. Sexuality shouldn't be something we hide as if it is a sin.
<<<MOD EDIT: Spam link removed, posting spam can lead to a ban>>>

[gerimancht]

I wish to know who it was that invented the dildo?

I have  the old dildo on myself - 7 1/2" about 2" thick stiff be some flexibility. I have no feeling with that one .I look for the new one it is quite thick enough at base needs to be a little tighter to seal off and fit snug not quite as loose. Last item I have is a small  vibrating dildo  to massage my prostrate and make my ass quiver when it is going strong.
<<<MOD EDIT: Spam link removed, posting spam can lead to a ban>>>

[puppypower]

I don't think any one person invented the dildo, but rather it was invented, independently, on many occasions, over the course of history, using sensory expectation and personality firmware. Sexuality is driven by firmware in the brain which is why it is so spontaneous and compulsive. When such firmware is active, it anticipates the future based on the needs of the firmware. Sensory expectation is connected to the need that forms in the imagination, needing to overlap with the sensory systems to compete the anticipated connection.

For example, say you were lost in the woods and became hungry over several days. Your instincts and hunger based firmware will kick in so images of food will appear in your mind. You will then start to look around the environment trying to superimpose the things in the environment, with the sensory expectations in your imagination. If there is even a rough overlap you will sample it for food. One will not pick up rocks, because this is not part of the sensory expectation.

In the case of the dildo, a woman with a strong urge for sex, possibly in a socially taboo setting where certain natural expectations may not apply, may seek phallic object since this might overlap the limited sensory expectation. This natural action allows the dildo to be invented, anew, to satisfy the need. Variety is based on the creative fit that often accompanies sensory expectation.

In modern culture, the creative sensory expectation will invent new styles and attempt to induce sensory expectation so people will buy it.

[syhprum]

These old tales of witches riding broomsticks surely apply to women sitting astride brooms for sexual stimulation, I am always amused by the prudery of Disney films which depict witches riding their brooms side saddle

[Steve_]

Has anyone watched the new series Amazon Prime, This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy.  Kal Penn had a segment in there where they visited a dildo factory -- looks like they're doing some great business.  The question I have... what kind of demand for dildos exists? It seems like a product that once you have one... you probably won't need another one for 10+ years.... I would think.  I'm sure the inventor could be traced back to ancient times... just think of the illustrations in Pompeii.