item details
NameIngram's 'Eclipse' Whirling Spray vaginal syringe
ProductionIngram's; manufacturer(s); 1930s; United Kingdom
Classificationdouche
Materialsrubber
Techniquesmolding
DimensionsOverall: 82mm (width), 257mm (height), 80mm (depth)
Registration NumberGH012066/1
Credit lineGift of Christopher Cape, 2008
Overview
This rubber ‘syringe’, with its squeezable red bulb, was used as a vaginal douche.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many women douched after sex. They used water or a spermicidal solution such as lemon juice, vinegar, soapy water, alum, or quinine. The aim was to prevent pregnancy – but sperm tended to reach their goal before they could be flushed away.