New topic
Printable| Author | Message |
Contraception on Display Museum Puts Contraception on Display
CLEVELAND - Rows of cervical caps huddle like a little village of igloos. A wide array of condoms are near douches. The items are part of The History of Contraception Museum, which has become the latest addition to the Dittrick Medical History Center at Case Western Reserve University. More than 650 items make up what is described as the only collection of its kind in the world, representing the often creative practices and products devised in the hope of preventing unwanted pregnancies. Where items are not available for show, words explain. In ancient Egypt, crocodile dung was employed as a suppository before intercourse. Beaver-testicle tea was brewed by Canadian women, interested in prevention. The collection includes some 350 intrauterine devices bearing such exotic names as the "Russian Cross," "Butterfly," Supercoil," "Sea Tangle Tent" and the ominous "10 Armed Device." Percy Skuy, 72, of Toronto, a retired Canadian pharmacist, spent nearly 40 years assembling the museum. The items were largely donated by medical professionals and family planning services, or are re-creations of historical contraceptive devices. Three years ago, Skuy started searching for a site that could offer a permanent home for the museum with sufficient staffing, public access and an educational/academic component. He found all his criteria met at Dittrick, a museum and library dedicated to medical history. James Edmonson, Dittrick's chief curator, said the History of Contraception Museum "embodies social history, ethical issues, medical concerns and womens' issues." Edmonson noted that the collection also has 150 reference books. On the nonacademic side, Edmonson conceded there can be an initial "giggle factor." He said the collection shows that people have been imagining means of conception for more than 2,000 years. "It transcends society's religions and cultures," he said. "There's a universality about it that's intriguing." | |
- E-mail - orgNote -  Report post to moderator |
 moooooooooooo! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
| Moderator |
This I wanna see a picture of. In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular. |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
i am so there.  | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Sweeny79 said: This I wanna see a picture of.
me too  | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |