When in college, I did a certificate thesis comparing two treatments for "hysteria" during the nineteenth century.
One, the Rest Cure, brought these sensitive, artistic, intelligent women together into a supportive environment away from the demands of being the Perfect Wife and Mother.
The other, led by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell as the medical profession shifted toward being a male-only, authoritarian area, enforced bed rest and heavy eating to "restore the fat and blood," and absolute restrictions on reading, interacting with others, or anything else that might express a personality.
For some reason, this post reminded me strongly of that.
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mmmag
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Date: 2008-09-17 04:33 pm (UTC)One, the Rest Cure, brought these sensitive, artistic, intelligent women together into a supportive environment away from the demands of being the Perfect Wife and Mother.
The other, led by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell as the medical profession shifted toward being a male-only, authoritarian area, enforced bed rest and heavy eating to "restore the fat and blood," and absolute restrictions on reading, interacting with others, or anything else that might express a personality.
For some reason, this post reminded me strongly of that.