|
|
     |
|
|
|
by Mahi Palanisami
Crocodile dung and condoms don't have much in common, but at one time they were both used as contraceptives. Because of the demand for controlling reproduction, people from all historical periods have actively contributed to the search for preventing or terminating pregnancies. Hundreds of natural methods that may prevent conception or cause miscarriages are found in medical lore. We've put together a brief description of some of the most unconventional methods we've found. Although modern science has never proved or disproved their effectiveness, medical researchers agree that these far-fetched techniques could be risky or even dangerous. So although you may be tempted, don't try them at home...
Crocodile dung, 1850 B.C.
The use of crocodile dung as a contraceptive dates back to 1850 B.C. from the Egyptian Kahun Medical Papyrus. These texts contain the oldest recorded information about birth control. Crocodile dung mixed with a paste-like substance was a suppository, or solid that was placed and melted in the vagina. The mixture was effective either by acting as physical barrier against sperm or by altering the pH to a level lethal to sperm. Other North African countries used elephant dung as a contraceptive.
Silphium, 600-400 B.C.
Silphium was so popular as a contraceptive and abortifacient, that it became extinct 300 years after its discovery. Silphium was the main source of income in the North African city-state called Cyrene, because it was one of the only regions where it could be grown. Due to the plant's perceived effectiveness, demand was high, and it was shipped and sold to countries surrounding the Mediterranean. Silphium became the official symbol of Cyrene and can be found stamped on Cyrenian coins. Research today has shown plants related to silphium can stop rodents from conceiving by prevent fertilized eggs from implanting on to the uterus wall.
Pennyroyal, 421 B.C.
Pennyroyal, a type of mint, spans the ages for its use as a contraceptive and abortifacient. It dates back to Athens, Greece, in 421 B.C. In Aristophenes' play, Peace, a man is advised to used pennyroyal to prevent a pregnancy after his marriage. Nirvana wrote a song titled "Pennyroyal Tea", which highlights the contraceptive.
Pennyroyal is easy to obtain, because it grows wild in the Appalachian mountains. It is often sold in stores in a powder or oil form. The proper way to use the herb as an abortifacient seems to be forgotten. Some women have safely ingested the herb in quantities that separate the fetus from the uterus and go through the motions of contractions to expel the fetus from the body. However, other women have died, experienced liver damage, or suffered other problems as a result of its use.
Goat bladders and other male contraceptives
Throughout history, many people have tried to prevent pregnancies without using contraceptives. The Kama Sutra, an ancient Indian text, refers to two physical methods to avoid pregnancy: coitus reservatus and coitus obstructus. In coitus reservatus, an effort is made to refrain from ejaculating. In coitus obstructus, the base of the penis is squeezed and the semen is ejaculated into a bladder where it can be disposed.
More effective than physical restraint and most familiar today are condoms. Historical evidence of condoms can be found all over the world. Renaissance literature records the use of goat bladders, while Renaissance slaughterhouse workers used sausage skin. During the 1870s, "kabutoga" or tortorise shell condoms were used in Japan. The modern day rubber condom was invented in 1880 to prevent pregnancies and the spread of disease.
