Contraception: Civil War Style

[Kim M.]

Sorry for taking so long to respond, but thank you, Zou. Yes, the 25% premarital pregnancy rate comes from Dr. Lowry's book. His source is Daniel S. Smith, "The American Sexual Revolution--Evidence and Interpretation," in The American Family in Social--Historical Perspective, ed. Michael Gordon (New York: St. Martins, 1978), 426.

And Zou's example is exactly how historians and sociologists determine the premarital pregnancy rate by painstakingly combing through the marriage and birth records. Of course, that percentage doesn't include the number of abortions, which no matter how people feel about it now, had quite a high rate during the era.

[MsReese]

I just read a book entitled Mothers of Invention, which was all about Southern slaveholding women during the war, and even in that book they breach the topic of contraceptives. Quoting many women's diaries on how they were terrified of becoming pregnant during the war, for some of them it was thier worst fear for several reasons, They didn't want any more children or any at all while their husbands were away, they couldn't support them, they were afraid of dying and so many more reasons. Its quite fascinating to read this kind of information, I would suggest anyone interested should pick up a copy of one of their diaries there are many out there, its one of the only ways one can truly understand their opinions and such.

BTW Kim, very fascinating article, I'm glad I had the chance to read it.

[jenna]

In the most recent edition of the Citizen's Companion, they had an article posted in there that was originally from a publication from 1860. My friend and I have had a good laugh over what they believed, and can't imagin how any of us got here with their thought processes of the time. Here is a little from the article:

"There is no question but that association between persons properly adapted to each other is less exhaustive, and may be more frequently indulged, than between those who are naturally unfitted to be companions. And it is also certain that the circumstances under which the association occurs may very much determin the effect it will have. It is requisite, for the act to be truly pleasurable and advantageous, that it should be fully approved both by the feelings and the judgment, otherwise it will be more or less regretted, and more or less injury will follow, no matter what amount of mere animal gratification be experienced. This is the reason why mere licentious debauchery is always followed by remorse, and ill health, while legitimate association with marriage, with a loved and respecited partner leads to no such evil results. ........Another important requisite for the healthy action an dextended duration of the sexual power, in both, it a near correspondence in age. Experience has proced deyond doubt that when there is great disparity of age, in marriage, the elder person is nearly sure to benefit at the expence of the younger, sometimes even sufficiently to compensate for the loss resulting from great excess. This fact was acted upon meidcally in former times, and is now even, in some countries, by procuring young females to sleep with old men, so that they may be strenghened thereby, which they nearly always are, though the females suffer in corresponding loss, and not infrequently waste and die in consequence. Such unnatural practices are therefore properly dicountenanced now, both by reason and morality, though we sometimes see a near approach to them in marriage. It is even known that when children sleep with old persons they suffer from it and sometimes even die, withou the causes of their sickness being suspected. In all probability young men who marry old females suffer in the same way, and to an equal extent providing they are as exclusive in their companionship, but there are many causes that may make it otherwise in thier case."

From: The Marriage Guide, or Natural History of Generation; A Private Instrucion For Married Persons and Those About To Marry

By Frederick Hollick, M.D.

Like I said, crazy thoughts!

Jenna