A Short History of Female Sanitary Care

The Sanitary towel as we now know it is a relatively recent innovation. But the problems of “the monthly cycle” of course started with Eve in the Garden of Eden. What she did we can only guess, but there appears to be evidence of ladies turning to anything from grass to lambs wool, but in more modern times well, in the last couple of hundred years, such as wood shavings were “poulticed” on, no doubt with the likely discomfort that may have caused.

Then as the paper industry became evident, cotton wool or wood pulp turned into paper, sometimes kept in place by a “chastity belt” contraption became available. But these were not either cheap or easily available so bits of rag remained in use for many. But problems of holding in place” were the least of most worries.

Turning to today’s sanitary towels, up until the middle of the 20th Century the absorbent pad was held in place in a stringed “jock strap” affair. Then, with the addition of the adhesive strip put on the back to adhere to tight fitting underwear, as recent as the late 1980’s, the towel we know today came into being.

The tampon also had a Mid Eastern origin, if some reports are to be believed. Wikipedia tells us that as far back as 15th Century BC, yes, BC, the Egyptians either used pulped papyrus and the Romans a roll of wool. The Japanese used rolls of paper and these continued up until the 18th Century when an antiseptic* device was first used, that also helped stem bullet wounds.

Then around the 1930’s a famous brand started to arrive in America and quickly spread worldwide in developed countries. Meanwhile the “3rd. world” ladies are still struggling on with whatever they can use thanks to the pricing structure currently in place.

• Why the asterisk? See my next article!

John Osborne is a self-trained Naturopath with over 35 years of experience. Of an engineering formation, he looks at the root causes of people’s problems to discover the “why” rather than the “visible”. Using all forms of a natural approach, John includes phototherapy, homeopathy and aromatherapy among the means of aiding people to find a solution to their problems. John is not a doctor, so cannot diagnose, but works with the leading authorities in the world on the natural ways to cure serious illness.. His advice is given free and he is readily contactable via his website Remede Naturel.