Electricity applied in a "strictly scientific manner"
I recently began a fun Twitter project, tweeting tidbits from American Jewess, the first English-language publication directed to American Jewish women (and this blog's namesake), edited by the original Jewess, Rosa Sonneschein. Today I came across this ad from the October 1895 issue, and almost fell out of my chair.

"Dr. A. Owen's Electric Belt gives a mild, continuous current of electricity, applied in a strictly scientific manner. Ladies, in particular, find it a sure and certain cure for all kinds of nervous troubles."
Hmm... a vibrating belt marketed to women to cure all kinds of "nervous troubles" ... You can make your own conclusions, but I bet a product like this would take off in Alabama, where the State Supreme Court recently upheld a ban on sex toys.
You can follow Rosa Sonneschein on Twitter for more tidbits from American Jewess, learn about the American Jewess research project, or browse the October issue here.
How to cite this page
Berkenwald, Leah. "Electricity applied in a "strictly scientific manner"." 2 October 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on October 2, 2023) <https://jwa.org/blog/electric-belt>.