General Chat

"No"

and

Quinnine as far as I remember my grandmother telling me.

Her aunt gave her some quinnine tablets to take after she got married and they were "in case anything happened too soon"

Well apparently the tablets were in the drawer for years and years because my granny didn't know what she meant but ironically, they only managed to have one child after many years of hoping.

When she found out what the tablets had been for she was a bit shocked and annoyed!

I haven't heard of this anywhere else though.

I remember my ex f-i-l referring to condoms as "French safes", I also remember being told that the best contraceptive was the word "no".
I was given "the pill" when I married in 1965, it was quite new then.
mary

They Invented Contraception in "The Stone Age",It was Called " An Axe ".:o))>**M**>pmsl.

saving it for a special occasion are you Laptop Dancer?

In 'The Story of Civilisation' by Will Durant, there is references to contraception, abortion & infanticide as far back as AD.215.

Nothing really changes, don't you think?

Think I've still got an original condom in my wallet !

Durex was the name of selotape in Australia.
My brother is out there.

Marion

Seeing the joke reminds me of this old one.

At a big Dinner/Dance. Mr and Mrs Rendall,(the maker of pessaries) was there with Mr and Mrs Kayser Bonder( The nylon stocking king)

Mr Kayser Bonder reprimanded his wife for having a ladder in her stocking, saying, what does it do for me, I am the biggest manufacturer of stockings.

Mrs Kayser Bonder replied, well what does that make the Rendalls, look at them with their 15 children.

I'm sure I've heard men talking on TV about an early (possibly leather) condom known as a 'Geronimo'.

maggie

great - love it!!!

Time for a joke, methinks, if it upsets, then pm me and i will do the necessary

Two builders (Phil and Eric) sat either side of a table in a rough pub when a well-dressed man enters, orders a beer and sits on a stool at the bar.

The two builders start to speculate about the occupation of the suit.

Phil:I reckon he's an accountant.
Eric:No way - he's a stockbroker.
Phil:He ain't no stockbroker! A stockbroker wouldn't come in here!

The argument repeats itself for some time until the volume of beer gets the better of Phil and he makes for the toilet.

On entering the toilet he sees that the suit is standing at a urinal. Curiosity and the several beers get the better of the builder.

Phil:'Scuse me, no offence meant, but me and me mate were wondering what you do for a living?

Suit:No offence taken! I'm a Logical Scientist by profession.

Phil:Oh! What's that then?

Suit:I'll try to explain by example... Do you have a goldfish at home?

Phil:Er... mmm . well yeah, I do as it happens!

Suit: Well, it's logical to follow that you keep it in a bowl or in a pond. Which is it?

Phil:It's in a pond!

Suit:Well then it's reasonable to suppose that you have a large garden then?

Phil:As it happens, yes I have got a big garden!

Suit:Well then it's logical to assume that in this town if you have a large garden then you have a large house?

Phil:As it happens I've got a five-bedroom house...built it myself!

Suit:Well given that you've built a five-bedroom house it is logical to assume that you haven't built it just for yourself and that you are quite probably married?

Phil:Yes I am married, I live with my wife and three children.

Suit:Well then it is logical to assume that you are sexually active with your wife on a regular basis?

Phil:Yep! Four nights a week!

Suit:Well then it is logical to suggest that you do not masturbate very often?

Phil:Me? Never.

Suit: Well there you are! That's logical science at work!

Phil:How's that then?

Suit:Well from finding out that you had a goldfish, I've told you your sex life!

Phil:I see! That's pretty impressive...thanks mate!

Both leave the toilet and Phil returns to his mate.

Eric:I see the suit was in there. Did you ask him what he does?

Phil:Yep! He's a logical scientist!

Eric:What's that then?

Phil:I'll try and explain. Do you have a goldfish?

Eric:Nope.

Phil:

Well then, you're a wa**er.

Bob


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I expect Google will give loads of info on this subject, but I read that in Roman Britain, male contraceptives were made of soft leather, then easily washed etc etc.
We use the phrase "french letter" ab lib, but here in France, it is called a "capote anglais" which not having a dictionary to hand means an "english hood" roughly speaking. A preservative is the general word for a male contraceptive in shops, so any unwary Brit going into a "Do it yourself " shop and asking for wood preservative, will get a funny look. Or bark, perhaps, no just joking.
I am gobsmacked that this subject can be aired so easily on here, can you imagine it happening 20, 30, 50 years ago. Mrs Whitehouse would have had a fit. Keep this going, we're learning summat, Derek in France

Gynomin was a spermicidal pessary too

Condoms were known as French Letters,

Rendells Pessaries were made of Quinine,

Dutch Caps were also used.(I believe all the Debutantes were fitted with these, before being presented at Court and doing the Season,from articles I have read)

Rubber Sponges soaked in spermicide with a ribbon attached(similar to a tampon)

Ann
It was Rendells pessaries. Mum said she got let down with them in 1939 and the result was my next sister down

Shirley

tree bark!!! OMG, what pain

Somewhere in the mess on this desk is a trivia book that says that Samuri Warriors of Ancient Japan used to use condoms made of a certain type of tree bark.

Michelle

you might find this interesting: http://home.snu.edu/~dwilliam/f97projects/contraception/history.htm

Apparently the Egyptians wore condoms made of fabric but it was to protect them from insect bites not as contraceptives.

"Other oral contraceptives included urine and animal parts along with mercury, arsenic, or strychnine."

well that would certainly do it!

http://www.avert.org/condoms.htm charts the history of the condom as it developed over the millenia.

And now I'm strangely fascinated as I had no idea the condom had been around that long lol.

I think a lot of women used it because men generally say they don't like wearing condoms - comments like "wearing your socks to have a bath" springs to mind!!

Oh my gosh Bob and Ann never knew there was a pessary, i bet lots on here never knew too.