002 In the Next Room program

Creator

Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Preview

Identifier

ITNR Program_Page_03

Creation Date

2-2018

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Theatre and Performance Studies

Description

ON THE PLAY AND ITS WORLD

The Technology of the Orgasm by Rachel Maines, one of Sarah Ruhl’s inspirations for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), outlines the role of Saratoga Springs, New York in the development of paroxysm as treatment for the now-obsolete diagnosis of “hysteria” in the United States. In the early 19th century, the presence of several mineral springs made Saratoga Springs a destination for many North Easterners (and some from greater distances) seeking the healing properties of the water. Mineral spring bathing has been valued for centuries for its restorative potential, predating the Roman baths.

The perceived benefits of hydrotherapy specifically for hysteria is a more recent development. In 18th century Europe, the use of pumped water to generate paroxysms was becoming common. By the mid-19th century, sexual stimulation through pumped water had reached fad status. In some areas, including Saratoga Springs, some physicians were known to forego the mechanical pump and accompany their patients to the nearest river, where the naturally flowing water could generate stimulation.

For several centuries before pumped water was used to generate paroxyms, physicians used manual massage to generate paroxysms in patients but they generally loathed this method, as it was time consuming and tiring. Manual stimulation was generally not good business for doctors because they could see only a small number of patients each day. Some doctors assigned this chore to a nurse or midwife. For physicians with access to machinery and plentiful water, the pumped water method was considerably more desirable than the manual method.

However, in the late 19th century, as electricity become available in homes and businesses, several medical-grade vibrators become available for physicians to use in their practice. Paroxysm could be achieved in minutes, meaning doctors could see many, many patients in a single day. For some doctors, treating “hysterical” patients with a vibrator could be quite lucrative. The use of vibrators in clinical settings was relatively short-lived. Sarah Ruhl sets the play in the 1880s, after household lighting became available in 1876 but before 1899, when vibrators became commercially available for home use (preceding the availability of electric irons and vacuum cleaners).

Publisher

Arkansas State University

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.