Sheila_Newhouse

The treadle sewing machine could produce "morbid effects" warned the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal in 1871.

"Two young women, sisters, who, in consequence of the prolonged use of the sewing machine, were made sick, the one with metritis, the other with a very rapid development of an ovarian tumor. In these two apparently dissimilar cases, two different diseases sprang from the same cause, which had produced in each a congested state of the inter-pelvic ovaries. It is in fact by the production of a permanent congested state of the generative system that the use of the sewing machine brings about the most injurious and most undeniable morbid effects."

GagaSmith

Really unbelievable. LOL

QuiltingHaven

Oh, is that funny or what????

Dina

Unbelievable... I am just shaking my head.

Dina

nanna-up-north

Oh my!! I learned to sew on my grandmother's treadle so many years ago...... my mom used it before me and will be 93 in a couple of months. I still own a treadle..... guess I'd better be careful.... don't want any horrible diseases from using it.

My laughing so hard will probably cause more damage.....

tessagin

That is kind of what they have said about haircolor all these years. Some people grab the wrong color! I mean have you seen some of the different people with multi-color hair. LOL! It 's almost as bad as when I was told never to raise my arms above my head when I was pregnant. Who else was going to come to our houses and hang our laundry on the line. Anyone else have any more myths to add that were just myths.

Peckish

I remember seeing something from that era that warned of women becoming sexually dysfunctional because of the rhythmic motion of the treadle. Good grief.

nativetexan

Wow, the things they could come up with!!! Oh I heard the never raise your arms above your head thing. I tried not to do that!!

barny

Don't cross your eyes or they may freeze that way.LOL

lynnie

and back then, cigarettes were good for you.