Veronica's Love Secrets
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Wax phalli and comparable contrivances were common in Europe at the time of the Renaissance, reaching their height of popularity in eighteenth-century France. A notable description of one is given by Mirabeau in his Le Rideau Leve, ou l'Education de Laure (1786) where there is a detailed account of a silver artefact resembling in detail the natural penis. The artefact is made of silver, and it is hollow and varnished. Inside there is a narrow tube into which a piston is fitted. The outer space is filled with water warmed to blood heat, the inner tube having a solution to which the heat of the water is communicated. Some godemiches have small rubber spikes or points, thus increasing the friction.from Human Robots in Myth and Science by John Cohen, 1966
Open nearly any adult magazine and you'll see ads promoting every kind of sex toy imaginable, as well as penis developers and aphrodisiacs. Do these items really function as claimed? In the following article I hope to give you some pointers about shopping for sex toys and aphrodisiacs. The ads appearing in this page are real ones, taken from adult magazines. I've masked the address of the advertiser; if you're really interested in these products you can easily find them for sale in magazines and on the Internet. Ads are reproduced under the fair use doctrine of copyright law which allows for reproduction of copyright materials for criticism, commentary and education use.
First, about penis developers. Do they work? As of yet, no one has come up with a non-surgical method of increasing the size of the
penis. To understand why this is true, let's look at how the penis functions. The part of the penis that determines length are the two cylindrical shaped masses of tissue, the corpus cavernous, that run the length of the
penis and are anchored to the pubic bone with a ligament. These two cylinders are enclosed in a tough, fiberous tissue called
fascia. This fascial sheath controls the ultimate size of the penis at erection. It is impossible to increase the size of the penis by vacuum,
exercise or other non-surgical methods. If part of the fascia is damaged or removed it does not grow back. The corpus cavernous is NOT muscle and
does NOT respond to exercise; developers that claim to work through exercise will not deliver on their claim. At present, severing the ligament to lengthen the penis and adding fat (by injection) to increase the diameter
of penis are the only methods which seem to work. For the penis that has become smaller due to arterial blockages, pressurization of the corpus cavernous tissues with saline solution appears to restore
erectile function. Other than surgery, increasing penis size seems to be futile. In short, you're stuck with the size of penis you were born with, so don't be fooled by false claims.
Penis prothetics, also called penis supplements or penis extenders are another item often seen in adult magazines. These items are of latex or plastic and fit over the end of the penis. These are supposed to increase the pleasure of the woman, by making the penis larger. The most apparent problem with these devices is the decrease in sensitivity for the man. As well, these devices in general do not increase the pleasure for the woman. Women get most of their sexual pleasure through direct or indirect stimulation of the clitoris, labia minora and associated structures. Vaginal stimulation with the penis acts on the levator ani muscle to tug and pull at the clitoris. There is evidence to suggest that the outer third of the vagina is the most sensitive and this is where the major muscles that control the vagina are located. An average vagina is only about 8cm long; the range being from 4cm to 14cm. During intercourse, the vagina lengthens and the expansion of the labia adds some apparent length to it also. The vagina has a great amount of potential for expansion and by the same token can accomodate a small penis quite snuggly. Penis prothetics won't hurt you, but they won't make you a better lover either.
Breast enhancers and deveopers have been sold for years through magazine ads and now over the Internet. Some of these appear in the image to the right. Do these
developers, usually in pills and creams, work? The Food and Drug Adminstration says NO. You can read what they say
about breast developers at Quackery Targets Teens by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Consumer
About vibrators; there are two kinds, battery powered and AC powered. In our informal survey of vibrators I found that the battery powered ones were cheaply and poorly built. Variable speed models use a resistance speed control which is very wasteful of electricity (and batteries) and tended to wear out quite quickly. Battery powered models usually use a motor which rotates an off-center weight causing the vibrations. Varying the speed of the motor varies the vibration.
AC (alternating current) vibrators usually use a vibrating coil that vibrates at the frequency of the power line (60 times per second in the U.S. and Canada, 50 times per second in Britain). These vibrators are usually larger, heavier and of better construction than the battery powered ones. The power cord does cause problems; it's usually TOO short and always in the way. NEVER use an AC powered vibrator in the shower, bathtub or around water; a malfunction could be deadly.
Other sex toys? Well, most of them won't hurt you but you still have to be careful. Never operate any toy with a battery eliminator that plugs into the wall. Many battery operated toys are cheaply made, shock protection is minimal and you could be in for an unexpected surprise. Take sex toys for what they are, an adjunct to a healthy sex life and you won't be disappointed. For information on currently available sex toys see my links page under "Sexuality & Relationships" and "Differently-abled Resources" headings for suppliers of these toys. Please note that these links are for information purposes only and I do not necessarily recommend these suppliers. To see some of the sex toys that have been patented in the U.S.A., including the first patented electric vibrator from 1912, and a battery-powered vibrator click here for the Sex Patents .pdf file.
Lets turn our attention to aphrodisiacs. An aphrodisiac is a substance which arouses sexual desire. The name aphrodisiac comes from the Greek god
Aphrodite who was the god of love and beauty. Throughout the ages many substances have claimed to be aphrodisiacs. One of the oldest claimed
aphrodisiacs is the mandrake root, in use since the third century B.C. and well into the seventeenth century. In medieval times dogs were used to
harvest the mandrake. An illustration of the mandrake plant appears to the right.
Many myths and legends are associated with the mandrake; that it grows where men are hanged, that it screams when you pull it from the ground and many other tales. The plant is a member of the nightshade family and contains powerful and toxic substances. Scopolamine is the main active drug found in the mandrake; it has hallucinogenic effects and as mentioned is extremely toxic. The user of mandrake loses all sense of reality and falls into a deep sleep in which hallucinations occur. As for the claims of being an aphrodisiac, it isn't.
One of the most famous (supposed) aphrodisiacs that you hear about is Spanish Fly. True Spanish Fly is prepared from a Spanish beetle (genus Cantharis or Mylabris and the Lytta vesicatoria) that is dried and ground to a powder. This powder will produce an ejaculation but the mechanism it uses is not very pleasant. Spanish Fly is a cantharide or blistering agent which works by irritating the urethra and causing the ejaculation. It is highly toxic; the fatal dose being only 32mg (that's MILLIGRAMS). Some of the side effects are vomiting, diarrhoea, severe cramping and convulsions. Kidney damage, shock and death are the end result.
Several companies market substances which are labelled "Spanish Fly Formula" or "Spanish Liquid" as in the examples to the left. In many cases the main ingredient of these formulas is cayenne pepper.
The best advice is to stay away from anything marked Spanish Fly. At best you won't get what you paid for, at worst you can suffer permanent physical damage.
Other substances that claim to be aphrodisiacs include oysters, ginseng, powdered rino horn, cocaine and alcohol. Do these items work? No; none have been proven to work. Oysters and ginseng are fairly harmless, if taken in moderation, and may improve your overall health. About rino horn; it's expensive, difficult to find and the physiological effects are not known. Cocaine is often touted as an aphrodisiac, but aside from it being an illegal drug, it has side effects which include paranoia. Cocaine has not been demonstrated to increase the libedo, so no claim for aphrodisiac status can be supported. Alcohol is NOT an aphrodisiac. In small quantities, alcohol may relax the individual, but in larger amounts alcohol will actually impede sexual performance.
Some companies market aphrodisiacs and include in their ads the word placebo. If you didn't know, and apparently many people don't, the word placebo refers to any neutral substance given to humour a patient. Placebos are quite often given to those with psychosomatic illnesses. What these ads are saying is that the product being sold has no physiological effect. Any effect occur entirely within the mind of the user.
Another word I've noted in ads recently (along with or in place of placebo) is "spurious". This word means not genuine. In other words a fake.
This brings us to the question: Are there any true aphrodisiacs? One substance that thas been discovered to increase sexual desire in women is the male sex hormone, testosterone. When used to treat some conditions (i.e. hormonal imbalances) physicians have noticed an increased libedo. Before you rush out to get some be aware of several things. First, this is an expensive, controlled drug; you need to be a doctor to get it. Second, it has some side effects which outweigh any advantages; remember, this is a MALE sex hormone. Finally, the increase in libedo is small, the woman won't turn into a sex maniac. For more information about aphrodisiacs see the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website consumer magazine (January-February 1996) for an article on aphrodisiacs.
There are some other drugs used by doctors to treat different types of sexual problems. These drugs including yohimbine are used to treat specific physical problems and must be given in carefully controlled doses. Also, all drugs have side effects and in fixing one problem may create others. Viagra and other similar drugs are used to treat the medical condition of erectile dysfunction. These drugs help you to get an erection if you're arroused. They DON'T increase the libedo. At the present time, there are no known true aphrodisiacs.
One final word of advice; whenever you're purchasing a sex toy or anything else to do with sex follow the rule caveat emptor. For more information about Aphrodisiacs, especially classical plant-based ones, I recommend the following two references:
"Aphrodisiacs: The Science and the Myth" by Peter V. Taberner, published by Croom Helm Ltd., Kent, U.K., 1985
"Plants of the gods: Origins of hallucinogenic use" by Richard Evans Schultes, published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Maidenhead, England, 1979