One of the boons in the 19th century for seamstresses as well as for clothing manufacturers was the invention of the treadle sewing machine--a device similar to modern sewing machines except that it was powered not by electricity but instead by the operator using her foot (or feet) to pump a pedal up and down.
While this made sewing much easier and faster than doing it by hand, it purportedly had a deleterious effect on the operator, as reported in the British Medical Journal on January 12, 1867. According to the author of the article, Dr. Langdon H. Down, MD, seamstresses were being overcome by the various ills associated with masturbation--all as a result of the operator receiving sexual stimulation from her legs rubbing together during the use of the machine. To Dr. Down's credit, he specifically rejected genital mutilation as a cure for this problem. He proposed instead a regimen of pouring cold water on the patient, administering potassium bromide and iron salts, outdoor exercise, and finding a different line of work for the patient in order to combat this serious medical condition.
Perhaps in an effort to circumvent claims under the then new worker's compensation laws, some clothing factories purportedly put bromide in the drinking water of their female employees and hired supervisors to make sure that the seamstresses were not operating their machines "too fast."
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| By Vincent de Groot - http://www.videgro.net (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons |
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