Douches and pessaries

Spermicides (substances that kill sperm) were developed in the 1600s. Anthony van Leeuwenhoek, who was one of the first people to make and use microscopes, discovered the existence of sperm in semen and called them 'Animacula'. This led him and others to experiment with substances that affected the sperm.

By the end of the 1800s women were using spermicide solutions for douching, such as soapy water, weak vinegar and various other chemicals, some of which would have been very harsh.
Another form of spermicide was soluble pessaries, or tablets, inserted into the vagina before intercourse. Women could make these themselves from simple ingredients sold at chemists, such as quinine and cocoa butter.

There were also many proprietary brands. One that was particularly well known was WJ Rendell's quinine tablets, Wife's Friend, which he first manufactured in England in the 1880s. Spermicidal tablets and douches continued to be improved and used by women as an inexpensive and reasonably reliable form of contraception until well into the 20th century.

Widow Welch Pills, a well-known brand of 'women's medicine'. Powerhouse Museum collection.

A woman's box of 'things' from the 1930s, containing a rubber douche and home-made spermicidal pessaries. Powerhouse Museum collection.

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