In the early 1900s, the most popular contraceptive douche was Lysol, formulated with cresol, a compound that caused inflammation, burning, even death. It was nevertheless aggressively marketed to women as safe and gentle for maintaining “dainty feminine allure.” By 1911 doctors had recorded 193 Lysol poisonings and five deaths from uterine irrigation. Read more about the hazards of women’s health care 100 years ago in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).
