← All of Himeka's Erotic Trivia
The condom started out as linen with a ribbon on top
That thin little rubber wasn't even rubber at first. It went from a medicated cloth pouch, to caps made of horn, to animal gut, and finally to latex.
MaiHimeka-san! Condoms were invented by a guy named Mr. Condo, right!? The guy who builds condos! The names totally match! I know this for a fact!
Himeka...Sigh. They just sound alike. Leave the poor real-estate people out of it. ...Well, I suppose English does have a made-up story along those lines.
HimekaBy the early 18th century, people were saying a "Dr. Condom" in the circle of England's King Charles II came up with it. But there's no proof that man ever existed, and condoms were in use more than 100 years before Charles even took the throne. The origin of the word is still "unknown."
MaiWhaaat, there's no doctor either!? Then who made the first one!?
HimekaWhether the ancients used them is debated, so nobody can say for sure. The oldest solid record comes from Falloppio, a 16th-century Italian anatomist. In a 1564 book on syphilis, he recommended a linen pouch soaked in a medicinal solution, slipped over the tip and tied on with a ribbon. He claimed he tested it on 1100 men and not one caught the disease.
MaiA ribbon!? That's so cute! It's gift-wrapped!
HimekaTHAT's your takeaway!? ...By the way, Japan had helmet-shaped caps for just the tip, made of tortoiseshell or animal horn. Later, Dutch traders brought in fine leather ones that covered the whole thing.
MaiA helmet!? Made of HORN!? That's way too hard, and not in the fun way! It'd hurt! Hard pass!
Himeka...For once, I agree. In the 17th and 18th centuries, "skins" made from treated animal intestine or bladder caught on. Casanova supposedly blew his up before use, just to check for holes.
HimekaWhat changed everything was rubber. The first rubber one was made in 1855, and in the 1920s thinner, stronger latex arrived. Rubber kept for about three months; latex, five years. And they're still used for both birth control and protection against sexually transmitted infections.
MaiWhoa~! Then I'm gonna blow mine up like Mr. Casanova and use them as party balloons!
HimekaYou are NOT!! Checking for holes and playing with them are two different things! ...Honestly, every time I teach you something, you derail it at the very end.
Himeka's summary
- Where the word "condom" comes from is unknown. The story that a "Dr. Condom" close to King Charles II invented it has no evidence that he ever existed.
- The oldest undisputed description is Falloppio's, in his 1564 book on syphilis: a linen pouch soaked in a medicinal solution, placed over the tip and tied on with a ribbon.
- Japan had helmet-shaped caps made of tortoiseshell or animal horn; later, Dutch traders brought in leather ones.
- The first rubber condom appeared in 1855, and latex ones in the 1920s. Latex was thinner, stronger and kept far longer.
Sources
General trivia only. For anything that needs a medical call, talk to a doctor. All characters are adults.
Translated from the Japanese original. Sources are unchanged.