Fainting couch
Encyclopedia
A fainting couch is a couch
with a back that is traditionally raised at one end. The back may be situated completely at one side of the couch, or may wrap around and extend the entire length of the piece much like a traditional couch. However, fainting couches are easily differentiated from more traditional couches, having one end of the back raised.
Fainting couches were popular in the 19th century, and were particularly used by women.
Some houses would take this to the level of having separate fainting room
s, where these couches would be the featured furniture.
Couch
A couch, also called a sofa, is an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person, and providing support for the back and arms. Typically, it will have an armrest on either side. In homes couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge...
with a back that is traditionally raised at one end. The back may be situated completely at one side of the couch, or may wrap around and extend the entire length of the piece much like a traditional couch. However, fainting couches are easily differentiated from more traditional couches, having one end of the back raised.
Fainting couches were popular in the 19th century, and were particularly used by women.
Some houses would take this to the level of having separate fainting room
Fainting room
A fainting room was a room, used during the Victorian era, where women could go to rest when feeling faint. Fainting rooms often included fainting couches where women would faint or recline without fearing bodily harm...
s, where these couches would be the featured furniture.
Theories for the Prevalence of Fainting Couches
- Corsets One theory for the predominance of fainting couches is that women actually were fainting, because their corsets were too tight, restricting blood flow. However, pictures from the 1860s show women horseback riding, playing tennis, and engaging in other vigorous activities in corsets without hindrance. Since the 2000s Goth culture and SteampunkSteampunkSteampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
fans regularly wear corsets to dance clubs where they vigorously dance for hours without the slightest swoon, making the corset theory unlikely.
- Female hysteriaFemale hysteriaFemale hysteria was a once-common medical diagnosis, made exclusively in women, which is today no longer recognized by modern medical authorities as a medical disorder. Its diagnosis and treatment were routine for many hundreds of years in Western Europe. Hysteria was widely discussed in the...
The second most common theory for the predominance of fainting couches is home treatment of female hysteriaFemale hysteriaFemale hysteria was a once-common medical diagnosis, made exclusively in women, which is today no longer recognized by modern medical authorities as a medical disorder. Its diagnosis and treatment were routine for many hundreds of years in Western Europe. Hysteria was widely discussed in the...
through manual pelvic massage by home visiting doctors and midwives. As a "disease" that needed constant, recurring (usually weekly) in-home treatment with a procedure that through manual massage could sometimes take hours, creating specialized furniture for maximum comfort during the extended procedure seems likely, as does the later creation of fainting roomFainting roomA fainting room was a room, used during the Victorian era, where women could go to rest when feeling faint. Fainting rooms often included fainting couches where women would faint or recline without fearing bodily harm...
s for privacy during the intimate massage procedure.