OFF: GONG in LA, 6/2/99

[andrew]

Keith Henderson <henderson.120 at OSU.EDU> wrote:

>The old man (Chris) said...  :)
>
>>>---And what is a speculum? Too lazy to get the dictionary right now, Chuck
>>
>>speculum // n. (pl. specula / /)
>>1 Surgery an instrument for dilating the cavities of the human body for
>>inspection.
>
>This one's the one....and a particular 'cavity of the human body' is what I
>meant, that being gender-specific to the fairer sex.  If you know what I mean.
>

it's also become a bit of a feminist icon. It's most infamous usage was during
the enforcement of the Contagious Diseases act during the mid to late C19th. In
areas such as East London (perceived to be full of prostitutes who were blamed
for the epidemic levels of VD amongst the british army at the time) single women
who were alone on the streets at night could expect to be dragged off for an
'examination'. Resultantly the speculum came to be seen as something of an
instrument of torture.

I've only ever seen Daevid (and Steffi) use knives. Thankfully.

andrew



"Funny things can happen when you get a job,
 Your world comes falling in on you"
     - Inner City Unit