Jessamyn was admiring Jerrick's fingers when her thoughts wandered to an unusual place. Her thought process was simple enough: looking at his fingers reminded her of Joar's and the things he did with them.
When she was married to Joar, a new phenomenon was becoming common among the ladies of high society. Physicians had identified an illness that they named "female hysteria," as it affected only women—mostly unwed women, widows, and those with husbands who were away for a long time.
The illness was purportedly caused by a buildup of fluid in the woman's womb, reasoning that since men ejaculated their "fluid," it stood to reason that only women were affected by such an ailment.
Physicians acknowledged that the disorder stemmed from sexual dissatisfaction. The treatment involved stimulation in the pelvic area—a pelvic massage to induce "hysterical paroxysm."
