All About Pocket Knives

A while back, just by chance, I came across a website dealing with statistics on spider bites. According to this site, the vast majority of recorded Black Widow bites, that occured between 1800 and 1900, were inflicted on men while setting on their outhouse thrones. Seems the nasty little critters had a particular fondness for the damp, dark recesses of the outdoor privy.
Then this thought occured to me. During this time frame, most men would have likely used the outhouse maybe once a day. The rest of their duties would have been performed behind a tree or off in the tall grass along the field they were plowing or harvesting. Where as women, working in the home, would've conceivably used an outhouse much more frequently, say 3-5 times more often. So why would men be bitten so many more times then women?
The stats didn't cover this, but draw your own conclusions.

WB

That is a conundrum.

I get bites a few times a year, always on my feet and it itches like mad for three or four days, then takes a couple of weeks to heal (normally I heal pretty fast). At this point, I'm assuming it's a spider bite but I wouldn't have a clue what kind. I've never seen any kind of critter when it happens.

While growing up, I don't remember getting or hearing of anyone getting bitten on the nether regions. The little house out behind the big house was quite common in my family. The last one we had was at the place we lived when I was a sophomore & junior in high school, 1959-1961.

jerryd6818 wrote:That is a conundrum.

I think the answer to that conundrum is simple: chamber pots.
The men used the outhouse because they were men. Women, being the more delicate & dainty creature, in the view of the culture of that era, were not expect to brave the elements, spiders, the wretched stench and possible frostbite in the nether regions. Women were viewed as ladies. Ladies did not use outhouses; they used those lovely ceramic or enamel pots, often covered with a pretty floral design, in the comfort and privacy of their own chambers.

Men & boys were generally the gathers of firewood, hunters of meat, beasts of burden and the emptiers of chamber pots.

When you think about things in those terms: we would probably not have Woman’s Liberation today, were it not for indoor plumbing; and therefore no chamber pots to empty!

Generally speaking, you're probably right Dale. I wasn't thinking in terms of high falutin' society gals. I was thinking more along the lines of pioneer, country and farm gals. I'm pretty sure that very few of these Ozark women had private chambers or chamber pots.
The stats still make me cringe, no matter what the reasoning!

WB

Country folks where I came from had Thunder Mugs but they were only used at night. In the day time, everyone took the path out back, all year long.

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Oh no you didn't, Jerry! Did you just say what I think you said?! Ol' buddy, have you taken your meds today?!

WB

It's just a theory.


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Jerry you should be ashamed of yerself


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I thought it was because Black Widow spiders killed males. They had no interest in biting females. Then again, in today's society maybe that has changed.

If I offended anyone's sensitive nature, please accept my earnest apologies. I didn't see anything out of line with that statement but I guess I must still be a little rough around the edges and am not quite ready for polite society.

Since the written word is sometimes difficult to interrupt let me just say, that's genuine and not sarcastic.

Can I say that Phil or is that beating a politically incorrect horse?

Again, sincere question, not sarcastic.

No biggie Jerry, but we do need to think of the women and children who visit this site.