9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

Today to determine the woman is pregnant or not, it is not difficult. Enough to go to the drugstore to buy a test strip and spend just a few minutes of time. In broad access these funds appeared in 1978, it is true, then the result-needed 2 hours, and the accuracy of the test was only 20%.

But before the definition of pregnancy, it was much more difficult. By what means resorted our ancestors, we describe in this review.

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

Wheat, barley test

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

One of the first pregnancy test, if not the first, appeared in ancient Egypt. In 1350 BC, women were encouraged to urinate on wheat and barley in a few days. If the wheat sprouted, it means that women should not expect a girl as if sprouted barley, the boy. If anything does not germinate, the woman was not pregnant.

What is most interesting, this test really worked: in 1963, the researchers conducted an experiment and found that in 70% of cases the urine of pregnant women can cause the seeds to germinate, and the urine of non-pregnant women and men does not lead to such an effect.

The Onion test

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

At the time of the ancient Egyptians tested whether a woman is pregnant, wheat and barley, the ancient Greeks used for these purposes ... onions. Hippocrates, who is considered the founder of medicine today, suggested the following test: a woman who wanted to test for pregnancy, was inserted into the vagina at night bulb or other strong smelling vegetables. If her breath smelled of onions the next morning, she was not pregnant. This was based on the idea that if a woman's uterus is opened, the smell of onions penetrated to the mouth, both in the wind tunnel.

Beer test

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

In ancient Egyptian papyri subtracted another strange way of determining pregnancy. We had to pour on the floor indoors a lot of beer and fermented wort, and then sit in the puddle woman. Not surprisingly, the smell of the room it was starting to feel sick. A profusion of emesis and determines whether or not she is pregnant.

The test latch

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

In a medical treatise end of the XV century, it was said: "If you want to know whether a woman is pregnant, you need to ask her to urinate into a bowl, then put in the pelvis or latch key for three to four hours. Then you have to drain the urine, remove the latch and see if there are any from her mark on the bottom of the pelvis. If yes, then the woman is pregnant. "

Prophets urine

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

In the XVI century European "urine prophets" have argued that they can determine whether a woman is pregnant, the color and other characteristics of its urine. Some also mixed urine with wine and watched the result (which is interesting, alcohol can actually react to the proteins present in the urine of a pregnant woman). Also, these "prophets" was determined by the urine not only pregnancy but also diseases that have their patient.

The woman's eyes

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

Doctor Jacques Gullemo, who lived in the XVI century, argued that it is possible to judge a woman's pregnancy, just by looking into her eyes. Gullemo, author of a treatise on ophthalmology, said that at the beginning of the second month of "the eye of a pregnant woman are deeply planted, small pupils, eyelids priopuscheny and are swollen veins in the corners of the eyes." This is probably true, but the doctor was right about one thing: During pregnancy a woman can really change the vision.

Sign Chadwick

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

Early on in the pregnancy (for a period of about six to eight weeks) of the cervix, vagina and labia can acquire a dark bluish or purplish-red color due to the increased blood flow to this area. This sign of pregnancy, along with other traditional features, such as the craving for salty, was first seen in 1836 by the French obstetrician James Chadwick (he got the same name - "a sign Chadwick"). But, given the stiffness of the doctors of the time, these signs of pregnancy almost never checked.

Rabbit Test

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

In addition to the tests, observations such as "a sign Chadwick," until the XX century, there was a very unpleasant way to test pregnancy, which tragically ended in rabbits, mice and rats. The 1920 two German scientists, Selmar Aschheim and Bernhard Zondek, found in the urine of pregnant women of a certain hormone that is associated with ovarian growth (today this hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin).

Injection of urine of pregnant women were injected immature female rabbits, rats or mice to induce their ovaries develop. On the fifth day after injection zveryushku killed and dissected to see the result.

Frog Test

9 very strange manner in which our ancestors have been diagnosed with pregnancy

While this method works on the same principle as the rabbit test, he was humane because the animal was alive. In the late 1940s, scientists have found that if you enter the urine of pregnant women live toad or a frog, then within 24 hours that will begin to spawn.