Aristotle

Aristotle held that a woman was a “deformed” or “mutilated” male.

 

Heat and Embryogenesis

Aristotle believed that male form was created when the optimal amount of heat was available.  The defective female form evolved when there was insufficient heat a female was considered a “monstrosity”.

This resulted subsequently into a smaller, frailer sexa poorly developed brain, and a person with moral and emotional weaknesses.

Until the 18th century the uterus and vagina were thought to represented internal male genitalia

The Moving Womb

For the Greeks,including Plato and Hippocrates the uterus was thought to move spontaneously wandering around her abdominal cavity. It was considered an ailment

Sluggishness, lack of strength, and vertigo, was caused by the womb moving upward.  Choking, loss of speech and even sudden death was felt to be caused by a descending uterus.

Applying pleasant scents to the vagina, or sniffing terrible smelling scents would cause the uterus to return to its space in the pelvis.

Paul of Aegina proposed that if one would induce the afflicted woman to sneeze and in addition shout at her that the uterus would be forced to return to its pelvic position.