The publication of Tokology in 1893 provided a comprehensive layperson's guide to gynecology and midwifery, serving as a signature achievement in the professional life of Alice Bunker Stockham. As one of the earliest women to secure a medical degree in the United States, she successfully bridged the gap between clinical obstetric practice and progressive social activism.
Medical Career and Activism
Born in Cardington, Ohio, in 1833, Stockham earned her MD from the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College in 1892. She maintained a multifaceted career, balancing her work as an obstetrician and gynecologist with a vocal commitment to social reform. Her advocacy extended to the promotion of vegetarianism, dress reform—specifically targeting the use of corsets—and complete abstinence from alcohol and tobacco. Her commitment to women's rights often manifested in practical economic support; she famously distributed copies of Tokology to women in financial distress, allowing them to sell the books door-to-door to establish their own financial independence while providing them with vouchers for free gynecological examinations.
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In 1896, Stockham authored Karezza, Ethics of Marriage, introducing a method of intimate physical connection derived from the Italian term for caress. She proposed this practice as a non-religious, spiritual alternative to traditional intimacy, emphasizing selfless lovemaking and harmonious passion. The method prioritized gender parity, encouraging women to control their orgasm responses just as men were expected to practice restraint. Stockham promoted this approach as a primary means for achieving birth control, marital fidelity, and social equality, rejecting the mechanical barrier methods of the era in favor of what she termed magnetic interchange.
Broader Influence and Legal Challenges
Stockham's intellectual circle included figures such as Leo Tolstoy and Havelock Ellis. During her travels in Sweden, she observed educational systems and subsequently introduced the concepts of home economics and shop classes to United States schools. Despite her contributions to public health and welfare, her work encountered significant institutional resistance. In 1905, at the age of 72, she was convicted under the Comstock laws for the distribution of literature deemed improper. She spent her final years in Alhambra, California, where she passed away in 1912.
Fast facts
- Born: 1833, Cardington, Ohio
- Died: 1912, Alhambra, California
- Medical degree: Chicago Homeopathic Medical College, 1892
- Notable work: Tokology, 1893
- Key concept: Karezza
- Children: William Henry Stockham and Cora L. Stockham
- Dietary belief: Vegetarian
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of the Karezza method?
Stockham advocated for Karezza as a spiritual practice intended to foster marital happiness, gender parity, and voluntary control over reproductive outcomes without the use of mechanical contraceptives.
Why was Alice Bunker Stockham convicted in 1905?
At age 72, she was convicted alongside her publisher for violating Comstock laws related to the distribution of literature classified as improper.
Achievements
- Fields: medicine, gynaecology and obstetrics
