How did the ancient palace use contraception?

When it comes to contraception, the first thing that comes to mind is probably using condoms, or taking birth control pills in an emergency, which can solve the problem. However, in ancient times, even within the palace, the methods used were far less advanced than they are today. Moreover, many methods still pose some hidden dangers to human health, and long-term use is more harmful. So how did the ancient court prevent pregnancy?

1. Clean with "saffron cleaning solution".

There was a record in historical materials that saffron was the most effective contraceptive secret in the palace. If the emperor did not like a favored palace maid, he would ask the eunuchs to hang the maid upside down and wash her lower body with liquid made from crushed saffron. It is said that this can cleanse the semen in the palace maid's body completely.

2. Use "massage technique" for massage.

The emperor has many concubines, and he can keep them or not. If the emperor said he didn't want to keep the semen after favoring a concubine, the eunuch would use massage techniques to ensure that the emperor's semen flowed out and absolutely could not remain in the concubine's body, thus achieving the effect of contraception.

3. Drink "cold medicine".

"Liangyao" is a contraceptive decoction containing musk. This decoction not only has the effect of contraception, but also has the function of inducing abortion. After Cixi entered the palace and was favored by Emperor Xianfeng, her first pregnancy was aborted by someone using musk.

4. Use condoms.

Early "condoms" were made from sheep intestines or pig bladders. According to historical records, the "condoms" used in Western medieval courts were animal intestine casings, and they also had a nice name, called "Dutch caps."

It was introduced to China after the Ming and Qing Dynasties and became a commonly used contraceptive in the Chinese court. The ancients also used fish bladders as "condoms". Among the museum's collection are condoms made from sheep intestines by ancient people, which are somewhat similar to the prototype of modern condoms.

5. Drink "mercury".

Although drinking mercury as a contraceptive method is effective, it is very harmful to the body. In the palace, a small amount of mercury would be put into the tea drunk by concubines or palace maids who needed contraception. This is neither harmful to the body nor very effective.

The above introduction has clearly explained how the ancient palace used contraception. Many times, even if contraceptive measures are taken, it is difficult to achieve the best contraceptive effect. However, once pregnancy occurs, it must be aborted if necessary. This will pose a considerable threat to women's health and life safety.