The dangers of producing condoms

The condom pictured here was produced in 1813 when the method of making condoms was relatively cumbersome. The method of producing the intestinal sleeve remained unchanged for about three hundred years and continued into the twentieth century: as a first step, the intestinal material is soaked in water for several hours and then in a weak alkaline solution (fig. 4), which effectively removes the grease from the intestines while still retaining a film. In the third step, the intestinal material is carefully scraped away using primitive metal tools, such as a cheap kitchen knife and a long iron nail. The chemicals and scraping leave only the peritoneum and muscular outer skin of the intestine. In the fourth step, it is exposed to "burning sulfur vapor", which not only removes the chemicals but also softens and bleaches the intestine. It is also necessary to place these sheep appendages on special molds and dry them (fig. 5). Afterward, a ribbon is placed at the end of the condom for ease of use. Finally, the condoms are packaged and sold.

While condoms allow the gentlemen who can afford them to enjoy pleasure with more assurance, the workers who are responsible for making them are less lucky. The sulfur and lye used to process animal guts exposed workers to the risk of skin burns, gastrointestinal problems, dizziness, convulsions, muscle pain, eye burns (or blindness if the eyes were directly exposed), thirst, and respiratory infections.