"Women were not allowed to ride on early trains for fear the high speed would cause their uteruses to fly out" - what is the source for that common factoid?

by Skipp_To_My_Lou

In the small amount of searching I did I couldn't find a source for the claim in the question. So what I'm asking boils down to:

  • Was that the consensus opinion of mid-19th century medical science?
  • Was it a commonly held opinion, regardless of informed science?
  • Was it a kooky belief of a few "doctors", akin to some modern "doctors" (not actual licensed medical professionals) promoting homeopathy?
  • And if not, where does that claim come from?
Steelcan909

Hi there! We've removed your question because it's asking basic facts which can be answered by reference works. These include, but are not limited to, a name, a number, a date or time, a location, the origin of a word, or first/last instance of a specific phenomenon. We'd encourage you to instead post this question in the weekly, stickied "Short Answers to Simple Questions" thread, where questions of basic fact can be answered succinctly, based on reliable sources. For more information on this rule, please see this thread.

Alternatively, if you didn't mean to ask a simple question about basic facts, but have a more complex question in mind, feel free to repost a reworded question. If you need some pointers, the mod team is always happy to assist if you contact us in modmail, but also be sure to check out this guide on asking better questions.

Finally, don’t forget that there's many subreddits on Reddit aimed at answering your questions. Consider /r/AskHistory (which has lighter moderation but similar topic matter to /r/AskHistorians), /r/explainlikeimfive (which is specifically aimed at simple and easily digested answers), or /r/etymology (which focuses on the origins of words and phrases).