Lanteen Cap Diaphragm and Jelly Set
date: label: date made
content: ca 1944
notes: label: Description
content: Orange, red, and brown cardboard box containing a cap diaphragm set: one cap diaphragm in clear plastic case, one contraceptive jelly applicator in a cellophane wrapper, and one paper instruction booklet entitled "Directions for Marriage Hygiene" (copyright 1939, 1941, 1944). Price $3.00. Original set included a 3 ounce tube of jelly - not present in the museum's specimen. Lanteen jelly active ingredients as listed on the box: hexylresorcinol; glycerine; chlorothymol; sodium benzoate; ricinoleic acid.
label: Description
content: Lanteen Laboratories (Lanteen Medical Laboratories) of Chicago, Illinois, produced a suite of color-coded contraceptive products for women including diaphragms, jellies, sanitary vaginal sponges, and douche solutions. The "Brown" Cap-Diaphragm combined characteristics of a cervical cap and a diaphragm. It was available through door-to-door sales, at drugstores, and at special Lanteen company clinics. The cap diaphragm did not require individual fitting by a physician (as did the diaphragm), and according to the company literature its one standard size was "adaptable for use by the normal woman."
label: Description
content: To avoid prosecution at a time when providing contraceptives or information about contraception was illegal in the United States, the company used the term "marriage hygiene" to refer to contraception and "certain germs" to refer to sperm.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
topic: label: Subject
content: Women's Health
label: Subject
content: Birth Control/Contraception
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Robert Locurto
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1977.0941.01
label: accession number
content: 1977.0941
label: catalog number
content: 1977.0941.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Diaphragm, Kit
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal; rubber (diaphragm material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (tube key material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (booklet, instruction(2) material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (applicator material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (diaphragm case material)
label: Measurements
content: overall, box: 8 1/8 in x 3 1/8 in x 1 3/4 in; 20.6375 cm x 7.9375 cm x 4.445 cm