Afainting room was a private room, common in theVictorian era, which typically containedfainting couches. Such couches or sofas typically had an arm on one side only to permit easy access to a reclining position, similar to its cousin thechaise longue, although the sofa style most typically featured a back at one end (usually the side with the arm) so that the resulting position was not purelysupine.
There are also accounts that mention fainting rooms in eighteenth-century America.[1] These rooms, which were also referred to as bedrooms (bedrooms were called chambers), were located in the ground floor and contained adaybed that allowed occupants to rest for brief periods during the day.[1]
One theory for the predominance of fainting couches is that women were actually fainting because theircorsets were laced too tightly, thus restricting blood flow.[2][3] By preventing movement of the ribs, corsets restricted airflow to the lungs and,[citation needed] as a result, if the wearer exerted themselves to the point of needing large quantities of oxygen and was unable to fully inflate the lungs, this could lead to fainting.Hyperventilation for any reason could also potentially result in brief loss of consciousness.
One book associates Victorian fainting rooms with a claim that they are meant to force women to remain indoors and inactive under the guise of ensuring privacy and class, and are yet another example of how woman were seen asinferior, at the time.[4]
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