Just now, my roommates and I were discussing the current presidency; one of them referred to “'Merkins.” As a fighter of ignorance, I of course said, “Hey! That’s a real word!” and read them Cecil’s column on merkins. To which one of my roommates promptly replied, “So how did they attach them?” I was disappointed to find that this important question was not addressed in the column. So…any ideas? I’m thinking particularly of the period prior to modern undergarments. The column states that they were often used once the pubic hairs were shaved to treat lice or syphilis.* Did they use some kind of adhesive? Tie them on? Surely the Teeming Millions will know!
*Now they’ve got me thinking about what kind of razors would have been available to shave one’s pubic hairs. It’s not a happy thought.
