Wandering womb

Wandering womb was the belief that a displaced uterus was the cause of many medical pathologies in women. The belief originates in the medical texts of ancient Greece, although the belief persisted in European academic medicine for centuries.

Origins

The belief in the "wandering womb" was part of the teachings of Hippocrates. A description of the theory of a "wandering womb" is from Aretaeus, a physician from Cappadocia, who was a contemporary of Galen in the 2nd century. He wrote that the uterus could move out of place, and float within the body:

The belief that the uterus could move freely, similar to an "animal within an animal", may have been part of ancient cultural beliefs in Greece, but the earliest known written accounts of it are in the teachings of Hippocrates. The movement of the uterus was believed to cause pressure on nerves, arteries, and other organs, which in turn created symptoms of illness. This was believed to be the cause of a large number of pathologies, such as "choking, sleepiness, loss of speech, vertigo, knee problems, headaches, problems with the veins in the nose, heartburn, pulse irregularities, and death".

Uterus

The uterus (from Latin "uterus", plural uteri) or uterine or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals, including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, (uterine tubes) depending on the species. It is within the uterus that the fetus develops during gestation, usually developing completely in placental mammals such as humans and partially in marsupials such as kangaroos and opossums. Two uteri usually form initially in a female and usually male fetus, and in placental mammals they may partially or completely fuse into a single uterus depending on the species. In many species with two uteri, only one is functional. Humans and other higher primates such as chimpanzees, usually have a single completely fused uterus, although in some individuals the uteri may not have completely fused. Horses, on the other hand, have bipartite uteri. In English, the term uterus is used consistently within the medical and related professions, while the Germanic-derived term womb is more common in everyday usage. Cats have wombs, Dogs have wombs, and Pigs have wombs, too.

Womb (nightclub)

Womb is a notable nightclub in Tokyo, Japan that is featured in the film Babel. The club celebrated its 10th anniversary in April 2010.

History

Womb opened in April 2000 with a Junior Vasquez party and is located at 2-16 Maruyama-cho Shibuya-ku.

The main floor, with a giant mirror ball, is on the second floor of the premises, while a small bar is located at the rear of the dance floor. The main DJ booth overlooks the main floor and for select artists, the DJ booth is relocated onto the actual dance floor. In addition to the DJ booth, another bar, with open windows that look down onto the dance floor, also exists.

On the fourth floor is another bar, a chill-out lounge and a DJ usually plays here as well. The fourth floor features glass walls, which do not open for safety reasons, that look down onto the dance floor two floors below.

Visiting artists

The list of musical artists who have performed at Womb include:

Womb (film)

Womb (retitled Clone for its UK DVD release) is a 2010 film written and directed by Benedek Fliegauf and starring Eva Green and Matt Smith.

Plot

The film commences with a pregnant woman (Eva Green) telling her unborn child that the father has departed for good, but that together they will start a new life. A love story is then told between two children, Rebecca and Tommy, who swear each other eternal love. When Rebecca departs suddenly for Japan with her mother, the two are separated. Twelve years later, Rebecca returns as a young woman to find that Tommy (Matt Smith) not only remembers her, but still cares deeply for her. The two begin a new relationship.

Tommy is a political activist fighting against the biotech corporations, who plan to open a new natural park populated by animals artificially created by cloning. Tommy plans to spoil the inauguration ceremony by letting loose rucksacks filled with cockroaches. Rebecca, herself a computer programmer of leak detection sonar software for underground storage containers, insists on accompanying Tommy.