A brief education: The Marvel "Whirling Spray" Syringe

Now apart from the word 'syringe', you could be forgiven for thinking this is perhaps something jolly. An old-fashioned game maybe, made out of brightly-coloured wood that kids had innocent fun with. Or even something to be used in the kitchen for cake-decorating.

It saddens me that you're wrong. Although it's not really that surprising considering you're on a blog that's all about The Fanny.

The object in question is an early version of a vaginal douche. It was originally thought to have a number of benefits, none of which have been proven. For example:

• It promises to clean the vagina of unwanted odours
• It can be used to help prevent covering your partner's nether regions in a gush of menstrual blood if you fancy doing the naughties whilst on rag week
• It has also been touted as a form of birth control (to anyone who's reading this and is wondering.. THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA).

It's even made it's mark in comic book history (surprising, yes I know). In the DC Comics The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, by Alan Moore Volume, the DC Executive spotted this Whirling Spray authentic ad (Volume 1, Issue #5) and took offence at the Marvel-Branded product. As a result, the entire print run was destroyed (apparently there are about 100 copies hiding out somewhere in the UK and are thought to be the rarest modern comic book around. If you have one, send it over. Ta.) What I love is that none of the more offensive, made up ads were removed - if the 'Yankee Rubber Whore' had actually existed, you'd be hard pressed to work out which product you'd get more diseases from.

Personally, I reckon the best thing to have come out of this is the term 'douchebag'.