Me Thinks The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

A scold’s bridle, sometimes called a brank’s bridle or simply branks, was an instrument of punishment used primarily on women, as a form of torture and public humiliation. First introduced by the Church of Scotland in 1567, the device saw use across Europe and the New World until the mid 18th century.  

The device was an iron muzzle in an iron framework that enclosed the head. A bridle-bit, about 2 inches long and 1 inch broad, projected into the mouth and pressed down on top of the tongue. The curb-plate was frequently studded with spikes, so that if the offender moved her tongue, it inflicted pain and made speaking impossible. Woman who were seen as witches, shrews and scolds, were forced to wear the branks, locked onto their head.

What's the Deal with Spanish Fly?

The Spanish fly is actually an emerald-green beetle, Lytta vesicatoria, belonging to the blister beetle family. (Meloidae). The insect's juice, terpenoid cantharidin, is a toxic blistering agent with poisonous properties comparable in degree to that of the most violent poisons.

However, despite the inherent danger, it has a legendary reputation as an aphrodisiac. As it passes through the body, cantharidin irritates the genitals resulting in increased blood flow that can mimic the engorgement that occurs with sexual excitement.

 For this reason, various preparations of desiccated Spanish flies have been used as some of the world’s oldest love potions, with a reputation dating back to the early western Mediterranean classical civilizations.

The ease of toxic overdose makes this highly dangerous, so the sale of real Spanish Fly has been made illegal in most countries.