Although there is ample evidence that the text is a joke or hoax - Ruth Smythers, her husband and the institutions mentioned in the pamphlet did not exist (names 'Ruth' and 'Smithers' (sic) appear alongside, albeit separately in a once popular work of fiction by John Galsworthy, a 1910 play Justice[1]), and some of the language and reference points were not used until the 20th century[2][3][4] - it has fooled some people and even a newspaper into believing it is a serious text, partly because some back covers of the book imply that it is genuine.
[5] The text, purportedly published by Spiritual Guidance Press, New York City and reprinted by The Madison Institute Newsletter, Fall Issue, in 1894, has become a well-known humorous pamphlet.
[9] The text, which has circulated and spread over websites and blogs and has been translated into other languages,[10] is sometimes sourced to a 1998 course on human sexuality in the University of Washington.
In 1996, the Ombudsman of King County in Seattle, David Krull, was fired for misconduct after he emailed the text of the booklet to his assistant, Amy Calderwood, who was about to get married.
[12][13][14][15] Fimia picked out the following passage and said it was suitable only for discussion in a women's studies class:[14] Most men are by nature rather perverted, and if given half a chance, would engage in quite a variety of the most revolting practices.