No, not Thomas Edison. This:
Robert Sorokanich explains:
Chrysalis Archaeology, an intrepid team of NYC archaeologists we spoke with last year, discovered the hygiene device in late 2010 on the north side of City Hall. But the hollow cylinder with small holes at the top made of some kind of animal bone wasn’t immediately recognized. It was only recently that archaeologist Lisa Geiger discovered the device’s actual intended use, as she told DNAinfo:
“I was working as a docent at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, and came across a back archive of what they called vaginal syringes,” said Geiger, 28. “These were glass or brass, and from later in the 1800s, but all of a sudden, I made the connection.”
Chrysalis Archaeology’s got a phenomenal blog post discussing the discovery and its place in feminine hygiene history.
The Dish 