Female barrenness, bodily access and aromatic treatments in seventeenth-century England

Bodily access and aromatic treatments in seventeenth-century England

Bibliographic Data

ID4558324
AuthorsJennifer Evans (0000-0002-8145-8878)
Year2014
Volume87
Issue237
Pages423-443
Publication date2014-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistorical Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0950-3471 • E-ISSN: 1468-2281
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/1468-2281.12058
OpenAlexW1575222990
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited25

Across the seventeenth century medical self-help manuals noted that aromatic substances were a suitable remedy for female barrenness. It has often been suggested that in the early modern period physicians did not touch their patients but instead relied upon patient narrative to diagnose and treat the sick body. This article problematizes this issue by investigating the multi-sensory approach to treating infertility, a disorder invested with concerns of gendered bodily access. It will be demonstrated that the recommendation of aromatic treatments for infertility allowed male physicians a means to negotiate the complex gender boundaries that restricted their access to women's bodies

Art · Infertility · Literature · Narrative · Negotiation · Political science · Pregnancy · Sociology · Gender Studies · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · History · Law · Medicine · Psychology

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