A pink lie in French medicine

Bibliographic Data

ID7169132
AuthorsJuliette Ferry-Danini (0000-0002-5664-912X, University of Namur, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume114
Pages102075
Publication date2025-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueStudies in History and Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0039-3681 • E-ISSN: 1879-2510
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.shpsa.2025.102075
PMID41172820
OpenAlexW4415694114
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited32

This paper sets to explain how one of the most prescribed and sold pharmaceutical drugs in France - Spasfon (phloroglucinol), introduced on the French market in the 1960s, became and remained so successful in the absence of solid scientific evidence. Integrating the epistemology of ignorance and a feminist approach to the history of medicine, my goal is to understand how this case of ignorance was initially constructed and how it has maintained itself to this day. I argue that sexism is one key factor explaining how ignorance was constructed around this very popular - and incidentally pink - pharmaceutical drug

History of medicine · History of science · Ignorance · Key (lock) · Sociology of scientific knowledge · French Historical and Cultural Studies · Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices · Medicine and Dermatology Studies History

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