The man, the woman, the talking snake and the knife. This lecture is in English and the subject is linked to our temporary exhibition Unseen.
In this lecture I explore the history of women as medical practitioners through the many ways in which medicine has drawn on the traditional stories about women, their bodies and their emotions. I will look at themes ranging from the development of the Garden of Eden myth to include the bodily experiences of menstruation and giving birth, to the refusal to allow women to train in medicine because it would somehow damage their mental ‘purity’. In a climate in which even knowing the names for parts of one’s own body was thought incompatible with ‘virtue’, how did nineteenth-century women writing medical advice manuals for other women and girls negotiate these fears?
About the speaker
Helen King is Professor Emerita of Classical Studies at The Open University. A former editor of the journal Social History of Medicine, she writes on the history of gynaecology and obstetrics. Her most recent book is Immaculate Forms (Profile Books/Wellcome Collection 2024/Basic Books 2025)
Practical information
When: Saturday the 12th of April 2025, the lecture will be from 15.00 to 16.00 hrs, with a Q&A until 16.30.
If you want to visit the museum we advise you to do so beforehand, the exhibit halls will close at 17.00 hrs.
Where: In the lecture hall of the museum, or online via livestream
Language: English
Costs: Attending the lecture is free with a museum ticket (you can purchase a museum ticket at the museum desk, when you have a student card/Museumcard it’s completely free of charge. More on ticket prices here). The livestream is free of charge to join.
Register: You can register using the form below. There’s a separate form to attend the lecture in the museum, or online via livestream. We have only received your registration correctly, when you have received the automated confirmation email. Please check your spam-box.
