Aphrodisiacs, Fertility and Medicine in Early Modern England (Hardcover)

An investigation into aphrodisiacs challenges pre-conceived ideas about sexuality during this period. It was common knowledge in early modern England that sexual desire was malleable, and could be increased or decreased by a range of foods - including artichokes, oysters and parsnips. This book argues that these aphrodisiacs wereused not simply for sexual pleasure, but, more importantly, to enhance fertility and reproductive success; and that at that time sexual desire and pleasure were felt to be far more intimately connected to conception and fertilitythan is the case today. It draws on a range of sources to show how, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, aphrodisiacs were recommended for the treatment of infertility, and how men and women utilised them to regulate their fertility. Via themes such as gender, witchcraft and domestic medical practice, it shows that aphrodisiacs were more than just sexual curiosities - they were medicines which operated in a number of different ways unfamiliar now, and their use illuminates popular understandings of sex and reproduction in this period. Dr Jennifer Evans is a Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of Hertfordshire.

General

Imprint:	Royal Historical Society
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Series:	Royal Historical Society Studies in History New Series
Release date:	September 2014
First published:	2014
Authors:	Jennifer Evans (Royalty Account)
Dimensions:	234 x 156 x 21mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth over boards
Pages:	225
ISBN-13:	978-0-86193-324-2
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1500 to 1750 Books > Humanities > History > British & Irish history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions > Family & relationships > Sexual relations Books > History > British & Irish history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > World history > 1500 to 1750 Promotions
LSN:	0-86193-324-9
Barcode:	9780861933242

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