Sex, spirits, and sensibility : human generation in British medicine, anatomy, and literature, 1660-1780
This thesis explores the physiological idea of animal spirits in relation to nerves, sex, and reproduction in the culture of sensibility. That physiology held the sex organs of both females and males to be exceptionally sensitive parts of the body that profoundly affected individualsâ constitutions and minds. Sexual sensations, desires, volition, and behaviour depended upon animal spirits and nerves. A central concern in this perception of the body and mind was the conflict between rationality from the intellectual will and sexual feelings from the genitalia. The idea that the body and mind interacted through animal spirits became influential in Georgian culture through anatomical and medical writings, teachings, and visual displays, but also through its resonance in literature about sensibility. This research predominantly draws upon material and print cultures of medicine, anatomy, and literature from 1660-1780. The analysis highlights the roles of gender, markets, literary modes, scientific practices, visual demonstrations, medical vocations, and broader social and political discourses in conceptions of the body and mind in relation to sex and reproduction. Ultimately, this study fleshes out the sensible
Wagner, Darren N.
Sex, spirits, and sensibility : human generation in British medicine, anatomy, and literature, 1660-1780. This thesis explores the physiological idea of animal spirits in relation to nerves, sex, and reproduction in the culture of sensibility. That physiology held the sex organs of both females and males to be exceptionally sensitive parts of the body that profoundly affected individualsâ constitutions and minds. Sexual sensations, desires, volition, and behaviour depended upon animal spirits and nerves. A central concern in this perception of the body and mind was the conflict between rationality from the intellectual will and sexual feelings from the genitalia. The idea that the body and mind interacted through animal spirits became influential in Georgian culture through anatomical and medical writings, teachings, and visual displays, but also through its resonance in literature about sensibility. This research predominantly draws upon material and print cultures of medicine, anatomy, and literature from 1660-1780. The analysis highlights the roles of gender, markets, literary modes, scientific practices, visual demonstrations, medical vocations, and broader social and political discourses in conceptions of the body and mind in relation to sex and reproduction. Ultimately, this study fleshes out the sensible
sex spirit sensibility human generation british medicine anatomy literature explores physiological idea animal spirit relation nerve sex reproduction culture sensibility physiology hold sex organ females male exceptionally sensitive part body profoundly affected individual constitution mind sexual sensation desire volition behaviour depend_upon animal spirit nerve central_concern perception body_mind conflict rationality intellectual sexual feeling idea body_mind interact animal spirit become influential georgian culture anatomical medical_writing teaching visual display also resonance literature sensibility predominantly draw_upon material print_culture medicine anatomy literature analysis highlight_role gender market literary mode scientific practice visual demonstration medical vocation broad_social political_discourse conception body_mind relation sex reproduction ultimately study flesh sensible