Transitional Bleeding in Early Modern England by Sara Read

The physiology of menstruation might be timeless, but the experience of female reproductive bleeding (from menarche, to menopause) is mediated through different cultural norms at any given time. So, for example, in early modern England, many considered that the onset of menstruation marked a girl’s transition to young womanhood, and postpartum bleeding signified a change to motherhood. Medical debates covering expectations about the regularity of the cycle, the reasons for absent or excessive bleeding, or indeed the theories about why women could expect to bleed at all were heated in early modern England. This lecture will outline the most common medical theories, describe the many words and circumlocutions early moderns used to describe menstruation, and discuss prevailing cultural expectations about this event.

[eleanor-rosegordon]

This was brilliant! I'm currently doing my Masters at Cambridge on female bodies, humours, and surgery - so this was very exciting! Thank you so much for providing this online, and to Sara Read for a fantastic lecture :)

[musiqueetmontagne]

What a fascinating lecture, thank you Sara!

[RonJohn]

0:19 I thought you said *military* historian (which was odd, given that you're an English lecturer), and thus mightily puzzled when you described your expertise...
9:48 Like what? (My parochial American ears have a hard time understanding you.)