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'Madness from the womb'.

German E Berrios1, Lazare Rivière

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital (Box 189), Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK. geb11@cam.ac.uk

History of Psychiatry
|December 7, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Nymphomania, a clinical category for high female sexual drive, emerged in the 17th century from concepts like "madness from the womb." This historical analysis reveals how medical categories are constructed, reflecting societal fears and attitudes toward female sexuality.

Area of Science:

  • History of Medicine
  • Medical Humanities
  • Gender Studies

Background:

  • The 17th century saw the convergence of 'nymphomania,' 'madness from the womb,' and beliefs in high female sexual drive, forming a new clinical category.
  • Lazare Rivière's work exemplifies the construction of medical categories, including symptomatology, etiology, and cure.

Discussion:

  • 'Madness from the womb' was theorized as a disease caused by overheating and putrefaction of female "seed."
  • This construct was influenced by the earlier moral notion of 'satyriasis' applied to women.
  • The emergence of nymphomania reflects 17th-century male attitudes and anxieties regarding female sexuality.

Key Insights:

  • Medical categories are socially and historically constructed, not purely objective.
  • Historical medical concepts reveal underlying societal beliefs and power dynamics.

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  • The evolution of diagnostic categories is tied to cultural shifts and gendered perceptions.

    • Outlook:

    • Understanding the historical construction of diagnoses like nymphomania offers critical perspectives on current medical categorizations.
    • Further research into historical medical texts can illuminate the evolution of gender roles and sexuality in medicine.
    • This analysis encourages a critical examination of how societal fears shape medical discourse and practice.