| 词条 | Aristotle's Masterpiece |
| 释义 |
HistoryAfter Nicholas Culpeper's Directory for Midwives had been published in 1651, other writers and booksellers sought to emulate its great success. Aristotle's Masterpiece was among the two dozen works in the genre which were published in the following decades. This was in sharp contrast to the three titles which had been published on the subject in the previous century. Through the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the work was published in three different versions in 9, 20 and 78 editions respectively.[1] It was probably the most widely reprinted book on a medical subject in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. VersionsThe first version borrowed most of its content from two earlier works, the Secret Miracles of Nature by Levinus Lemnius and the anonymous Complete Midwives Practice Enlarged. The latter had been a successful work by itself, coming second only to Culpeper's Directory for Midwives in number of seventeenth century editions.[1] A second version was released by publisher Benjamin Harris in 1697. The first half contained most of the first version and the second half was borrowed from John Sadler's A Sick Women's Private Looking-Glas, which was published in 1636. The third version was published around 1710 was more different from the previous versions, but again copied material from other works on the subject. These included the Directory for Midwives, John Pechey's 1698 version of the Compleate Midwive's Practice Enlarged and other popular books on sex and reproduction available at the time.[1] The third version was still printed and sold to a general audience in the early twentieth century. It remained unchanged from the eighteenth century editions because modern theory on sexuality had not yet been conceived. Because the book was based on the ancient theory of humorism it provided some outdated information, in particular on the home remedies it prescribed. Nevertheless, it was in fact more accurate and less harmful than some popular works on sexuality dating from the late nineteenth century. Reasons for attribution to AristotleThe title of the work was possibly chosen because Aristotle was seen as a sex expert in early modern England. Another popular pseudo-Aristotelian text which covered sex and reproduction, Aristotle's Problems (1595), had been responsible for this reputation.[1] The real Aristotle had also written works about the reproduction of animals (such as History of Animals and Generation of Animals) and was considered an authority on scientific matters in general. ContentThe third version is divided in two parts. The first part covers anatomy, sexual intercourse and marriage. The second part was intended for married women and explains pregnancy and midwifery. The first part starts with a description of the male and female sex organs in the first chapter. The second chapter advocates sexual intercourse in monogamous relationships and warns against polygamy and adultery because it is forbidden by Christian doctrine. It finishes with an explanation of when the reproductive age begins and ends. The third chapter explores virginity. It correctly states that a torn hymen does not necessarily mean a woman is not a virgin. The second part continues with the process of fertilisation, pregnancy and how the sex of the fetus can be determined. The second chapter provides advice on how women can become pregnant. The third chapter describes the progress of pregnancy. Failure of the pregnancy, infertility and its causes are the subject of the fourth chapter. The part ends with a chapter on things women should do and avoid during their pregnancy. References1. ^{{cite web|last=Hall|first=Lesley A.|title=It wasn't 'banned', and it's hardly rare|url=http://lesleyahall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/it-wasnt-banned-and-its-hardly-rare.html|publisher=Lesley A. Hall Blog|accessdate=2013-07-05}} [2][3]2. ^1 2 3 4 5 {{cite journal|last=Fissell|first=Mary E.|title=Hairy Women and Naked Truths: Gender and the Politics of Knowledge in Aristotle's Masterpiece|journal=The William and Mary Quarterly|year=2007|volume=60|issue=1|jstor=3491495|pages=43–74}} 3. ^1 {{cite web|title=The Masterpiece, and other works of "Aristotle, The Famous Philosopher"|url=http://www.exclassics.com/arist/ariintro.htm|publisher=The Ex-Classics Web Site|accessdate=2 January 2013}} }} Further reading
External links
12 : 1684 books|Pseudoaristotelian works|Sex manuals|Works of unknown authorship|1684 establishments in England|Early Modern England|19th century in England|Midwifery in the United Kingdom|Childbirth in the United Kingdom|Family in England|Social history of England|Sexuality in England |
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