MSc History of Science, Technology and Medicine (360G-Wellcome-213097_Z_18_Z)

My research will investigate how societal concerns around venereal disease (VD) assisted in the shaping and professionalization of gynaecology in the mid to late nineteenth century. I will be considering how medical understanding of VD shaped the emergence of gynaecology as a professional discipline. I will also be considering how moral and societal concerns about VD shaped gynaecological medicine, and the impact this had on the female body. To do this, I will be drawing on the North of England Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society collection at The University of Manchester, with particular attention given to the work of Sir William Japp Sinclair on gonorrhoea. VD, especially syphilis and gonorrhoea, remain amongst the most prevalent infectious diseases across the globe. The increasing development of antibiotic resistant strains outline how VD is emerging as a serious threat to the global community. This research will explore how VD and individuals suffering from VD were perceived within past society, and how this influenced the development of professional gynaecological medicine, with a significant attention to the gender dynamics that informed both, with concerns analogous to contemporary society.