Medicine and gender diversity

Abstract

This article studies the passage from a popular to a technical medicine as a consequence of the development of the notions téchnê and phýsis and the creation of the "medical art" whose highest exponent will be the Hippocratic Corpus. This treatise is pioneer in women' studies but its first interest has a social reason: woman as the one who gives birth. However, women's own prejudices on this subject make it difficult for a good knowledge of their anatomy and pathology. Illness is related to age, climate, life and social position and a feminine nature as weaker than the masculine one is underlying the whole idea. Thus, illness and its healing is different depending on gender.

Finally, healing products are analysed as well as Greek thoughts about sexual act, fertile and unfertile days, sterility and pregnant' women's precautions.