Beliefs about Human Sexual Function in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
By Thomas G. Benedek
Human Sexuality in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, ed. by Douglas Radcliff-Umstead (Pittsburgh, 1978)
Introduction: We want to examine the major beliefs about human sexual anatomy and fuction that prevailed during the Middle Ages and Renaissance and some of the medical practices that were related to these beliefs. Historically, these were not ‘Medieval beliefs,’ because virtually all were ancient and underwent very little evolution from at least the second to the 16th century. Most were deeply ingrained in the folklore not only of Europe, but of substantial portions of Asia as well, and were not restricted to the intelligensia. Certain of the anatomic and physiologic ideas were ennunicated by Hippocrates in the 4th century B.C., and the majority were accepted from the writings of the second century Roman physician, Claudius Galen (ca. 129-291)
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