Women, Gender, and Anatomy in Enlightenment France (McGill-Queen's/AMS

Women, Gender, and Anatomy in Enlightenment France, Volume 1, examines the complex relationship between gender and medical science during the eighteenth century. Margaret Carlyle explores how the study of the human body became a central pillar of professional medical authority. While anatomy was a male-dominated field, this history reveals how much the discipline relied on women's bodies and specialized knowledge. The text investigates how the dissection and representation of female anatomy shaped the training of surgeons and the social standing of practitioners.

This historical study highlights the diverse roles women held as educators, entrepreneurs, and practitioners. Through the lives of figures like Marie-Marguerite Biheron, Carlyle demonstrates how women contributed to anatomical culture via modeling, illustration, and teaching. By focusing on the intersection of gender and science, Women, Gender, and Anatomy in Enlightenment France, Volume 1, provides a necessary rethinking of the origins of modern medical history.