Social Perception of Infertility and Its Treatment in Late Medieval Italy: Margherita Datini, an Italian Merchant's Wife.

Because the perception of infertility in medieval Europe ranged from the extremely religious view of it as a malediction of God or the devil's work, to the reasonable medical conception of it as a sort of disease to treat, it is very difficult to determine the general attitudes of ordinary people towards infertility. This article seeks to elucidate the common social perception of infertility and its treatment in late medieval Europe by analyzing the case of Margherita Datini, an Italian merchant's wife who lived in the 1400s. It relies heavily on the documents left by her and her husband, Francesco Datini; the couple left many records, including letters of correspondence between them. Margherita and those around her regarded infertility not as the devil's curse or a punishment by God but as a disease that can be cured. Margherita and her husband, Francesco, tried hard to cure their infertility. They received treatment and prescriptions from several doctors while also relying on folk remedies, religious therapies, and even magical remedies. The comparative analysis of Datini documents, medical books, and theoretical treatises or prescriptive essays by clerics suggests that the general perception of infertility in medieval Europe was located between the extremely religious and modern medical conceptions of it.

Vandhyatva--a medico historical study.

As per Ayurveda, important factors for conception are considered as rtu (fertile period), Ksetra (uterus and reproductive organs), Ambu (Proper nutrient fluid) and Bija (sukra-sonita) and also normalcy of Hrdaya (Psychology). Abnormality of properly functioning Vayu and Satbhavas (matrja, pitrja, atma, satva, satmaya and Rasa), any one of these causes infertility (Vandhyatva). From the time immemorial the phenomenon of infertility was prevalent through out the world and this may persist till the human race exists. Every human being has inherent, intense desire to continue his (one's) own race; to become a mother is one of the most cherished desires of every woman. Failure to achieve conception by a couple of mature age, having normal coitus during appropriate period of menstrual cycle regularly, at least for one year of their conjugal is termed as infertility. The historical importance of stri vandhyatva and a comparative study regarding its Nidana, Samprapti, Laksana, Chikitsa etc compiled from various Granthas are being presented in this paper.

Alternative treatments in reproductive medicine: much ado about nothing. "The fact that millions of people do not master arithmetic does not prove that two times two is anything else than four": W.F. Hermans.

The popularity of alternative medicine certainly also affects patients suffering from infertility. Alternative medicine started in the seventies but there have always been unorthodox practitioners, treating infertile women and men. Some historical examples will be described. The claims made for alternative medicine in the lay press have not been accompanied by similar reports in the mainstream medical journals. Practitioners and advocates of alternative medicine have used several strategies to defend their position. These were mostly of a philosophical nature, but more recently the practitioners of alternative medicine admit that the effectiveness of their therapies should be proven in randomized trials, as is considered mandatory in regular medicine. There are very few well-designed papers on the effectiveness of alternative medicine with the exception of one kind of paper that is hard for editors of medical journals to resist: seemingly impeccable papers proving absurd claims, whose mechanisms of action are, for instance, completely incomprehensible. We argue that this type of paper should be rejected for publication and indeed offer explanations for their mere existence.

Homens e mulheres: o imaginário sobre a esterilidade na América portuguesa / Men and women: imagery about sterility in Portuguese America

Trata dos usos e costumes em torno da esterilidade no Brasil Colônia. Vivida como uma maldiçäo que se abatia mais comumente sobre as mulheres, a esterilidade era combatida com práticas simbólicas e medicina fitoterápica, com o objetivo de "desobstruir" ou "desenfeitiçar" o berço da criaçäo.

Homens e mulheres: o imaginário sobre a esterilidade na América portuguesa / Men and women: imagery about sterility in Portuguese America

Trata dos usos e costumes em torno da esterilidade no Brasil Colônia. Vivida como uma maldiçäo que se abatia mais comumente sobre as mulheres, a esterilidade era combatida com práticas simbólicas e medicina fitoterápica, com o objetivo de "desobstruir" ou "desenfeitiçar" o berço da criaçäo.(AU)

[Men and women: imagery about sterility in Portuguese America]. / Homens e mulheres: o imaginário sobre a esterilidade na América portuguesa.

This paper discusses old usages and beliefs about sterility in Colonial Brazil. Treated as a curse usually befallen women, sterility was struggled with symbolism and phytotherapy, aiming to "unbock" or "remove the spell" from the craddle of creation.

The age pattern of fecundability: an analysis of French Canadian and Hutterite birth histories.

This paper analyzes the age pattern of effective fecundability from populations with no evidence of deliberate fertility control using a new convolution model of fecundability. The analysis is based on a sample of Hutterite birth histories from the mid-20th century, and birth histories of French Canadians from the 17th and 18th centuries. The main findings are as follows: 1) the level of effective fecundability is higher among the French Canadians compared to the Hutterites; 2) effective fecundability peaks at age 20 for the Hutterites, and in the early to mid-20s for the French Canadians; 3) Hutterite effective fecundability declines almost linearly from age 20 to 45, and French Canadian effective fecundability declines slowly from its peak to the early 30s, and more rapidly at older ages; and 4) the duration of postpartum amenorrhea is longer for the French Canadians than for the Hutterites. Because of the shorter periods of postpartum amenorrhea the Hutterites have about the same average number of children as the French Canadians, even though the French Canadians have higher effective fecundability.

History of infertility.

Infertility has always been a constant preoccupation. The problems it raises today on medical, social, ethical, political and religious levels bear witness to this emphasis, but also to how complicated infertility is to deal with and understand. This study not only examines the history of infertility and the treatments applied but also the repercussions for infertile women socially. As we look through history, we find that the attitudes of physicians have often reflected the role of the woman and her image in society.