Society, Sex, and Science: Understanding syphilis and its portrayal in the Victorian Era
Join us in a multi-layered discussion probing into bacteria, brains, mind, and morality.
About Society, Sex, and Science: Understanding syphilis and its portrayal in the Victorian Era
Bio-Lit Talks sit at the cross section of Biology and Literature, two disciplines that undeniably feed into one another. Against the common backdrop of infectious diseases, we will discuss their interactions and intersections, exploring the nature of disease through the eyes of scientists, writers, and readers.
Structured as a four-event series and focusing on a new topic each week, join us as we delve, digress, and dissect into words of authors and mechanisms of pathogens: from Scottish texts of the 16th century to contemporary prose, from Victorian texts to Hispanic literature - witness easily digestible discussions on the plague, cholera, sexually transmitted infections, and novel pathogens.
Organised by postgraduate students at the University of Glasgow and featuring authors, researchers, and academics, this free event-series is open to Literature lovers, Science enthusiasts and everyone in between.
Event 2 – Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Society, Sex, and Science: Understanding syphilis and its portrayal in the Victorian Era
Let’s get beneath the skin. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection known for its most notable symptom: a diffuse rash on the body. Extremely visible on one end, yet stealthily disguised on the other, it has been called ‘the great imitator’ due to its multitude of manifestations. In the 19th century the disease was an open secret, known to all but hidden beneath a veil of Victorian morality.
Prof. Khalil Ghanem – specialist in reproductive tract infections (Johns Hopkins University) – and Dr. Jennifer Wallis – historian of medicine and psychiatry (Imperial College London) – will discuss syphilis pathology, its neurological manifestations, perception of the disease in the Victorian Era, and its representation within literary texts.
Remembered as an age of prim attitude towards sex, the Victorian Era may have uncovered more than we imagine. Join us in a multi-layered discussion probing into bacteria, brains, mind, and morality.
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