Gender, Identity and the Senses in Early Modern Cancer Cases

In 1699, surgeon M. de La Vauguion detailed an ‘Amputation of the Yard’ of a 40-year-old smith who was believed to have cancer of the penis. Prior to its removal, the visual degradation of his penis and the accompanying unbearable smell generated feelings of
disgust that led to the smith’s physical and social isolation. Vauguion’s is just one of many examples of the ways in which sensory experiences of cancer and its treatment affected perceptions and discourses around the body and its identity. This paper examines the
significance of cancer in forging and altering identities in early modern England. It does so through the unique and increasingly popular lens of the senses of sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. By bringing together three fields of research – disease histories, cultural histories of identity, and sensory studies – this paper sheds light on the significance of sensory experiences of illness in changing the way people perceived themselves and the people around them.

Claire Turner is a Society for Renaissance Studies Postdoctoral Fellow, and her research focuses on the significance of experiences of cancer in forging and altering identities in early modern England.

Refreshments (tea and coffee) provided 15 minutes before the advertised start time. Lunchtime seminar refreshments also include sandwiches. All welcome!

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