Spanish medical discourse on women readers in the 19th century

Abstract

This paper presents a study on the notion of female readers in various medical treatises published in Spain throughout the 19th century. This analysis sheds light on many of the aspects concerning the study of the figure of the female reader that was so common during this historical period. In this journey, we will discover science’s attempt to pathologize the activity of reading when it is carried out by women, revealing the fear that underlies the possibilities of gender reconfiguration that may be provided through reading