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“You must not rely upon the words that very kind and beautiful girls utter, because in that regard, no offence, they all – lie”: Venereal diseases as a motive of Fran Gundrum's (1856-1919) work on sexual hygiene
Martin Kuhar
; Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Stella Fatović-Ferenčić
; Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Abstract
Until the work of Fran Gundrum (1856-1919), there was no comprehensive analysis of sexuality in Croatia. In this article we investigated the background of Gundrum's first book on sexual hygiene in Croatia, especially the motivational effect of venereal diseases, as well as the metaphoric language he used to conceptualize them. Venereal diseases are presented in his work as a consequence of irresponsible sexual behavior, and are interpreted as influenced by Hobbesian viewpoint, which sees people as potential enemies to each other. All aspects of his suggestions for suppression of venereal diseases were colored by giving priority to social over individual well-being. Tradition and modernity intermix in his work, shaping him as the pioneer of sexual hygiene on our territory in the time when biology took over from mechanics the leading role in explaining bodily functions.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
101611
URI
Publication date:
10.5.2013.
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