Mary Fissell
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maryfissell.bsky.social
Mary Fissell
@maryfissell.bsky.social
Historian of medicine, gender, sex. Part time metalsmith. Book on the long history of abortion out now! US: https://bit.ly/4iwTsoL
UK: bit.ly/4aCNEqu Substack: https://maryfissell.substack.com/
Honored to have given a George Washington Corner lecture at the Rochester Academy of Medicine -- what a setting!
November 22, 2025 at 12:32 AM
New post on A is for Abortion Substack! Today we go to drugstores, not blacksmiths, but we are not so very different from medieval and early-modern people, testing urine to ascertain pregnancy. Local experts included blacksmiths, female healers, and doctors.
November 19, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Mary Fissell
It's Corner Society week! Join us in person or online to hear @maryfissell.bsky.social give a talk titled "Savin, Sex, and Scandal: Rethinking Abortion in Early Modern Anglo-America."

She'll also be giving grand rounds this Thursday!
November 17, 2025 at 5:37 PM
New post on #FindTheMidwife today. Sasha Turner talks with us about a 17th century enslaved Barbadian midwife. www.findthemidwife.com/sasha-turner. Thanks Dr. Turner!
November 12, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Mary Fissell
Visiting Scholar Dr. Kudus Adebayo will present “When the Caregiver is the Sick Person: Hospital-Based Informal Caregiving and Health Systems in Nigeria" on Nov. 17th at 6pm in Gilman 50 and via zoom webinar.

For more info and to register, visit hopkinshistoryofmedicine.org/dr-kudus-ade...
November 11, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Taking bets on Mike Johnson's new excuse for not swearing in Grijalva:
a) it's raining out
b) I can't seem to find a Bible
c) who?

It's not working, Mike, we still remember WHY you are avoiding this.
November 10, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Delighted to hear that Pushback is on the shelf @ www.staygoldbooks.com! If you are in Pittsburgh, be sure to catch this lovely indy bookshop in Regent Square. Not in Pgh? bit.ly/4iwTsoL
November 8, 2025 at 5:04 PM
New post on A is for Abortion! It's about a 15th c French woman who provided reproductive health care (including abortion care) to her community.
November 6, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Beautiful day to have given a talk @ annual @apha.org annual conference! Thanks so much Spirit of 1848 Caucus for inviting me.
November 4, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Mary Fissell
The comments to this article are also interesting
October 31, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Mary Fissell
This cheerful little fella wishing you a funtastic All Hallows Eve.

(From an account of Cooke's voyage, 1712. @jcblibrary.bsky.social ofc)
October 31, 2025 at 10:24 AM
It's a really special joy to get a book in the mail by a former student that started life as a thesis! www.upress.virginia.edu/title/10133/ Paul Child shows us eloquently how Jonathan Swift's life was shaped by ill-health and his attempts to combat it. Congrats, Paul!
October 30, 2025 at 12:57 PM
New posting on #FindTheMidwife! Noelene Jeffers and @d-squared.bsky.social in conversation about the long history of racism and gynecology: www.findthemidwife.com/deirdre-coop...
October 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Honored to be a featured author at #SFP2025 ! Thanks everyone for the welcoming & insightful conversations -- and for buying my book! bit.ly/4iwTsoL
October 26, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Had a wonderful time giving a talk @ubgenderinstitute.bsky.social, lots of great conversations, and they gave me some swag! Thx!
October 23, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Mary Fissell
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
New post today: Silphium, the ancient abortifacient plant that went extinct from overuse... or did it?
October 22, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Very apposite post by @sacrobosco.bsky.social! Blaming mothers goes way back... Trump, Tylenol, and 2000 Years of Bad Advice nursingclio.org/2025/10/16/t...
Trump, Tylenol, and 2000 Years of Bad Advice
On Monday, September 22, President Trump, flanked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stated that pregnant women should not take Tylenol because fetal exposure to acetaminophen causes autism…
nursingclio.org
October 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by Mary Fissell
Are you a researcher in the field of history of science, technology and medicine? The #NotesAndRecord essay award is now open for entries until 28 February 2026. Visit our website find out more: buff.ly/dedMm93 #HistSci #HistSTM
September 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Honored to present my work on abortion in 1940s and 50s Baltimore to GYN/OB Grand Rounds at Hopkins this morning! Thanks for inviting me. And yeah, that ergot was made in Baltimore. More Baltimore stories: bit.ly/4iwTsoL
October 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
New post today on #FindTheMidwife. Midwives under pressure with @sallypezaro.bsky.social and myself! What happened when midwives were pushed by town fathers to interrogate their clients? How did they balance their obligations? www.findthemidwife.com/midwives-und...
October 16, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Reposted by Mary Fissell
The 2026 SSHM Conference will be @universityofleeds.bsky.social. The theme will be In/Out and we are inviting papers that consider experiences of being in and/or out of health or health care in any period or geographical location. #HistMed #HistSTM
sshm.org/sshm-2026/
SSHM 2026: In/Out
Location: University of Leeds Dates: 30 June to 3 July 2026 Submission Deadline: 5.00pm (GMT) 11th January 2026 Conference Co-Convenors: Dr Alexia Moncrieff & Dr Katherine Rawling Conference Co…
sshm.org
October 13, 2025 at 12:15 PM
If you are in Baltimore this evening... great program!
October 8, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Feeling like a quick medieval ghostly tale? Today's Substack post has got you covered.
October 8, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Hey bookshop.org has FREE Shipping today! catch my book at at a discount AND free shipping: bookshop.org/p/books/push...
October 8, 2025 at 4:54 PM