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The history of infanticide from the 16th through to the late-20th-century is the subject of this volume. Collectively, the contributions explore how the concealment of pregnancy, birth and death, particularly by unmarried women, became a central preoccupation of witnesses, doctors, courts and legislatures concerned with suspicious infant deaths. While the emphasis is upon Britain, original and sti... More

The history of infanticide from the 16th through to the late-20th-century is the subject of this volume. Collectively, the contributions explore how the concealment of pregnancy, birth and death, particularly by unmarried women, became a central preoccupation of witnesses, doctors, courts and legislatures concerned with suspicious infant deaths. While the emphasis is upon Britain, original and stimulating accounts of infanticide accusations and trials in France, Germany, and South Africa provide compelling comparative analyses. Presenting a series of case studies, successive chapters expose striking continuities, across both time and space, in the social history of infanticide. Focusing on a range of original cases and documents, and addressing critical historiographical questions, Infanticide should prove useful to historians and students researching the social history of medicine, law, crime, and gender. In addition, it should appeal to lawyers, doctors, and others interested in understanding the historical roots of modern debates about infanticide.

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