The Disease of Virgins Author:Helen King In sixteenth-century Europe, the disease of virgins, or green sickness, was seen as a common disorder affecting young unmarried girls. Its symptoms included weakness, dietary disturbance, lack of menstruation and most significantly, a change in skin color. Understanding of the condition turned puberty and virginity into medical problems, and pro... more »posed to cure them by bloodletting, diet, exercise, and marriage. This compelling study poses a number of questions about the nature of disease itself and the relationship between illness, body image and what we should call "normal" behavior.« less