There is a long but thin thread in Chinese medicine on manless women (to use Hsiao-wen Cheng’s phrase). This thread runs through two millennia of history. Nuns, widows, palace maidens, temple maidens, and other unmarried women of reproductive age were considered at risk for certain types of disorders. The earliest reference is about a palace maiden in Historical Records (Shǐ Jì) by Sīmǎ Qiān. Later doctors added more detail for diagnosis and treatment.
Was this simply the inability of (male) doctors to imagine a woman being happy on her own? Or could some of this be useful for women who long for a partner today? Can this apply to other genders? Can it apply to people who are not heterosexual? These translations raise many questions. Please join the discussion.