ions founded - Judaism, Christianity, & Islam "Women's health" non-existent Women cared and for and nurtured other women, especially in childbirth and child-rearing Midwives recorded from the beginning of history In ancient word, childbirth was regarded as a female "mystery" Soranus of Ephesus (A.D. 98 -138) Roman physician - focused on the pathology of the female anatomy belief was that uterus was small animal that wandered throughout the woman's body & caused symptoms of hyteria Hence, the word hystero - pertaining to the uterus 1484- Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) by Heinrich Krmer & Kakob Sprenger orequired reading for all Roman Catholic judges ochurch was government oonly men were allowed to be doctors ohorrors inflicted on midwives 24,000 midwives executed as witches during the 15th through 18th centuies Fear of accusations drove midwives underground Barber-surgeons 1588 Peter Chamberlen invented forceps ofamily secret ocharged enormous fees, payable in advance oblindfolded laboring woman, made noises (rattling chains, ringing bells) so waiting relatives could not hear cranioclast used prior to forceps Early 1800's oObstetrics in Medical School curriculum oBelieved practice more scientific oPathogenic belief oFelt midwives were their competitors - were afraid midwives would try to treat illness; afraid to lose wealth patients Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894) oPuerperal fever was a contagion spread by doctors oPublished "The Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever" in New England Quarterly Journal of Medicine oPhysicians outraged - "The very notion that doctors, prototypical gentlemen and scholars, could themselves be the cause" Dr. J. Marion Sims (1813-1883) o"Father of Gynecology" o"Architect of the Vagina" oMultiple experimental operations, without anesthesia, on 4 black female slaves o1855 founded Women's Hospital in New York - experimented on destitute Irish immigrant women Midwives continued to practice 1840's Eur...
