Jane Sharp had been a midwife in England for about 30 years when she wrote ‘The Midwives Book’ in 1671 (which has been reprinted by OUP: Women Writers in English 1350 – 1850, and edited by Elaine Hobby).

Here is an extract from the original book:
‘What must be done after the woman is delivered.
‘It will be profitable when a woman hath had sore travel (ie, travail, or labour) to wrap her back with a sheep-skin newly flayed off ,and let her ly in it, and to lay a Hare-skin, rub’d over with Hares blood newly prepared, to her belly; let these things be worn two hours in the winter, and but one hour in Summer, for these will close up the parts too much dilated by the childs birth, and will expel all ill melancholly blood from these parts.’

The reference to ‘melancholly blood’ is about the theory of humours, believed at that time. (These theories were developed by Aristotle and Galen, philosophers and physicians from ancient times). The four humours that circulated around the body were blood, choler, melancholy and phlegm, and the health of individuals depended upon the balance of these humours. Also, the humours determined the outlook of an individual – for instance, an optimistic person’s temperament may still in this day and age be described as sanguine (or bloody), or people may be said to be choleric or phlegmatic.

The balance of humours controlled the heat of the body. Men were usually hotter and drier than women, and therefore naturally superior. Indeed, it was the heat of their bodies that forced their genitalia to the outside. Women were colder and therefore their reproductive organs were kept within their bodies. Because of their cold, wet nature, women needed frequent sex. Their lust could be dangerous for men, sapping their strength and threatening their morals.

Jane Sharp believed that midwifery belonged exclusively to women. This was in a time when men – physicians and barber surgeons in particular – realised that man-midwifery could be a lucrative profession and were starting to muscle in. More on that later.

More on the Rosengarten and The Byrth of Mankind

Rosslin considered midwives of his time to be responsible for many maternal deaths, and wrote this textbook, the Rosengarten, for them. In fact, the Rosengarten was very much based upon the writings of the Greek physician Soranus, who practised medicine in Rome round about 100AD. (The original copy of Soranus’ writings is now in the Vatian library). Much of the medical literature at that time was just rehashed and recycled from the great writers of Greek and Roman times, such as Aristotle and Galen, and Rosslin acknowledges the ancient authorship of much of the book. He also included new material, however, incorporating what he regarded as good midwifery practice, told to him, no doubt, by midwives. Perhaps there were some whose practice he respected, and to whom he would listen.
The book became a best seller in Germany. The fact that this book was widely used by midwives indicates they were far more literate than widely believed. One of the reasons sometimes given as to why medieval women were not allowed to study at universities is that they said to be were illiterate, but this seems by no means always to have been the case.
The Rosengarten was translated into English and published there in 1540 under the title of “The Byrth of Mankind”. It was dedicated to Queen Katherine Howard.

The Rosengarten

This illustration is taken from The Rosengarten (roughly translated as The Rosegarden for Pregnant Women and Midwives), written by Eucharius Rosslin, a German physician. He wrote the book in the early 1500s specifically for midwives, in an effort to improve their practice.
He instructs that a chair should be made so that the mother might recline in it. The chair should be padded with cloths, and the mother covered. At the right time, the covering should be removed and the mother turned from one side to the other. The midwife is to sit in front of the chair and pay careful attention to how the mother is moving, controlling her legs with her hands previously coated with, for example, white lily oil, or almond oil. The midwife must encourage the mother with gentle words, exorting her to breathe deeply, ensuring she takes nourishing food and drink, and massaging lightly just above the the navel towards the hips. She should comfort the mother with the happy prospect of birthing a boy!

Talking to a friend about midwifery the other day I repeated the oft quoted mantra 'Everyone needs a midwife!'

He laughed and said he didn't think he did. But of course, he had, far before he could remember.

Everyone who has ever lived needs or needed a midwife at some point in their lives. (Whether or not they got one is, of course, a different matter).

Another oft-quoted saying is that midwifery is the second oldest profession. I beg to differ. I believe it is the oldest. (I'd be happy to concede prostitution as the second. Maybe).

So, the history of midwifery and midwives stretches back to the beginnings of humanity. I don't aim to go back quite that far in this blog! I'm going to start with the medieval period in Europe, mainly because that's where my primary interest lies at the moment.

Please comment, or add any snippets of information, or questions.