Kontan Jou

We have read a lot of works over the past two years and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on her Diary1785-1812, is my favorite. I truly enjoyed reading this book. It may be because it was one that we did not have to review and I could simply read and enjoy the content. However, I think it would have been good even if reading for the sake of reviewing.

The book summary from back cover:
“Between 1785 and 1812 a midwife and hearler named Martha Ballard kept a diary that recorded her arduous work (in 27 years she attended 816 births) as well as her domestic life in Hallowell, Maine. On the basis of that diary, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich gives us an intimate and densely imagined portrait, not only of the industrious and reticent Martha Ballard but of her society- a portrait that sheds light on its medical practices, religious squabbles and sexual mores. At once lively and impeccably scholarly, A Midwife’s Tale is a triumph history on a human scale.”

The organization of this work was great. First Ulrich presented the diary entries as they were entered, then went on to explain each event using records from the time and other personal accounts of specific events to present the entire picture. I found the statistics presented to be rather interesting. For example the total first births Ballard saw 1785-1797 were 106. 40 (38%) were conceived out of wedlock, 31 (29%) premarital pregnancy, 9 (8%) illegitimate. Another interesting item, whenever a woman was giving birth to a child out of wedlock she was asked during the pains of labor to name the father, in expectation that at the time of intense pain and stress she would not lie and he could be held accountable. Ballard was also considered a healer. She used various methods and roots for ailments. An appendix of the work includes some of these, which include bleeding a cat and applying the blood, administering root to induce vomiting, or mixtures of root, herb, and urine for salve applications and such. I’m amazed people survived the treatments for many troubles.