Robert Woods and Chris Galley, Mrs Stone & Dr Smellie: Eighteenth-century Midwives and their Patients, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2014. Pp. 560. £80. ISBN 978 1 7813 8141 0.
Richly referenced and with five appendices, Woods and Galley have harnessed a selection of case notes spanning almost two centuries, illustrating changes in practice and knowledge, and touching on controversies and rivalries, in this fascinating period in the development of midwifery practice. The focus on man-midwifery in the metropolis is perhaps inevitable, but it should be borne in mind that even towards the end of the nineteenth century, the vast majority of women were delivered at home, by other women. Mrs Stone & Dr Smellie is essential reading for anyone seeking a greater understanding of changes in midwifery knowledge and practice during this period.
Through an analysis of published case notes, the authors aim to address ‘surprisingly neglected’ questions relating to midwifery in the long eighteenth century, a period characterised by the rise of the man-midwife, and their involvement in normal as well as complicated deliveries. Four questions are posed: How did midwives, both women and men, deliver …
