A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812Between 1785 and 1812 a midwife and healer 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. |
Contents
Exceeding Dangerously ill | 32 |
warpt a piece | 70 |
Mrs Foster has sworn a Rape on a number of men | 102 |
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American April April 24 attended August Augusta baby Ballard house Barton Benjamin birth Boston Bowdoinham brot Calld century child Clear Colman Cyrus Daniel Cony Daughter Lambard Daughter Pollard Davis death December delivered delivery Densmore Doctor Dolly early eighteenth-century England entry Ephraim Ballard Esquire fatagued father February female Foster garden gave George Thatcher girls Hallowell Hannah Henry Sewall History Hitty hour household Howard husband infant jail James January John John Vassall Jonathan Joseph North July June Kennebec County Kennebec Proprietors labor Lady Maine March marriage married Martha Ballard Martha wrote Martha's diary Mary Massachusetts medicine midwife MIDWIFE'S TALE midwifery morn mother murders neighbors North November November 15 October October 20 Oxford Parthenia patient physicians plants Polly Purrinton Receivd records river Sally Savage September Shee shillings sick sister tarried all night town unwell Vassalboro washt wife William woman women