LETTER III.
In my two last letters, I believe I satisfied those who are open to conviction, that even the best Men-midwives are not so safe as women,—and that the custom is destructive of modesty, and affords those Men-midwives who chuse it, finer seraglios than are in the possession of the most luxuriant Monarchs of the East.
There are bad consequences attending the practice which I have not mentioned. It is productive of danger, and of many evils, even when followed by the most eminent men in London;—who can fix limits then to its pernicious consequences, when a set of raw, unskillful young men are turned loose through this town—round its skirts—and over the whole kingdom, and are received by the credulous multitude with no other recommendation than the words over the door of “⸺, Surgeon and Man-midwife?” Boys think themselves qualified for Men-midwives, by having attended one or two courses of lectures under Doctor Hunter,—or, perhaps, without having heard any lectures at all, or ever having seen a subject anatomized, start from behind an apothecary’s counter—and begin their career, murdering of infants without mercy; and with impunity laying the foundation for cancers, and the most dreadful diseases in women;—not to mention the chance of their ruining the peace of families, by introducing vice and discord, where health and harmony might otherwise have gladdened their serene dwellings.—They know enough of the ways requisite to use force;⸺they have heard female Midwives blamed for allowing tedious labours;⸺they think they will be deemed expert, in proportion to the quickness with which they bring the child into the world,—and the mischiefs they of course give rise to are innumerable! It is not in the nature of things possible that a young man, ever so well qualified by study, can be a safe Midwife—how dreadful then must the situations be of those poor women who are in the hands of the numberless men who practice that business throughout England!⸺The people ignorantly take for granted that the sex constitutes knowledge—insures safety! The truth is, the sex alone is sufficient to render any knowledge destructive in general practice. If the men must be introduced into the privacies of women, I would earnestly recommend it as the most essential qualification requisite to prepare them for the study, that they submit to having their voices made delicate.
And here I should have finished my letter, and the subject, if I had not seen an Essay in the Gazetteer of the 17th, signed “Old Chiron,” which I cannot avoid making some remarks on, before I conclude.
The author of it uses tolerable language, and probably could write pretty well on any other subject. He has done as much as could have been attempted in order to continue the delusive error which blinds mankind. He knew he had not Truth on his side—he has therefore put words together, without argument⸺he has boldly denied, what it is impossible to disprove⸺he has as boldly asserted what never happened—and then laughed-off facts, trusting by ridicule to conceal their existence. The pen of Junius could not defend the women who use men.
I believe the thinking part of the world will join with me in opinion, that he would have shewn more wisdom if he had remained silent. A bad defence does harm to any cause—and the more able the defender appears in his stile and language, the worse it is for his cause when he convinces his readers, that even his abilities cannot do it service. The more this subject is investigated, the more prejudicial it will be to his profession.[4] A practice, adopted, and continued through a jumblement of ignorance and vice, can only be favoured by suffering an impenetrable shade to veil actions fit only for darkness.
Old Chiron has been drove so hard as to have been forced to assert that the female Midwives always “cram their patients with cordials⸺keeping them intoxicated during the time they are in labour”—and that they act like infernal fiends, “driving poor women up and down stairs, notwithstanding their shrieks, and shaking them so violently as often to bring on convulsion fits, on pretence of hastening their labours⸺laughing at their cries⸺and breaking wretched jests upon the contortions of the women, whose torments would make a feeling man shudder at the sight.”⸺I believe that it is not possible any one can be so sillily credulous as to have faith in these most shocking, unnatural, improbable, horrid recitals! Is it possible even if such a brute in an human shame found an entry into an house, that the poor lying-in woman could be able to be forced “up and down stairs?”⸺and allow herself to be shook? If she was ignorant enough, and foolish enough to consent, would her relations⸺her friends⸺anxiously attending her, likewise be so ignorant as not to know such treatment was highly improper, as well as cruel beyond cannibal brutality? And this too in England! where bearing of children is not so very uncommon, so very extraordinary a circumstance, as that a Midwife could find means to persuade people into such dreadful absurdities!—The idea is too ridiculous! I have seen among my near relations, many women in labour, as long as it was decent for a man to be present; and declare I have always seen their Midwives treat them with the utmost tenderness. I have enquired of several ladies of my acquaintance, each of whom has bore many children, and always employed women, and they have all declared they never even heard of any thing in the most distant manner resembling such treatment, as this interested author has abused his talents by relating. To vouch falsehoods, and for the most malignant purposes, needs no comment. Perhaps some diabolical wretch may have behaved in this manner⸺but is that ground enough to erect defamations on, against the whole sex? If such proof was to be admitted decisive, I could severely retaliate on him such proceedings of men, as would melt an heart of adamant! and I could bring demonstrable evidence to confirm the authenticity of my relations—but I have already been called “indelicate”—and if I was to write the horrors my pen could unfold—delineate facts, painting the indecencies, and barbarities of men whom I could name, I should indeed be indelicate. What must then the acts have been, which no language can convey a description of, without offending the virtuous, and shocking the humane! yet I should look on myself as very culpable if I had instanced these men as standards for the whole profession to be judged by. I gave the preference to women, not because all men were brutes, but because the greatest Saint on earth, if a man in health, could not answer for his principles being proof against the irresistible temptations arising from being freely indulged in the most luxurious liberties with all the feminine beauties of lovely women,—and because their knowledge of anatomy, and their instruments being ready at hand, too often tempt them to use force, and do mischief in parts of the most exquisite sensibility, which no art, no care, no remedy, can ever after repair; where, if nature had been allowed to do her office, she would have been a safe operator, and all would have ended happily; and let any impartial person decide whether a man, who knows every method of forcing the birth, or a woman, who is conscious of being unacquainted with that dangerous knowledge, are most likely to alter the course of nature, by interfering, where she ought to be the sole actor?⸺It is an indisputable fact, that women have such a peculiar sympathy for females big with young, that ninety-nine out of an hundred carry it to such an excess as to be anxious about brutes in that situation. I have often heard ladies uneasy about mares they have seen with foal, and bitches with whelp. It is an instinct implanted, and interwoven with their natures by the Great Source of all things, for the wisest purposes. Those who have felt the agonies of child birth, surely must be able to sympathize more feelingly than men who can only form an idea of them by theory. Women must be allowed to have more tenderness in their natures than men⸺so that in every view we cannot contest the point of sensibility with them. Yet this author asserts women are improper for Midwives because they are most inhuman—because they drive their fellow-creatures up and down stairs—and shake them into convulsion fits! did old Chiron write ironically? or did he mean to betray the cause of the male-practitioners, by asserting fictitious nonsense, which carries falsehood on it’s face?⸺Let any one view the forceps, and then judge whether it is a gentle instrument? it speaks it’s office!—Let any one view the crotchet, crooked scissars, &c. sharp knives to be sure are instruments fit to be trusted in every hand! they pursue healing measures! they never commit murder!
The writer was pleased to confine himself to what I said of the Hottentot women, because the heat of their climate was adapted to his purpose. I mentioned likewise “the wilds of America,” and the kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland. I fancy those countries are cold enough in winter.
He has quoted the practice of the Athenians as an example for our women. Though Heathen virtues are great reproaches on Christian vices (I should have said, on the vices of people who are only Christians in name, by outwardly professing what their lives are daily contradicting) yet I should imagine no Heathen impurities ought to be admitted patterns against Christian virtues.—Our surgeons are better anatomists than the Athenians were; but I am afraid the Athenian men were better Christians, though they lived before the birth of our Saviour.
“But the women of quality do so fall in love with their Doctors.”—I beg he will excuse me,—I never supposed they fell in love with their male inspector. The sensations which Men-midwives give rise to, deserve not the name which distinguishes that noble passion of the soul.—Love, allies us to our Divine Original, elevates our ideas to Heaven, and makes us emulous of worthy actions! It’s signification is scandalously perverted, when used to describe the impure gratifications of sense, which degrade us below the brutes!—Love, and Virtue, are inseparable. Love never inspires the human heart, but when that heart is in pursuit of virtue; when vicious purposes pollute the mind, it’s end is lust.
“Has there ever been related an instance of so unnatural a connexion?” Many where it has been attempted—several where it has succeeded. Any person may buy the trial of Doctor Morley, where they will see that he was convicted, and fined a thousand pounds, for seducing Mrs. Biker. The poor woman accused the Doctor on her death-bed, and told the whole transaction. The Doctor pleaded to his friends “the strength of the temptation, the frailty of nature; and the impossibility of any man’s resisting such powerful charms.” He quitted his business; the ladies, however, approved his conduct,—it recommended him to their favour, and he was more employed than ever! Doctor ⸺ was forced to feign madness to escape the rage of an injured husband, for having frightened his wife to death! She happened to be a virtuous, though not a modest, woman!—Count Struenzy too was a Man-midwife.—Would he ever have dared to lift his eye, or breathe his infamous passion to a ⸺, if he had not been encouraged and familiarized by the freedoms admitted by the profession of a Man-midwife? Certainly no. Whoever reads the news-papers of three years back, will find many paragraphs informing us of prosecutions of Men-midwives for crim. con.
“A man never seen by them but in their distress, is sure most unlikely to become an object of their desire; nor can the ladies, however lovely in the bloom of health, be supposed capable of retaining their attractions in the hour of agony.”—The writer knows that neither of these assertions are matters of fact. In regard to the first, many women see their Men-midwives in perfect health, to be informed if they are with child? How far gone? “Whether the child lies right?” and on many other pretences.—Men and women, on such trying occasions, must give way to nature—there is no possibility of withstanding it.—As to women’s not being “attractingly lovely when in labour,”—there he likewise must have been sensible that he erred from truth. Those pains rather add to beauty; and though, during the continuance of racking tortures, neither party can attend to any thing but the pains felt on one side, and the compassion which a good man must sympathize in on the other; yet in the intervals (many there always are, and generally they are long intervals) no uneasiness on either side leaves the minds of both at liberty to entertain other ideas.
“And if he” (the Man-midwife) “is at all to answer for their conduct, is, I think, only to be reckoned with for recovering them so early, and so putting it in their power to go abroad and coquet it the sooner.”—The author is pleased to be facetious with the ladies! I do not at all wonder that those men who have such foundation for censuring their conduct, presume thus to ridicule them for their eagerness to visit, in order to receive the homage of their criminal admirers! I should have thought, however, that the subject was not of a nature which could authorize such indecent raillery. It verifies the old proverb, “too much familiarity breeds contempt.”
As to the assertion, that “the faculty employ men to their own wives”—I know very many instances to the contrary—and even if this was otherwise, it would be by no means conclusive. Men who have such choice of fine women to take the most licentious liberties with, most probably cannot remain long faithful to their own wives—they may therefore easily be supposed soon to become so indifferent about them, as to be very ready to suffer their own brethren to lay them, by way of keeping up the farce, and blinding the world. I take for granted however they permit no private examinations. They are too much in the secret.
The gentleman concludes with telling us a story of Dr. Ford’s having attended a poor woman for three days and nights, who had been ill used by a woman.⸺What then?—It only proves that Dr. Ford is not destitute of humanity, and that there is one woman who interfered with nature, and of course did mischief.—I know he “is a favourite with many women of distinction”—but those ladies best know how he has recommended himself to their favour. Neither Dr. Ford, nor Dr. Hunter, can presume to affirm, that they never take the most intimate freedoms with ladies, when there is no chance for labour.⸺Indeed, the ladies make no secret of it—they now can submit to those examinations on the morning of an assembly, tell their company of it at dinner, and go to a tavern to supper!
And now, Mr. Printer, allow me to take my leave of you, and the public on this theme.—The unprejudiced will be convinced—at least it was this flattering, this most pleasing hope, that stimulated me to write on this subject.—I can have no sinister views—the conduct of the world will not interfere with my happiness—for I never will marry any woman, unless I know her sentiments correspond with mine. The public are now in possession of all I can think on the subject—The good sense of the people of England will decide how far my hints may conduce to their domestic happiness.—I leave to other pens to proceed on it, in answer to any writer who may enter the lists against me. Whoever wishes to know my sentiments may review these three letters. I should be an hypocrite, if I attempted to conceal, that, as I took up my pen for the benefit of the community, so I shall be most highly gratified, if I hereafter find my time has been employed to purpose, in opening the eyes of the thoughtless, informing the ignorant, and warning the virtuous. I despair of shaming the immodest!
While I live, I shall think no woman modest who employs
A MAN-MIDWIFE.
[4] I take for granted, Old Chiron is a Man-midwife.