Midwives

Balan Vinitha. The Life Wrap TM. Updated 2010. Michael Xie, Riowena Seah. September 14 2010. 

Midwives were typically known as dhais, and they attended a woman during and after childbirth.(Palit)

Maji was a midwife when she was young, and she claims to have a great amount of knowledge on the subject

Midwives in America had little or no scientific knowledge of the “mechanics” of childbirth before the 1900s, and tended to interfere with the birth of the child, often leading to the death of both the mother and the child.

In the 18th century, a division between surgeons and midwives arose, as medical men began to assert that their modern scientific processes were better for mothers and infants than the folk-medical midwives. German social scientists Gunnar Heinsohn and Otoo Steiger theorize that midwifery became a target of persecution and repression by public authorities because midwives not only possessed highly specialized knowledge and skills regarding assisting birth, but also regarding contraception and abortion. (Barlow)

India, a country which is not as technologically advanced as America, is not likely to have midwives which are skilled and knowledgeable in the field of childbirth as it enters the 20th century. This suggests that the midwives which Olivia and Anne have encountered did not have much scientific basis on their methods. The division between surgeons and midwives also shows and explains Dr. Saunder's reaction to Olivia's miscarriage.

Midwives in India were superstitious and believed in the use of many different ‘herbs’ and foods which could help during pregnancy and childbirth. These included garlic, cumin, and plantain. If the birth went wrong, mantras were chanted to help any evil spirits to be chased away. (Selin)

Palit, Chittabrata, and Achintya Kumar. Dutta. //History of Medicine in India: the Medical Encounter//. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, 2005. Print. Barlow, Yvonne. //Quick, Boil Some Water!// Witchford: Bookline and Thinker, 2007. Print. Selin, Helaine, and Pamela Kendall. Stone. //Childbirth across Cultures: Ideas and Practices of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Postpartum//. Dordrecht: Springer Verlag, 2009. Print.