Midwifery in India

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 4, 1 October 1915, Page 192

Midwifery in India

Extract from letter written by one of our Missionary Nurses m an outlying district. ( We have not had a great many confinement cases this year ; but those we did have were interesting, for we are not generally called till the native midwives have done all they can. In one case of a hand and shoulder presentation the infant's arm was twisted right off m their attempts at delivery, and m two other similar cases the poor arms were frightfully swollen and bruised. In the latter case they said the patient had been six and eight hours m labour. As soon as we arrived We knew that to be untrue, and later they admitted that one woman had been m labour three days, the other two days. In both cases the doctor had to decapitate, and the mothers made a good recovery. "Can you picture the smallest, darkest room m the house- — no light — -no air ; but a charcoal fire burning under the bed, the fumes of which make one's eyes smart and throat tingle. On the rope bed lies the patient, with the oldest, dirtiest rags m the house fox* bedding. Along one end of the room are piles of earthen water-pots stacked m columns to the roof and covered with dust and cobwebs. Our basins have to be placed on the uneven mud floor and are m constant danger of being tipped over. We have brought with us a small portable steriliser, washhand basins, and soap ; but being a bright, moonlight night, did not think of a lantern, and the only light avail-

able is that shed from a wick floating m a saucerful of oil. This is placed m a niche m the wall, but, later on, we put it beside the bed on top of a reversed water -pot, but, alas ! the doctor suddenly takes a step to one side, and over it goes. We are left m darkness till some more oil is brought. It is a very difficult case, and the perspiration streams down our faces. Every time the doctor moves I think these piles of waterpots are going to fall with a crash on top of us. Two women relatives squat on the bed at the patient's head, and when one of them sees instruments being introduced, she rushes yelling from the room and tells some awful tale to all those sitting outside. For a few minutes it sounds as if there is going to be a riot ; but we continue working and perspiring. Then a man comes into the room and orders us out ; but the doctor calmly states he is determined to save the woman's life if at all possible (the child being dead on our arrival), and asks the man to kindly withdraw and give us room to work. He goes out and there is more talking, but we are not disturbed again. When we finally picked our way out among the cattle m the outer room and reach the courtyard we find quite a different state of things. On being assured that with care the woman will live, they cling to our feet and their flattery is enough to puff us out like balloons."