Giving Birth In Canada 1900 1950

A fascinating account of childbirth rituals in the first half of the twentieth century from the initial diagnosis of pregnancy, though childbirth - who was present, and where it took place - to the definition of what constituted a normal birth.

Historically Canadians have considered themselves to be more or less free of racial prejudice. Although this conception has been challenged in recent years, it has not been completely dispelled. In Colour-Coded, Constance Backhouse illustrates the tenacious hold that white supremacy had on our legal system in the first half of this century, and underscores the damaging legacy of inequality that continues today. Backhouse presents detailed narratives of six court cases, each giving evidence of blatant racism created and enforced through law. The cases focus on Aboriginal, Inuit, Chinese-Canadian, and African-Canadian individuals, taking us from the criminal prosecution of traditional Aboriginal dance to the trial of members of the 'Ku Klux Klan of Kanada.' From thousands of possibilities, Backhouse has selected studies that constitute central moments in the legal history of race in Canada. Her selection also considers a wide range of legal forums, including administrative rulings by municipal councils, criminal trials before police magistrates, and criminal and civil cases heard by the highest courts in the provinces and by the Supreme Court of Canada. The extensive and detailed documentation presented here leaves no doubt that the Canadian legal system played a dominant role in creating and preserving racial discrimination. A central message of this book is that racism is deeply embedded in Canadian history despite Canada's reputation as a raceless society. Winner of the Joseph Brant Award, presented by the Ontario Historical Society

The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.’s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Filled with details as compelling as they are surprising, The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to have control of their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine.

"This volume uncovers and substantiates evidence of the mandate in Canada, interrogates social work policies and practices, revisits the semi-incarceral "homes for unwed mothers," and quantifies the mandate through an extensive review of provincial reports; ultimately finding that approximately 300,000 unmarried mothers in Canada were impacted by illegal and unethical adoption practices, human rights abuses, and violence against the maternal body."--

“The writing is superb: smart, sassy and honest–oh, are they honest...in this must–read for every woman.” — Booklist “What a book, for men and women both. There is no bitterness here, only the eloquence of honesty.” — Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle “THE BITCH IN THE HOUSE is... smart, funny, wise, honest, and very probably...the story of your life.” — Cynthia Kaplan, author of Why I'm Like This “I devoured these essays, and took great guilty pleasure in trespassing into these private lives.” — Elinor Lipman, author of The Dearly Departed and The Inn at Lake Devine “...This essay anthology will offer comfort to real women living real lives” — Library Journal “A rollicking, free-flowing, double-barreled think piece.” — Hartford Courant “Starkly revealing ...Here is unvarnished truth and more than a smidgen of anger about marriage, motherhood, solitude, and sex.” — Seattle Post-Intelligencer “The writing is superb: smart, sassy and honest-oh, are they honest-in this must-read for every woman.” — Booklist “The great thing about The Bitch in the House is knowing how many of us there are out there.” — O magazine

This publication discusses the population growth trends of this century.

"[An] engrossing survey of the history of childbirth." —Stephen Lowman, Washington Post Making and having babies—what it takes to get pregnant, stay pregnant, and deliver—have mystified women and men throughout human history. The insatiably curious Randi Hutter Epstein journeys through history, fads, and fables, and to the fringe of science. Here is an entertaining must-read—an enlightening celebration of human life.

"Over the past two centuries, technology has played a significant role in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disease in Canada. Technology -- in the form of instruments, devices, machines, drugs, and systems -- has aided medical science, altered medical practice, and changed the illness experience of patients. Nineteenth-century medical technology consisted of predominantly surgical and diagnostic instruments used by individual practitioners. By the twentieth century, large, hospital–based technologies operated by teams emerged as powerful tools in the identification and management of disease [...] Our selection of diseases, research initiatives, and medical treatments highlights larger patterns in medicine, identifies Canadian contributions, and considers the impact of these innovations on Canadian society. In this fifty–year period, public health initiatives limited the spread of contagious diseases and addressed the problem of impure water and milk. Medical practitioners used X–rays to diagnose tuberculosis and to treat cancer. The discovery of insulin in Toronto in 1921–22 offered a management therapy for diabetes patients, who were otherwise facing certain death.