Midwifery and the diseases of women

In Short

This work functions as both a medical treatise and a manifesto for the mid-nineteenth-century "Water-Cure" movement. By detailing the application of cold-water treatments for conditions ranging from menstrual irregularities to the complexities of childbirth, the author seeks to replace traditional "dosing and drugging" with a regimen of natural hygiene. The text serves as an essential historical artifact, illustrating how an early advocate for physiological health navigated the gendered medical landscape of the 1850s, emphasizing patient autonomy and the rejection of unnecessary chemical interference in the cycles of female life.

The Story

The narrative follows the development of a patient’s journey toward health, moving from the onset of menstruation through the reproductive years to the "change of life." The argument opens by establishing the author’s primary thesis: that many of the sufferings traditionally associated with womanhood are not inevitable, but are instead exacerbated by sedentary habits, heavy clothing, and, most critically, the medicinal practices of the time. The author uses comparative examples, such as the hardy physical state of Indigenous women in New Zealand, to demonstrate that a life characterized by outdoor activity, simple vegetable-based diets, and the absence of restrictive clothing fosters robust health.

As the text progresses, the focus shifts to the specific challenges of pregnancy and childbirth. The author demystifies these processes, encouraging women to view them as natural states rather than periods of illness. He provides detailed instructions on how to maintain vigor through active daily routines, advocating for a moderate lifestyle that avoids both the dangers of over-exertion and the perceived traps of excessive indulgence. He is particularly critical of medical interventions like bleeding, blistering, and the administration of powerful emetics, which he characterizes as "dreadful expedients" that often do more harm than the conditions they are meant to treat.

The arc of the book reaches its climax in the practical management of labor and its aftermath. The author offers a series of case studies—some successful, some cautionary—to show how water-based treatments can mitigate pain, stop hemorrhaging, and prevent the onset of puerperal fever. Throughout these accounts, the goal is to empower the reader to take charge of her own recovery, emphasizing that the human body, when supported by proper nutrition and the tonic effects of cool water, possesses a remarkable capacity for healing. The book concludes by addressing the cessation of the menstrual function, framing it not as a decline, but as a transition that, if managed with "physiological principles," allows for a state of renewed equilibrium and health. By rejecting the "dosing and drugging" of the medical establishment, the author invites the reader to adopt a philosophy of self-reliance, grounded in the belief that nature, when properly respected, is the most efficient healer.

How It Unfolds

The philosophy of nature The author establishes the foundational belief that woman’s health is often undermined by artificial, sedentary, and restrictive societal norms. He advocates for a return to simple, natural living, citing the physical robustness of non-Western cultures as evidence of the benefits of air, light, and movement.

The principles of the water-cure The text introduces hydropathy as a tonic for the entire system, explaining how cool water constricts blood vessels and strengthens the body's tissues. These methods are presented as tools for the patient to use at home, emphasizing that the treatment is intended to fortify rather than overwhelm the system.

Managing the reproductive cycle Detailed chapters guide the reader through menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth, providing specific protocols for common complaints. The narrative encourages active, healthy habits to prevent "labors" from becoming the dangerous, drawn-out affairs that the author claims are common under traditional medical oversight.

The rejection of drug-treatment The final sections warn against the dangers of contemporary medical practices like bleeding and the use of chemical emetics. The author presents these as risky experiments, urging readers to trust in gentle, cooling hydrotherapy instead.

The People

The book is guided by the voice of the author, Joel Shew, an earnest and confident advocate for hydropathy who acts as a mentor to his female readers. He is motivated by a desire to liberate women from the "untold sufferings" caused by what he perceives as incompetent or overly aggressive medical practices. He stands against the "dosing and drugging" physicians of his time, whom he views as well-intentioned but misguided by an erroneous medical tradition.

In the case studies, we encounter women like the "old lady" who successfully overcomes uterine hemorrhage through the application of cold cloths and rest. Her transformation from a state of illness to wellness serves as proof of the author’s theories. We also meet the wife of a sea captain, who, after experiencing the "intolerable anguish" of past births, finds relief and a rapid recovery through the author’s water-treatment protocols. These women act as the beneficiaries of the system; they start as patients burdened by traditional, often painful, medical expectations and finish as enlightened practitioners of their own recovery. They are not merely passive recipients of care, but active agents who learn to "trust nature" and avoid the "single misstep" of chemical intervention.

In Its Own Voice

Regarding the systemic harm he believes is done by contemporary doctors, the author writes:

“Patients have sometimes died of the exhaustion caused by the vomiting, as has been supposed; but I am more inclined to think they have far oftener been drugged to death.”

On the necessity of exercise and a regulated, simple lifestyle to ensure physical well-being:

“Hence the justness of the remark, that the women who live in the country, and exercise freely in the open air; who have fulfilled their duties scrupulously as mothers, by suckling their children agreeably to the views of nature; who do not goad their systems by over-stimulating food and drinks; who do not relax their bodies by too long indulgence in bed, have but little suffering at this period.”

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book is a critique of the medical establishment’s interventionist approach to women’s health. The central argument is that the female body is fundamentally designed to endure the cycles of life—menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth—without the need for complex, chemical, or surgical management. The author posits that society’s preoccupation with fashion, restrictive clothing, and a lack of physical activity creates the very diseases that doctors later try to "cure" with harmful drugs. It is a work about the reclamation of the body and the rejection of the "meddlesome" practices of contemporary medicine, advocating for a harmonious existence where health is maintained through daily, simple acts of hygiene.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of medicine or the evolution of wellness culture will find this book deeply illuminating. It offers a window into the nineteenth-century obsession with "natural" cures and the specific, often gendered, anxieties surrounding the female body in the mid-1800s. The prose is earnest and direct, reflecting a time when health advice was often delivered as a moral imperative.

However, the modern reader should be prepared for the book's period-specific limitations. The author’s view on "physiological principles" and his frequent dismissals of conventional medical doctors are deeply tied to his own movement's dogma rather than modern medical science. His tone can feel paternalistic, even as he claims to empower his female audience, and his descriptions of anatomical developments—such as the fetal lungs or the ear—are presented with the limited, if enthusiastic, scientific knowledge of the 1850s. Those who enjoy reading primary texts that show the struggle between tradition and emerging medical alternatives will find the author’s fervor for cold-water treatments both surprising and engaging. What lingers after reading is the author's persistent, almost desperate, attempt to provide women with a sense of control over their own physical pain during an era when they were often sidelined by the medical profession.