Part 2: The Dark Side of the Moon ~ Synoptic account of Dr. J.W. Williams as recorded in 1914 book “Twilight Sleep” book and public records of the AMSPIM* meeting from 1910 to 1915

by faithgibson August 6, 2023

*NOTE: AASPIM is for the “American Association for the Study and Prevention of Infant Mortality”. This was a professional organization of obstetricians and other MDs and public health officials that met annually from 1910 to 1923. It was originally organized, financed, and backed by the AMA. The previous post — Part One — provided the necessary […]

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Post #1 ~ A Brief synopsis of the long story of Dr. J.W. Williams as recorded in 1914 “Twilight Sleep” and public records incl 1910 to 1923 meetings of the AMSPIM

by faithgibson August 5, 2023

Background material about the American influential obstetrician Dr. J. Whitridge Williams, and his role in portraying childbirth in white middle and upper-class women as a quasi-pathology process   This story was memorialized in a book published in 1914 entitled “Twilight Sleep: A Simple Account of New Discoveries in Painless Childbirth“. It also was recorded in […]

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Newly Uncovered Historical Documents for Birth Activists

by faithgibson August 4, 2023

August 04, 2023 Newly Uncovered Historical Documents for Birth Activists  for working on policy and legislation & midwifery students If you ever wondered what it would be like to interview the famous obstetricians who practiced in the 1910-1930 era and created the “American way of birth” (a new obstetrical procedure ‘performed’ by obstetrically-trained surgeons), you have to […]

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Excerpt #2 of the 1914 book: Draft: Twilight Sleep ~ A Simple Account of New Discoveries in Painless Childbirth and influence of Dr. J. W. Williams’ definition of childbirth as a pathological process

by faithgibson August 3, 2023

I’m devoting August 2023 to posting and organizing the mass of material I have on the life and influence of Dr. J. Whitridge Williams on obstetrics in America and his (unfortunately) successful efforts to officially define obstetrics as a surgical specialty, childbearing women was “surgical patients” and childbirth as a surgical procedure “performed” by the […]

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Excerpt #1 of the 1914 book: Twilight Sleep ~ Simple Discoveries in Painless Childbirth and Dr. J. Whitridge Williams’ influence that defined childbirth as a pathological process .

by faithgibson August 1, 2023

I am devoting August 2023 to posting and organizing the mass of material i have on the life and influence of Dr. J. Whitridge Williams. My goal is to collate the material into a single volume.  So if it seems redundant, you are right. But these various version were written at different times and represent […]

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