18世紀ロンドンにおける出産病院: British Lying-in Hospital 1749年から1760年の記録を通して

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  • Lying-in hospitals in 18th century Britain : The record of British Lying-In Hospital from 1749 to 1760

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Today, most women are hospitalized for childbirth; however, in the past, they used to undergo labor in their own homes, attended by midwives or doctors. When and how did this change occur? Lying-in hospitals were established by charities in Britain in the mid-18th century to accommodate poor women in labor and assist their lying-in without charge at the institutions. British Lying-In Hospital was one of such institutions established in London. There were three important features of the management of this hospital. First, the charity was responsible for all hospital management decisions, since the entire working capital was funded by charity. Second, surgeons or male midwives were at the top of the hospital's staff hierarchy. They improved the performance of obstetrics and trained surgeons and midwife pupils. Third, women in labor became patients in the hospital. Childbirth changed from being a natural phenomenon in their lives to being placed under the medical control of the hospital. The foundation of lying-in hospitals in the 18th century led to the organization of a medical system centered on staff and obstetricians and managed through specialization and classification. At the same time, poor women in labor were the recipients of relief work in the hospital, and they were essential to the hospital as the objects of control or management.

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