, 1881-08-20


no woman In Child birth CAP be compelled
to employ the services of a midwife If
she can bel P herself; Just as little as any
man sick can be compelled to take a
doctor to treat his sickness ; and it Is also
certain, that 10 woman employing the
services Of an Unauthorized midwife could
be punished for doing So only the person
rendering her services without being
authorized, can be punished,
2od Member for Ffederiksted's Country
District Uunghans) said it would be very
useless to have midwives unless the labour-
ers were compelled to employ them, and
none else. Such a regulation would De OF
great benefit to the population Of the
Island and something to that effect is
what planters expect.
The acting President referred again TO
the contents OF the Circular 10 which it is
strictly forbidden under tie liability of the
Law to USE other than authorized persons,
2od Member for Frederiksted's Country
District Jungh1ns) thanked His Honour; he
(Junghans) must have misunderstood the
honorable Chairman to say that Iabou,ers
cannot be compelled to use the authorized
midwives.
The Chairman said it is certainly 40
that no one can be bound to employ Il
midwife. He believed that the principal
guarantee against the existing evil is not
that people who employ an unauthoriz ed
midwife are to be punished; but that
individuals giving their services without
being authorized to act, Shall be punished ;
md ,uo ,r1,u M p,,,. ,b,. .L-,o khak 49,.
authorized wi soon enough report those
who practice without being authorized.
In the case OF doctors, the man employing
the services Of a quack, instead OF a medi-
cal precti Toner, Ia not punished, but the
quack is.
The Acting President read the section of
the Presldency'S Publication and Circular
referring to this matter running thus +:
"As "a consequence thereof it is hereby
made incumbent on all 10 said District if
eventual cases to avail themselves OF tho
assistance only OF the said appointed
midwife or o her authorized person, as also
IN said district all other persons are under
the liability Of the penal taac, prohibited to
afford such assistance" and added that eve
ii the view ct the honorable Chairman'.;
Were correct, which might be doubtful,
there was sufficient provision in the Pub.
llca ion to prevent unauthorized persons
from meddling with women IN labor.
The Chairman would only observe that
the publication alluded to is no Ordinance,
and hence, it cannot establish the rule,
that q woman using an unauthorized
person to assist her 10 child birth shall DO
punished Tor doing that, while we see the
opposite principle elsewhere laid down.
tor instance, a burgher buving articles
f ono an unlicensed seller is not by law
amenable, but the unlicensed seller
is to be iaed and otherwise punished. It
is certainly a very important thing for this
Island that better care be provided for
young children, especially in their first
year, as the state OF thugs in that respect
is very bad indeed, worse than in any OF
the English Islands, and in fact such is the
state that we might we'll be ashamed OF
it; therefore al! the money spent upon
measures to secure an amelioration would
be we'll spent.
3rd Member tor Frederiksted's Country
District (Junghans) That is just tho
very reason why the people in the country
should be compelled to use the mid wives
provided. He knew personally OF case"
where women helped themselves in child
birth, with the worse after consequences
for mother and child.
IT, oct;oo Droo;dout ~rorI1 IN corcoc.