Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-03-25
FORM COUNTY
ORGANIZATION
MidWives of MiddIesex Or
Ganize - Much Improve
ment in Conditions.

The midwives of Middlesex coun-
ty formed an association at a meet
ing held quite recently in the Com
munity House in Johnstone street
and at this time all of the members
agreed to abide by the state and city
laws and to aid in any other way to
improve the practice of midwifery.
Through this association Miss Alva
Myers, the district supervisor of
midwives, and the other people in
terested, hope to accomplish much
in improving the conditions now ex-
isting in the county. Miss Myers has
been in her present position for the
past year and half and has accom-
plshed excellent work. The follow
ing are several interesting facts
compiled by her in her recent exper-
fences:
In July, 1919, there were forty
licensed and forty more unlicensed
midwives in Middlesex county. Up
to the present time there are thirty
one licensed midwives. actively prac-
ticing, and still seven unlicensed,
who are continuing to practice il
legally. Nine hundred and forty
six midwives have been licensed in
New Jersey since 1892 and the state
has taken no further cognizance of
these women unless they neglected
to report birth or were convicted
of having performed an abortion.
Very few licenses have been revok-
ed for these reasons. Since January
/, 1919, the state IDS supervised
midwives. Granted that the attend
ance of a physician, trained nurse
and a hospital bed provide ideal care
for mother and baby, where are the
physicians, the nurses and the beds
fny fhAGn mn
women?
MANY foreign born women are
accustomed to midwives and will not
accept other care. They are famil-
lar with the we'll trained. careful,
supervised midwives of their home
lands. In America they must per-
force, often accept the services of
unframed, incompetent women.
Many families employ midwife
because she will often render many
services that cannot be obtained
from doctors. She is sometimes WIS.,
iting nurse and housekeeper as well
as midwife.
New York city and Newark have
demonstrated that the trained wid-
wife does not make such bad show
ing if she is supervised and taught
to obey the law, which forbids her
to take other than cases of normal
labor. The excellent results from
such supervision as has already been
seen in New York city under DR..
Josephine Baker, chief OF the Bu-
reau of Child Hygiene of the New
York Department of Health ~and in
Newark, under DR.. julius Levy, of
the Bureau of Child Hygiene, the
Newark city department of health,
Influenced the state department to
make provisions for such supervision
in New Jersey. The work was start
ed in 1919 under direction OF DR..
Julius Levy who is now consulting
and supervising expert of the Bureau
of Child Hygiene of the State Depart
ment Of Health.
THE ordinance which was passed
by the city Board OF Health last
May has helped in many ways to
improve the midwifery conditions
here. The licensed midwives of the
city include Mrs. Mary Kazmarek.
Mrs. Magdalene Thostesen, Mrs.
Frances Dzbenska, Mrs. ID. Jurercon,
Mrs. +. ThisZ, Mrs. Joseph GonyiZ.
Mrs. Catherine Kazmarek, Mrs. Mar
garet Harmed, Mrs. Anna Breska,
Mrs. NJ. Lalaky, Mrs. Isabel Szat-
mari and Mrs. Z. Holyi. These wo-
men like the other midwives of the
state have adopted the following
motto: The Safe Midwife is Clean,
Trained and Careful. She takes only
normal cases. She is supervised by
the State Department of Health.