Introductory Notes on Lying-in Institutions

Introductory Notes on Lying-in Institutions, by Florence Nightingale, comes together with a proposal for organising an institution for training midwives and midwifery nurses. A table abstracted from Dr. Le Fort’s ‘Des Maternités’ shows the death-rate from all causes amongst women delivered in lying-in hospitals. The text says that in lying-in hospitals in various countries and climates there were, out of 888,312 deliveries, no fewer than 30,394 deaths, giving an average death-rate of 34 per 1,000.

The text says everybody must be born, and every woman, at least in this kingdom, is attended at the birth of her child by somebody, skilful or unskilful. A figure of 786,858 children born alive in this country in 1868 is given, with the remark that for the midwives and midwifery nurses to be trained there will always be occupation and custom enough. The opening pages ask whether the small “Notes” may be dedicated, without “permission,” to the shade of Socrates’ Mother.