A history of women's contribution to world health /

Dakin ably and concisely fulfills her goal to show that women throughout history have made enormous contributions to health care. No large number of women appear in any one period because of existing social, financial, political, legal, and gender barriers. The aggregate, however, documents that, despite multiple constraints, outstanding women emerged in all periods to become physicians, scientists, surgeons, nurses, and midwives, all of whom cared for people from birth to death. In the Middle Ages midwives held complete monopoly of women's care; men were barred by law from this specialty. Contributions covered many fields: anatomy, physiology, psychiatry, biochemistry, nutrition, and pharmacy. Along the way, Dakin provides an overview of medical history within the milieu characterizing each period. The content in this slim volume arouses the reader's interest and enthusiasm in pursuing more in-depth study. Recommended especially for those in the health professions, science, history, and women's studies.-A. R. Davis, U.S. Public Health Service