The Empty Cradle: Infertility in America from Colonial Times to the Present

ISBN-10: 0756771625
ISBN-13: 9780756771621
Series: The Empty Cradle
Pages: 326
Language: English
Published: 2004-02-01
Authors: Margaret Marsh, Wanda Ronner

Description

In this important book, prof. Margaret Marsh, Ph.D., and obstetrician-gynecologist Wanda Ronner, M.D., delve into the origins of the many medical and cultural beliefs surrounding infertility. Drawing on a wide variety of sources -- including intimate diaries and letters, patient records, memoirs, medical literature, and popular magazines -- they investigate the social and scientific dimensions of infertility over the past 300 years. They disclose the voices of those most affected by the physiological and cultural condition of infertility, and restore to the historical record the anguish and hopes of women who experienced infertility. They also demonstrate the profound impact of politics as well as culture on the development of medical practice. B&W photos.