working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

PROFESSIONScribed as one who " distributes among the Indigent,Money and Books, and Cloaths, and Physick, astheir several1 Circumstances may require," torelieve " her poorer Neighbours in sudden Distress,when a Doctor is not at Hand, or when they haveno Money to buy what may be necessary for them;and the charitableness of her Physick is often attendedby some cure or other that is remarkable. God givesa peculia, Bles~iny to the Practice of those Womenwho have no other design in this Matter, but thedoing Good : that neither prescribe where theymay have the Advice of the Learned, nor at any timegive or recommend any thing to try Experiments,but what they are assured from former Tryals is safeand innocent ; and if it do not help cannot hurt."'The protieion made by Lady Falkland of " antidotesagainst infection and of Cordials, and other severalsorts of Physick for such of her Neighbours as shouldneed them, amounted yearly to very considerableher ski1 indeed was more thansummes . . .ordinary, and her wariness too . . . . Booke:of spiritual exhortations, she carried in her hand tothese sick persons."2 Mrs. Elizabeth Bedell " wasvery famous and expert in Chirurgery, which shecontinually practised upon multitudes that flock'dto her, and still gratis, without respect of persons,poor or rich. It hapned occasionally that somewould return like the heald Samaritan, with sometoken of thankfulness ; though this was seldom.But God did not fail to reward them with (thatwhich in Scripture is most properly call'd his reward)children, and the fruit of the womb. 3 sons and 4daughter^."^Expressions of gratitude to women for these medicalservices occur in letters and diaries of the time. Thel Rogen, Timothy. Character 51 a Good Woman, p. qz 43.Falkland, Lady Lettice, Vi-countess, Tbe Life and Death of.3 Uedfll, (Wm.), Life and Dcarb of, p. 8.PROFESSIONSRev. R. Josselin enters January ~7th~ 1672, " MyL. Honeywood sent her coach for me : yr I staydto March 10, in time my Lady was my nurse &Phisitian & I hope for much good : . . . . theyconsidered ye scurvy. I tooke purge & other thingsfor it ;"lMarmaduke Rawdon met with a carriageaccident, in which he strained his " arme, but commingeto Hodsden his good cossen Mrs. Williams, with hirarte and care, quickly cured itt, and in ten dayeswas well againe.'2Nor was the practice of medicine confined to Gentlewomen; many a humble woman in the country,the wife of farmer or husbandman, used her skill forthe benefit of her neighbours. In their case, thoughmany were prompted purely by motives of kindnessand goodwill, others received payment for theirservices. How much the dependence of the commolipeople on the skill of these " wise women " was takenfor granted is suggested by some lines in " TheAlchemist," where Mammon assures Do1 Common" This nook, here, of the Friers is no ClimateFor her to l~ve obscurely in, to learnePhysick, and Surgery, for the Constable's wifeOf some odde Hundred in Essex "3Though their work was entirely unscientific, experienceand common sense, or perhaps mere luck,often gave to their treatment an appearance of successwhich was denied to their more learned rivals. ThusAdam Martindale describing his illness says thatit was " a vehement fermentation in my body. . . ugly dry scurfe, eating deep and spread-ing broad.Some skilfull men, or so esteemed, beingconsulted and differing much in their opinions, we wereleft to these three bad choices . . . . in this greateJosselin, (R.), Diary, pp. 163-4.Ranudon. (Wamnduke), Ltfe of p 85.l" jomon, (Ben : 7br Alrbemrst. Act IV.. Sc. 1.