HIGH TECHNOLOGY MEDICINE
Bürgenstock Congress Center, Lucerne, Switzerland
A World Congress, organized by |
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Seasonal variations of births in traditional societies
Abstract
Until the 19th century, seasonal variations of births were clearly marked in our traditional agrarian societies in Europe: more births during winter time, less during summer time. This distribution was in perfect harmony with the seasonal work load of peasant women in the fields. As a consequence, maternal and infant mortality were (for the time being) reasonably low.Both maternal and infant mortalities rose during the second half of the nineteenth century, since a rapid industrialization and urbanization with their increasing demand for foodstuff forced peasant women to work not only longer hours per day and per week, but also to start their field work earlier in the ear and ending it later. Traditionally, planting and harvesting potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets etc. was womens' work. A new equilibrium was reached towards the end of the century, when peasant women decided to have fewer pregnancies - long before "the pill". Since they were now motivated to use the knowledge on prevention (which they had since centuries, as can be proved by herbals), they practised it. Conclusion: Knowledge with regard to bodily things alone is not enough. It must be combined with motivation to produce results. Non paper will be read. The figures, graphs, and illustrations will be presented via Internet.
Beside the presentation in the plenum, there will be a workshop on the topic (using webpages and CD-ROMs).
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The figures, graphs, and illustrationsAll figures, graphs, and illustrations are taken from the CD-ROM Historische Demographie I (1995). For reasonable WWW-loading times, they are heavily compressed. A broader approach to the topic can be found online in an ongoing interdisciplinary project Die Vier Jahreszeiten (The Four Seasons). No further information is therefore given with the illustrations here. More explanations will be delivered at the face-to-face-presentation in Lucerne and during the workshop. Or you may have a look at a full version in German.
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Material and method: the family reconstitution method with family display and family event table Monthly distribution of births in a German peasant society (Schwalm), 1650-1699 Harmony between the seasonal distribution of births and the work load in the fields A herbal from 1557 indicating the contraceptive effects of the leaves of Sevenbaum ('Juniper') A simultaneous increase in maternal and infant mortality as well as in still births around 1860 Working hours per hectar per year for peasant women for different cultivation modes Working hours per year for a peasant woman on a normal sized farm with traditional cultivation modes Working hours per year for a peasant woman on a normal sized farm with market oriented cultivation modes A farm specializing in the cultivation of late potatoes. As a result: the conflict between mother tasks and peasant tasks. A rapidly increasing sugar consumption during the second half of the nineteenth century A farm specializing in the cultivation of sugar beets, resulting in a different seasonal work load As a result: the conflict between mother tasks and peasant tasks. Towards the end of the nineteenth century: a rapid break-through in birth-spacing
Bibliographical note On-line-information
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Started: 9. April 1997
 © A.E.I. 1997
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