[page 1]

1931
Midwifery in the South, as elsewhere, is a system coming down from our
forefathers. On the old plantations, before obstetricians in air planes became
a reality, the most intelligent of the slave mammies were taken by their masters
to the "big house" to assist with the home making. Their chief duties were to
care for the mother and small children, attendance on the mother in child birth
being expected as a logical part of this service. The confidence manifested
in the black mammies by the "white folks" and the great love shown them by their
small white charges exalted them over the other negroes on the plantation. The
midwives through rather intimate association with the best white families
undoubtedly have been a factor of no mean value in the education of their own
race. Their elimination as midwives must come but this change should be made
with due regard to their standing with their own people. Their obstetrical
knowledge has not kept pace with scientific developments, though in some respects
no doubt they are still superior to their people and to this degree their leader-
ship and counsel should be retained.
I would seriously propose that in removing them from this work they be
duly honored with appropriate services and given in lieu of certificates of
registration certificates of merit, placing them on the inactive list, of course,
but doing it with due appreciation for the service they have rendered, faulty as
it may at times have been, in the past.

Note - These ideas were stolen from Miss Hall and Miss Kly.
L.S.B.
Blachley

Florida

[page 2]

[map]
Distribution of Midwives [as displayed on map] County White midwives Colored midwives
Alachua 3 52
Baker 4 7
Bay 1 13
Bradford 0 9
Brevard 0 18
Broward 0 23
Calhoun 6 10
Charlotte 1 3
Citrus 1 13
Clay - -
Collier 5 0
Columbia 2 28
Dade 0 38
De Soto 0 3
Dixie 4 9
Duval 4 68
Escambia 8 25
Flagler 1 4
Franklin 2 8
Gadsden 1 47
Gilchrist 1 4
Glades 4 3
Gulf - -
Hamilton 1 26
Hardee 7 3
Hendry 3 1
Hernando 1 5
Highlands 1 11
Hillsborough 20 35
Holmes - -
Indian River 0 9
Jackson 7 48
Jefferson 0 42
Lafayette 3 4
Lake 2 15
Lee 6 9
Leon - -
Levy 5 23
Liberty 1 15
Madison 2 38
Manatee 6 21
Marion - -
Martin 1 6
Monroe 3 4
Nassau 1 13
Okaloosa 4 3
Okeechobee 1 3
Orange 1 24
Osceloa 1 11
Palm Beach 2 32
Pasco 1 6
Pinellas 2 25
Polk - -
Putnam - -
St. Johns - -
St. Lucie 0 9
Santa Rosa 11 9
Sarasota 1 7
Seminole 0 26
Sumter 1 18
Suwannee 1 26
Taylor 2 17
Union 1 7
Volusia - -
Wakulla 4 8
Walton 3 17
Washington 6 16

Totals

[population chart] Co. [County] Pop. [Population]

No. Babies [Number of Babies]
Alachua 34,365 361
Baker 6,273 110
Bay 12,091 50
Bradford 9,405 54
Brevard 13,283 61
Broward 20,094 146
Calhoun 7,298 52
Charlotte 4,015 24
Citrus 5,516 31
Clay 6,859 -
Collier 2,883 11
Columbia 14,638 212
Dade 142,955 506
De Soto 7,745 21
Dixie 6,419 59
Duval 155,503 738
Escambia 53,594 291
Flagler 2,466 30
Franklin 6,285 65
Gadsden 29,890 414
Gilchrist 4,137 17
Glades 2,762 29
Gulf 3,182 -
Hamilton 9,454 88
Hardee 10,348 23
Hendry 3,492 9
Hernando 4,948 29
Highlands 9,192 50
Hillsborough 153,519 886
Holmes 12,924 -
Indian River 6,724 40
Jackson 31,969 3355
Jefferson 13,408 272
Lafayette 4,361 29
Lake 23,161 105
Lee 14,990 30
Leon 23,476 -
Levy 12,456 111
Liberty 4,067 49
Madison 15,614 270
Manatee 22.502 149
Marion 29,578 -
Martin 5,111 12
Monroe 13,624 143
Nassau 9,897 105
Okaloosa 9,375 39
Okeechobee 4,129 12
Orange 49,737 150
Osceloa 10,699 55
Palm Beach 51,781 252
Pasco 10,574 22
Pinellas 62,149 183
Polk 72,291 -
Putnam 18,096 -
St. Johns 18,676 -
St. Lucie 7,057 53
Santa Rosa 14,083 72
Sarasota 12,440 49
Seminole 18,735 176
Sumter 10,644 94
Suwannee 15,731 168
Taylor 13,136 78
Union 7,425 52
Volusia 42,757 -
Wakulla 5,468 65
Walton 14,576 123
Washington 12,180 128

Totals 1,468,211 7804

No. Babies - total number delivered in 1930 by others than doctors, i.e. by licensed and unlicensed midwives and attendants.

Symbols:

Red figures - white midwives
Black figures - colored.

[page 3]

SUMMARY OF MIDWIVES DELIVERING HIGHEST NUMBER OF BABIES IN FLORIDA (upper 10)
No deliveries Name and address Age Nation- Literacy Professional Ed.
Total L.B. S.B. ality
44 42 2 Mrs. Diamande Urga, 42 Italian Reads & Diploma Midwifery
Tampa writes University of
It. & Eng. Naples
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended to be licensed without further training by local
health officer and another physician.
46 45 1 Janie Jones 51 Negro Reads well Taught by doctors
Pensacola writes none
DOCTORS REPORT: None secured.
48 44 4 Florence C. Smith 49 Negro Reads a Taught by midwife
Miami little,
write name
only
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended by one doctor to be licensed without further training,
with remark that she was "very good". Another recommended that she be given
further training by the state or county nurse.
63 49 14 Charity Taylor 55 Negro Reads a Taught by doctors
Pensacola little,
does not
write
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended to not be licensed by two doctors one saying "She is too
old and fragile", the other saying, "Very good woman, splendid character but decrepit
by age, sight is bad." Two other physicians recommended that she be licensed without
further training, as she could not "take in" any more instruction.
69 59 10 Annie J. Cox 56 Negro Read & write Taught by doctors
Jacksonville well
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended by two doctors as follows: "This party does very good work
and is very careful along all lines." And "She brings me specimens of urine to be
tested and watches the mother during the prenatal period most carefully."
74 72 2 Miss Carmelina 31 Italian Read & write Diploma Midwifery
Lazzara, Tampa Italian well University of
Palermo.
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended to be licensed without further training by City Health
Officer, and another physician.
76 68 8 Johnny Mae Barnes 35 Negro Read & write Studies medicine for
Jacksonville well 2 yrs. Howard
University, Washing-
ton, D.C.
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended by one doctor as good material for a scholarship in
midwifery, also remarked "I have always found her to be careful and interested
in her work."

[page 4]

No. deliveries Name and address Age Nation- Literacy Professional Ed.
Total L.B. S.B. ality

86 76 10 Katie Middleton 77 Negro Reads a Taught by doctors
Jacksonville little,
writes none
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended by one doctor to be licensed and given further training
by the state or county nurse; remark "She seems to be very careful."
176 142 4 Mrs. Maria Messina 50 Italian Reads & Diploma Midwifery
Greco, Tampa writes University of
Italian Palermo.
well
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended by city health officer and one other physician to be
licensed without further training.
185 178 7 Mrs. Guessipina 37 Italian Reads & Diploma Midwifery
Valenti, Tampa writes University of
Italian Palermo.
well
DOCTORS REPORT: Recommended by city health officer and one other physician to be
licensed without further training.
Note: The above mentioned Italian graduate midwives are employed by the various
Italian "Societies" which render medical aid to their members for a small weekly
or monthly payment. The midwives are sponsored by the doctors of the society in
which they are employed. A check is sent monthly to the midwives from the society
which pays them a flat rate of $20.00 per delivery.
Note: There are no maternal deaths recorded for the above midwives.