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Hi Rhonda: yes exactly as Mary said a mixture of scopolamine and morphine,
quite commonly used in the USA from sometime around 1914 until 1940's-1950's
when it became less popular. I have met women in the USA in their fifties now
who were administered "twilight sleep" as it was called during their labours in
the 1960's. So, it hung around in some places for a while. I think it emerged at
the turn of the 20th century in Germany was promoted by some doctor there as
Mary said for "painless labour" and wealthy women from the USA and presumably
other countries would travel to his clinic for their deliveries (which in fact
they were). USA feminists at the time actually campaigned
for its use and such advocates along with "innovative" doctors were responsible
for its introduction there. So much for consumer demand. Scopolamine of course
eliminates memory and morphine, the pain. From all reports labour wards were
horrendous places to be when it was commonly used as women would be screaming
and were often restrained, although waking with no memory of the nightmare. Some
women however liked it. I had a neigbour in Seattle: a lovely woman in her 80's
who had had 3 of her 4 babies from the 30's to 40's with twilight sleep and
loved it. Others hated it and some women and babies died because of it. Many of
the babies were born quite flat and needed resusc. Became quite "normal" at the
time. Weird heh?
marilyn
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