The place of the hospitals in the healthcare system is not static. In the 1800’s most people were born at home. It was not until the early 1900 that an increasing number of births occurred in the hospital. It was while I was in high school that I accompanied my father to deliver a baby at home. This was in Upstate New York and the only reason my father asked me to go with him was because there was 10 inches snow on the ground and the patient lived in the hills about six miles from our home. Driving was a problem and we slipped considerably and ended in a ditch a few hundred yards from our destination. The patient was in labor, the husband was out celebrating his new addition and the electricity had gone out. Lanterns, a wood stove and a few hours resulted in a new baby boy and an upset physician. A neighbor with a tractor pulled us out of the ditch and after everything was over even the husband returned although he had difficulty maintaining an upright position.

I had no exposure to more deliveries until Medical School. It was during WW2 and we got considerable exposure to deliveries. The hours were quite long and there were many deliveries to attend. One of these numerous deliveries was my wife’s. She had some difficulty but eventually delivered at around 2 AM. I was able to get a couple of hours sleep after this and went for breakfast to the hospital cafeteria where I met a fellow student who had also been my best man at our wedding. He asked me whether my wife had delivered and I apparently didn’t remember the event, and said “No”. He never forgave me although I tried to apologize even at our 50th reunion.

My third exposure to a delivery was at my first Military Station in Virginia. One of the Sergeants had married a local woman who had eight children all of which had been born at home without difficulty and she did not want to go to Fort Belvoir where the nearest Army hospital was located. After much debate and numerous arguments all of which I lost, it was determined that I could deliver her at her home. The day came and she went into labor, I gathered up all of the junk I had assembled to help and went to the home. Pains came and went and nothing happened. It was with great relief that after eight hours I was able to convince her that she needed more specialized care. She was sent by Ambulance to Fort Belvoir where she did not improve her performance and no baby came. The doctors felt she had a worn out uterus and probably needed a Caesarian section and in view of the history and condition transfer to Walter Reed Hospital was indicated. On arrival at this great institution several obstetricians had a chance to evaluate her problems. While they were contemplating what was needed and should be done the patient had a sudden effective contraction and delivered quite effectively with no help being required.