Food
Home & Garden
Parenting .....

Sports Lecce ee. BA

NORTH SHORE HEWS HOME,

Check out these
Christmas craft fairs

NOTHING like Christmas
to bring out the craftiness in
all of us.

Nimble fingers and creative

minds have been working away like
elves on holiday rrimmings. Here is
a list of local craft fairs, events and
Places where you might find that

ial gift.
going to Dec. 23, mal! hours:
‘UNICEF will be selling Christmas
cards and gifts at Park Royal

Shopping Centre. For more infor-
-» mation call 874-3666.

- Ongoing to Dec. 24, facility open-
ing to’ closing: North Vancouver
-Recreation Commission Christmas
crafts lobby tables. Tables are avail-
able at all rec centres on a per day
basis. Tables are $25. Call 987-7529

Barbara 3lack
- Contributing Writer

THERE will be no mis-
concepticns about this
column: it’s about the
morning after pill. -
”, Premier Dosanjh recently.
announced that the morning
after pill, an emergency con-
traceptive, will be available
without prescription from a
licensed pharmacist. I’m not
equipped to address the ensu-
ing jurisdictional debate, but I
5 would like to tackle the repro-

~ duciive rights angle. .

- . This is not a new issue.
Since 1400 B.C.E., people
have been haggling over indi-
vidual versus public control of
*, ‘reproduction. I just finished
reading a fascinating account
of the contraception/repro-
duction issue called Eve's
Herts; A History of.

for more information.

Saturday, Nov. 25, noon-4 p.m:
Christmas Craft Fair at North Shore
Neighbourhcod House.
Information: 987-8138.

Saturday, Nov, 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m:
Crafters and flea markerers wanted
for Westview elementary school’s
flea market. Rental tables are $15.
All funds raised will help support
projects and activities for students.
Information: 988-8121.

Saturday, Nov. 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m:
Silver Harbour Centre is having a B-
1-G Christmas Bazaar. There will be
handcrafts, home baking, jewelry,
plants, books, used clothing and
more, Free admission.

See Christmas page 26

Bee Z 5

ett

ARAN aa

Contraception and Abortion in
the West, by John Riddle. I was
curious about the herbal
knowledge our ancestors pos-
sessed and at what point and
why so much of it was fost: As
it turns out, as far back as
ancient Egypt, medical practi-
tioners and women knew
which plants had contraceptive
and abortifacient properties
and used them as part of a
birth contro! strategy.
‘The ‘author uses population

“growth” data to argue that it

is likely that women used con-

traceptives, and that, given the
proportionately iow ‘birth rates
during prosperous economic
periods, these measures were
successful at preventing con-
ception. Also, there are many
ancient treatises outlining,
herbs and recipes for fertility
and anti-fertility purposes.

The accessibility of infor-
mation on conception shifted
by the 1200s, when medicine
was becoming a legitimate

profession requiring university .

graduation. Medical costs rose.
Some writers made available to
the poor guides on herbal
medicines that could be grown
in the garden. Among the
herbs listed were contracep-
tives. At the same time, how-
ever, people were beginning to
change their thoughts about
the nature of fetal life.

The church, although
adopting most of the pre-exist-
ing Roman laws, made

Get Materialistic

stronger (although inconsis-
tent) pronouncements about
women controlling concep-
tion, By the Middle Ages,

recipes for herbal birth control

still appeared in herbals but
were increasingly disguised,
referring to “women’s prob-
tems” “sickness in the womb”
or herbs that would “provoke
the menses” or “induce the
terms.” The stance on birth
control was an ethical, rather
than medical one.

Remedies relied more on
multir!. pharmaceutical ingre-
dier s, and there was a move-
ment away from “simples” or
one- or ewo-ingredient home
remedies. People became more
dependent on apothecaries.

In the 15th and 16th cen-
turies, midwives and other ~
herbal practitioners were
increasingly persecuted for -
witchcraft, especially for their
knowledge of reproduction

Ir’s easy to get materialistic at Arlene's Interiors.

Table Hopping .

GARDEN AND LIFESTYLE

and how to control it. In fact,
what was once considered
common knowledge was
deemed arcane, or the exclu-
sive domain of licensed practi-°
tioners. By the 1700s, with the
development of embryology,
anything explicitly causing an
abortion was dropped form

the official pharmaceutical
publications. Herbal know!-
edge went underground.

In the 1760s, government
no longer considered repro-
ductive matters to be private: -
the womb was public territory.
Among the arguments in the
early 1800s for denying access
to herbal birth controls was
that if women had knowledge
on how to prevent pregnancy,
their sexual mores would be
destroyed. But curiously
enough, although birth con-
trol information was under-
ground, the fertility rates were
actually declining. -

-) famous “Tdi

_ TRACY Sangster, seen at the Delbrcok Craft fair last Saturday, makes omaments from recycled materiale.

ive rights

Birth control had in fact,
become disguised as patent

~ medicines under such dubious

names as “Farrer’s Cathotic

Pills,” “Hardy’s Woman’s

Friend,” “Dr. Peter’s French

Renovating Pills,” and the

fa Pinkham's

Vegetable Compound.” Their

cuphemistic promises included
“restores female regularity”

and, perhaps not so veiled,
“removing from the system“.

every impuaty.” :

By the 1900s, most of

“Eve's herbs” were virtually:

forgotten, outlawed from drug
stores, catalogues and newspa-
per advertisements, replaced. -
with pharmaceutical agents
cequired by prescription or
other “devices” such as con- -
doms and spermicidal foams.

‘As Riddle states, “fewer, _
women in the modern period

See Herbal page 25

Whether it's draperies, re-upholstery, duvet covers or pillows, come into Arlene's Interiors. Their creative staff can help.. j
you choose your fabric and can even complete the project, transforming your ideas into something special. |

And, since Arlene's has the Lower Mainland’s largest selection of in-stock home
decorating fabrics, you'll be amazed at the wealth of choices available to add colour

and beauty to your home.

Get materialistic. Visic Arlene's Interiors.

1 pS 4 wet
VANCOUVER 751 Terminal Ave. next to Dream Carpets 608-1 17

worwarienss. com |