40 - Wednesday, July 20, 1994 - North Shore News _ Copy- DORSET. ENGLAND -- The Western Gazette reported ona sad end for long-time Elvis fan Paul Martell, who successfully copied his hero’s death by overdosing on anti-depressants. The local coroner was told that Martell had changed his name to Elvis Presley and was partial to rhinestone suits and black hair- dye. And even though he was born and raised in the heart of England, Martell spoke with a distinctive Amercian accent. His obsession for the king of rock and roll was am so great that he once convinced a former wife to change her name to Priscilla. oes In @ May interview with the Washington Times, Murtha Burk, the creator of the Washington (D.C.) Feminist Faxaet, said she was disappointed that President Clinton had nominated Stephen Breyer to the U.S. Supreme Court, Said Burk: “I believe there are many qualified women (and) that the Supreme Court should be 50% women.” (The Supreme Court has nine members.) Limassol, Cyprus —- A local goat- herder who accumulated debts ereriei Comms? DAGNEY | APTER. MONTHS OF BACNET, CONS DERINEN, iM NAMING ‘/0%.- 7 MOST PRIZED AND TRUSTED STARTER KEEPER OF TRE PLANTS / LEADBELLIES NEWS OF THE WEIRD antago a ___Gompiled by A.P. McCredie when managing a Limassol night- club was angered by creditors’ constant demands for repayment. According to the Cyprus Sun, foannou Dimitriou herded his 20 goats into the nightclub on the night he was due to sell them at the local market to pay off his debt. Scantily-clad waitresses dived for cover, amused patrons said. The ploy worked: Dimitriou's debts were written off on the con- King suicide dition that the goats be removed from the club. Ranpur, India — Thousands of people have been congregating at Ranpur city half, clutching bags of mosquitacs. Ina bid to combat the spread of malaria, city officials issued standard-sized plastic bags to citizens and offered to pay an equivalent of US$4 for each full bag of dead mosquitoes delivered to the city. Wily townsfolk, Laatse Nieuws reports, have already stung the officials for over $6,000, No word about what the city is doing with the insect carcasses. Los Angeles, California — “An assualt on our civilization,” is how California state delegate Bernard Cohen describes plans to feature executions on live TV. Lethal injections, gassings and electric chair executions would be made available “on line” to satel- lite pay-TV viewers, the Daily Express recently reported. The program is to be called “Execution of the Month”, and producer Michael Shapiro is cur- rently trying to market the idea to broadcast television. nite ateneiins WHAT, NO TUNNEL, OF INDIFFERENCE 7/ ¢ AU), BIG DEAL JUST BAD Luck, wT WAS A PLASTIC PLANT © Thomas Burton | WHOA, Suzie! THATS TOO FAR. Now REEL HER BACK IN...GENTLY! temo? Como? “it should go dewn smo Angioplasty 101. NEWS photo Mike Wakefield TRANSCONTINENTAL PRINTING, printers of the North Shore News’ Real Estate section, recently celebrated the grand opening of a state-of-the art printing press system. ‘ The changing role of midwives in Canada WELL INTO this century, most Canadian women gave birth at home, attended by mothers; aunts and sisters. The only professional involved was an experienced and know]- edgeabte woman -- the local mid- wife. Midwives consoled and guided the mother, soothed the newborn with a brew from weeds and often took care of household chores while the mother recov- ered. in New France, midwives were elected by the female members of the parishes. Ranging from highly trained medical professionals to local women who inherited the knowledge from female family members, midwives were highly respected. © In villages, they were recog- nized as moral and public advis- ers. in Montreal, Quebec and Trois Rivitres, midwives were paid by the King. Elsewhere in Canada, midwives never attained elected status but were held in high regard. In Newfoundland, where mid- wives held sway until well into the 1960s, the local granny was a respected community figure. “We didn’t bother with the company doctor,” according to one Newfoundland woman. “I had the midwife, Auntie Elizabeth, for all my babies. There was no limit to the things she used to handle ... She was so kind and sweet to us all.” Until the 19th century, most Canadian doctors took little inter- est in childbirth. However, as their numbers grew, delivering babies became a lucrative business for many doc- tors. To persuade women to move away from their midwives, doc- tors promised deliveries that were cleaner and safer. In medical journals doctors accused midwives. of negligence and quackery. In the British American Journal, physicians asserted: “When we consider the enormous errors which they (mid- wives) are continually perpetuat- ing and the valuable lives which are frequently sacrificed to their ignorance, the more speedily some legislative interference is taken with respect to them, the better for the community at large.” . Mortality rates for mothers and | infants remained high until well into the 1920s. Women began to favour hospital births. However, in reality. hospital births may have been no safer . than home births. With the introduction of blood transfusion techniques, the use of antibiotics and improved obstetri- cal training, hospital births became much safer. By the 1960s almost ali Canadian women were giving birth away from home. Not all women were satisfied with the care they were receiving in hospital, however. Some complained that the atmosphere was cold and unfeel- ing and that some medical inter- ventions were unnecessary and inhumane. A renewed interest in the process of birth developed, giving rise to the idea of “natural” child- birth. Hospitals changed — they allowed fathers ic: participate, cre- ated “birthing rooms” and permit- ted the infant to siay with the mother. In this new climate, midwives are once again playing a role in birth. In Ontario, midwifery became a fully regulated profes- sion and a government-funded ser- vice this January.