«The most famous and old bag» or midwife’s capital (XIXXX
cent.)
The essay explores – in historical perspective – functions, tools and
contents of midwives’ bag, material and immaterial capital for a midwife.
Mirror of the conflict between midwives and physicians, bag can tell about
the complex contest between professional and non professional midwives and
about the complicated relation with Church because of some particular tasks
of midwives, especially the possibility to christening newborn. Since the end
of XIX century, when obstetric district were instituted, midwives’ bag acquired
an unusual importance. Examining the few tools allowed is possible to
analyze even the few practices lawful to midwives. In the same time the
unofficial equipment inside the bag explains how midwives still played a rich
variety of roles in Italian society and how this variety overflowed the narrow
confines of the professional category.