Partos malogrados, muertes prematuras y cesáreas. Notas sobre una real cédula de 1804, su recepción en Buenos Aires

Abstract

Being born and dying in traditional societies were essentially domestic phenomena, but especially birth occurred in a home. It was not uncommon, then, for childbirth to take place in the midst of aseptic conditions and primary knowledge that favored many times, tragic outcomes. Thus childbirth was one of the most feared moments in the lives of women. We will analyze a document that focuses its attention on failed pregnancies and deliveries: a Royal Order of 1804 issued during the reign of Carlos IV of Spain, specifying how to perform a caesarean section once the pregnant woman died and that two years later would reach the Buenos aires city. We will focus on five aspects: first we will give an account of our epistemological and methodological position to analyze these problems, second we will briefly point out historical milestones in the Art of Partear, later we will give an account of the healthcare situation in the city of Buenos Aires, more later we will concentrate on the problems inherent in the analysis of the source and finally we will give an account of some brief final considerations as the closing of the article.

Keywords

• Buenos Aires
• society
• death
• pregnant women
• births
• caesarean sections