title: [Countryside obstetrics--Dr. Franz von Ottenthal and the South Tyrolean Medical Market (1860-1869)].
abstract: The paper focuses on the structure of the obstetric market in a rural region of alpine South Tyrol (today: Italy) throughout the 1860s. Besides midwives and parturient women, also male obstetricians are traceable in the actual research area of the Tauferer Ahrntal. Among them was the general practitioner Dr. Franz von Ottenthal, whose medical records (Historiae Morborum, 1847-1899) are used to reconstruct the participation of physicians in the obstetric market. Special emphasis lies on the evaluation of the predominant hierarchies (midwives/surgeons/physicians) and the position of Franz von Ottenthal in this specialized medical sub-segment. Therefore, the quantitative extent of obstetric intervention as well as the qualitative dimension of treatments (medication, surgeries) is investigated. So far, the relevance of Ottenthals obstetric practice as to the gender ratio has been measured as rather high, considering that he generally treated more female than male patients. An attempt will be made to estimate the significance of the obstetric segment within his practice in order to find an explanatory approach for the higher female medical demand.
authors: Institut für Geschichtswissenschaften und Europäische Ethnologie, Universität Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck. marina.hilber@uibk.ac.at
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Hilber
mesh_terms: D057235:Austria-Hungary; D049672:History, 19th Century; D007558:Italy; D008499:Medical Records; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000266:history*; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000266:history; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000266:history