Martha Ballard, a seventeenth century healer and visionary, clearly connected both “birth and death with ordinary life” (Ulrich, 1991, p. 40). Ballard’s diary demonstrates that she was ahead of her time, not only due to her role in her community and home but also due to her advanced record keeping. Although her entries may seem mundane to some, if analyzed and appreciated, it is clear that her diary is an exceptional historical document which presents invaluable information regarding gender, class, power and privilege across the years 1785 to 1812. As stated by Laurel Ulrich, a knowledgeable professor and historian, Ballard’s diary “is the combination of boredom and heroism, of the usual and unusual, that tells the story” (Ulrich, 1991, p. 169).…show more content… Additionally, the intersection of gender and class were evident in Ballard’s entries, specifically when discussing her role in comparison to the educated male physicians she occasionally worked alongside. As opposed to Ballard’s emparist approach, which involved herbal remedies, the male physicians were noted to implement “dramatic therapies” which were directly related to their status and fees (Ulrich, 1991, p. 56). For example, in the documentary A Midwife’s Tale, the male physician was seen administering medications which eradicated pain but ultimately slowed labor while Ballard’s methods allowed nature to take its
