The Mysteries of Montreal

"During a long practice of over thirty years I have seen manythings enacted here in this city of Montreal which, if told with theskill of a Dumas or a Collins, might not only astonish but startle thesedate residents of this Church-going community." With thesewords, Charlotte Fuhrer introduces her memoirs. Fuhrer, a midwife inMontreal during the second half of the 19th century, wrote herrecollections in the form of highly scandalous moral tales. The storiesoffer vignettes of the course of love -- faithful and illicit -- inlate 19th century urban Canada.

Fuhrer's stories are headed with such titillating titles as"A Just Retribution," the story of a prominentbusinessman's mistress who, after giving birth to her lover'schild, "went from bad to worse, and finally took to smoking opiumas a means to relieve her gnawing conscience, ending her daysprematurely." Fuhrer was at the service of the high and mighty anddesperate, and from her vantage point in the delivery room she offersremarkable insight into the most intimate life of Montreal.

Originally published in 1881, The Mysteries of Montreal isfully reprinted with an introduction by Peter Ward. Ward illuminatesthe life of Fuhrer and of midwives in Victorian Canada. He traces therole of the midwife through the ages and, placing Mrs. Fuhrer in thecontext of her times, discusses birth practices in a Canadian setting.As well, he examines the memoirs as a form of Canadian literature,assessing their reflections on 19th century society. As a result thebook operates on more than one level. It is not only a midwife'srecollections, but also an assemblage of gossip, moral tales, storiesof courtship and birth practices, and even mild pornography.

Students of Canadian social history will be interested in thememoirs for their information on 19th century morals and values. Thebook will also appeal to students of medical history, women'sstudies, and Canadian literary criticism.