Dr bill, you know that 1) most of what women did was considered insignificant, and unimportant (and is still considered unimportant -- just look at the how the US "values" mother's contribuions as part of the gross domestic product vs. how insurance companies values the services a mother provides, and the cost of them --love being still being free)
an things are better now now than ever..
first of all, go a google of history and midwifes, and you find out, oh, they did write books.. but the books never got published, they simple were handed down. (which is in keeping with crafts learned apprenticship style.)
2) midwives, and other woman who were "healers" were considered witches (because it was an act of sin to believe anything other than god as a source of healing and health.
the catholics churches power has wanned in modern years, but in the 1500's when Pope Innocents VIII banned witches, it was a different story.
read about it in
History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom by Andrew Dickson White
Particularly -- in
CHAPTER XIII.
FROM MIRACLES TO MEDICINE.
I. THE EARLY AND SACRED THEORIES OF DISEASE.
http://www.bookrags.com/books/hwswt/PART13.and you can also read about hand books written by mid wives.
http://www.albany.edu/feature98/midwife/and there are lot of other places. woman with knowledge and independance (and woman who taught that sickness was sickness, and not sinfullness, challenged men and church authority.. and paid for it with there lives.
now days we have wizzards and warlocks, but for ages and ages, witches were woman, and they were hung, burned and drowned for being witches.
