Helen MacMurchy publishes <i>Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety</i>

Helen MacMurchy publishes Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety

1934. Dr. Helen MacMurchy publishes a short book entitled Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety. The book explores the issues surrounding sterilization and legislation, citing a wide variety of sources both for and against sterilization. The book receives an overwhelmingly positive review by the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) shortly after its publication, reflecting the general support at the time for MacMurchy's views on eugenics.

MacMurchy was a medical doctor, and public advocate of sterilization. She believed (like many other of her contemporaries) that most social ills could be traced to motherhood and ignorance of diet, sanitation, reproduction, and cleanliness (Dowbiggin, 1997). MacMurchy also served as "inspector of the feeble-minded" in Ontario.

In her book, MacMurchy elaborates that sterilization for selected undesirables is to be supported, but in general, she opposed birth control for those not under medical care. The CMAJ review summarizes MacMurchy's thoughts succinctly:

"Doctor MacMurchy's views on sterilization are against compulsory action, but she is favourable to voluntary sterilization with adequate safeguards, keeping in mind that segregation in institutions will always be necessary for large numbers of cases. Birth control should not, in the author's opinion, be undertaken except for definite medical reasons[.]" (p.344)

MacMurchy was well respected as both medical professional and civil servant, and her work was seen as a "populizer of science" (McConnachie, 1983 as cited in Dagg, 2006, p.187) as she worked in both scientific and social worlds. Many of her works were influential in Canada. When the book Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety was published, both the topics of birth control and sterilization were banned from Women's Institute meetings (Dagg, 2006), making her work important for bringing these topics into the public eye.

The CMAJ's full review, which appears in the September 1934 edition (31(3): 342, 344) is available here.

-Leslie Baker, Colette Leung, and Amy Dyrbye

  • Review: Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety. (1934). The Canadian Medical Association Journal, 343-344.

  • Dagg, A. I. (2006). The Feminine Gaze: A Canadian Compendium of Non-Fiction Women Authors and Their Books, 1836-1945. Waterloo, ON: Wilfred Laurier University Press.

  • Dowbiggin, I. R. (1997). Keeping America Sane: Psychiatry and Eugenics in the United States and. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Helen MacMurchy publishes <i>Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety</i>

Helen MacMurchy publishes Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety

1934. Dr. Helen MacMurchy publishes a short book entitled Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety. The book explores the issues surrounding sterilization and legislation, citing a wide variety of sources both for and against sterilization. The book receives an overwhelmingly positive review by the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) shortly after its publication, reflecting the general support at the time for MacMurchy's views on eugenics.

MacMurchy was a medical doctor, and public advocate of sterilization. She believed (like many other of her contemporaries) that most social ills could be traced to motherhood and ignorance of diet, sanitation, reproduction, and cleanliness (Dowbiggin, 1997). MacMurchy also served as "inspector of the feeble-minded" in Ontario.

In her book, MacMurchy elaborates that sterilization for selected undesirables is to be supported, but in general, she opposed birth control for those not under medical care. The CMAJ review summarizes MacMurchy's thoughts succinctly:

"Doctor MacMurchy's views on sterilization are against compulsory action, but she is favourable to voluntary sterilization with adequate safeguards, keeping in mind that segregation in institutions will always be necessary for large numbers of cases. Birth control should not, in the author's opinion, be undertaken except for definite medical reasons[.]" (p.344)

MacMurchy was well respected as both medical professional and civil servant, and her work was seen as a "populizer of science" (McConnachie, 1983 as cited in Dagg, 2006, p.187) as she worked in both scientific and social worlds. Many of her works were influential in Canada. When the book Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety was published, both the topics of birth control and sterilization were banned from Women's Institute meetings (Dagg, 2006), making her work important for bringing these topics into the public eye.

The CMAJ's full review, which appears in the September 1934 edition (31(3): 342, 344) is available here.

-Leslie Baker, Colette Leung, and Amy Dyrbye

  • Review: Sterilization? Birth Control? A Book for Family Welfare and Safety. (1934). The Canadian Medical Association Journal, 343-344.

  • Dagg, A. I. (2006). The Feminine Gaze: A Canadian Compendium of Non-Fiction Women Authors and Their Books, 1836-1945. Waterloo, ON: Wilfred Laurier University Press.

  • Dowbiggin, I. R. (1997). Keeping America Sane: Psychiatry and Eugenics in the United States and. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.