DR. RAWLINS MAKES HIS LAST DELIVERY

Dr. Fred Rawlins delivered 6 pound, 13 ounce William Wyatt Perry Wednesday, marking the last of about 8,000 babies the Cape Girardeau obstetrician has helped bring into the world.

He is giving up the obstetrics portion of his practice but will continue to do surgery and gynecology.

Rawlins, 77, delivered his first baby in 1948 while a medical student.

"Now I know that baby practically fell out and about all I did was catch it, but I was pretty impressed," Rawlins said.

So impressed that he decided to make obstetrics and gynecology his specialty.

Medicine wasn't his first career choice.

Rawlins, a native of Thebes, Ill., attended Southeast Missouri State University and began a career as a school teacher in Wardell, Mo., earning $95 a month.

Not quite satisfied, Rawlins moved to St. Louis, worked in a freight shed and then in an engineering department. "I tried to get into the Air Force, but it turned out I was color blind."

He had returned to teaching at Ullin, Ill., when he decided to try his hand at medical school.

"I was a lot older than most of the fellows," he said. "I was in my 30s."

He came back to Cape Girardeau in 1954 to begin his medical practice.

While the babies have been the highlight of his career, Rawlins did have another sort of excitement in 1991 when a woman came to his office threatening to shoot him.

"I hold the record from Broadway to Themis in hard-soled shoes."

"She is now in Fulton. I check on her about every month to make sure she's still there."

This incident aside, Rawlins says, "There is a certain amount of excitement about surgery and obstetrics. I prefer that excitement to something like radiology, where you sit around reading films all the time."

Rawlins counts epidural anesthesia among the best medical advancements in obstetrics.

"I'm kind of soft-hearted. I don't like to see anything hurt, particularly my patients," said Rawlins. "After nine months, you get to know a lot about these people."

Counted among the 8,000 or so babies he has delivered are five of his seven grandchildren.

"I also delivered a set of triplets -- full term. They were about six pounds a piece," Rawlins said. He keeps a newspaper clipping showing the three boys in baseball uniforms in his office. "They are now 6'1", 6'5" and 6'7"."

"It's a happy business," said Rawlins. "This last baby I delivered -- I couldn't have asked for happier parents."

Little William Wyatt is the son of John and Dee Perry of Jackson.

"We knew we were among the last ones," said John Perry. "There were just four of five expectant mothers and it was just a matter of who was the last one. We lucked out."

While he is scaling back his practice, Rawlins promises to remain active.

He swims at the Central pool three mornings a week. At least once a year he swims across the Mississippi River.

He plants trees, with a particular affinity for pecan, hickory and walnut trees. And periodically he plays the harmonica.

"I'm not retiring, but I have decided to stop obstetrics," he said. "I felt it is better to quit while I'm still respected and before people begin to think I'm too old."