'Midwifery is not a fit occupation for a gentleman'.
From the earliest-known visual representation of a birth scene in an ice-age relief, through the anatomical works of De Vinci, to images from the 17th-century artists, there is a plethora of works accompanied with anecdotes that make any journey into the history of obstetrics a fascinating one. I do not profess that my intriguing period locked away in various archives and libraries has left me an expert on the history of my speciality; it has merely wet my appetite and opened up a sphere of interest that clinicians all too often neglect.
Nicopoullos
J D M
JD
Assisted Conception Unit, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK. james.nicopoullos@chelwest.nhs.uk
D005260:Female; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D008880:Midwifery / Q000266:history*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000266:history*; D011247:Pregnancy; D006113:United Kingdom