See Anesthesia and Bloodletting in
Obstetrics on next page
Era Birthing Bed
Bed and Speculum
necessity for a pelvic
evaluation led to the development of the examination table. The
furniture for this purpose was called "Speculum Table"
where speculum vaginal examinations were performed. A simple and
cheap portable table for delivery and operations. It is equipped with a
sliding stirrups and a sliding platform to catch secretions. This
table was believed to be owned by doctor in Alabama during the Civil
era. A similar table is illustrated on James V. Ricci, MD, 1949
The Development of Gynaecological Surgery and Instruments, pg 496. Chap
operations were done to extract a dead fetus from a dead mother.
Numa Pompilius (715 - 672 BCE), a legendary king of Rome forbids
a dead woman until her baby was taken out of her. Early
believed that: "He who
does not bury the baby causes the promise of
life to perish with the mother!" No one survived the
in Paris between 1787 to 1876 when the procedure was done on 24 living
patients. The surgical knife shown is unplated steel with ivory
used around 1860.
probably goes back to the eight Century BCE. Numa Pompilius (715
- 672 BCE), a king of Rome forbids the burial of a pregnant woman
the young has been excised. The law continued under the Caesars
it acquired the name Lex Caesare. Some scholars believed
the name was derived from the Latin word Caedere, meaning to
cut. In 1867, there were 54% maternal deaths out of 1,605
done in the United States.
is a scalpel
made of unplated steel with smooth ebony handle used circa 1860.
Since the time of
Hippocrates, 5th Century
BCE, doctors usually placed their ears on a patient's chest to listen
the heartbeat and lung sounds. Faced with breasty woman, Dr Rene
Laennec modestly insisted on using a rooled-up sheets of paper as shown
on picture. Thus, in 1816, the first stethoscope was
|| A replica
of the wooden
monaural stethoscope made by Rene
Laennec in 1819. A solid
cylinder with a drilled
center. It could
by pulling the other half of the stethoscope for closer listening.
in the chest end is for listening to the lungs. To listen to the
heart , the plug is inserted.
|| Three separate
pieces that fit
together to form a 33 cm long, 3 cm diameter instrument was made by
& Dome Co. circa 1955.
The first blood transfusion
done from animals
like sheep or calf to man. James Blundell (1790-1878) have done
first sucsessful human to human blood transfusion. It was done on
patients who would have exanguinated from post-partum bleeding.
1849, nineteen cases were successfully transfused; however, five
ended in death. This was a remarkable accomplishment considering
that blood grouping was unknown until 1900, and blood banking until 1936
||To overcome the clotting
problem, blood transfusion
was done directly from donor to patient. Circa 1850s.
A cased blood transfusion
syringes, and needles dated 1913.
Century Blood Transfusion Set
A rare antique blood transfusion
syringe from the 19th Century. The syringe is placed in the
original silk lined leather box.
German Antique Blood Transfusion Set
Complete with illustrations and
|Ergot of rye was
introduced by John
Stearns (1770-1848) in 1807 for postpartum hemorrhage and for
of anticipated bleeding. It was of little help on patients who
have lost significant blood volume.
Fluid Extract Ergot
Circa 19th Century
a pregnant belly. It was used as an offering to St. Gerard
after the woman's prayers about her pregnancy have been
19th Century, Sicily. (11 x 9.5 cm.)
Ebony mouth gag. 6 cm
length, 3 cm widest
Council of Cologne
A woman's mouth was to be kept
open with a mouth
wedge in order for her child in her womb to breath air while it was
removed by operation.
Circa. 19th Century
Tradition and extreme modesty
doctors from examining female patients. This solid ivory figurine
serves as a devise used by women to indicate to the doctor the part of
the body in which ailment was present. Physicians carry it with them to
the bedside, or at times the patient brings it with her ( Ming Period
The nude lady is ornately carved, 14 cm in length, 4 cm wide, on a
postures practiced throught the centuries. Childbirth during the
medieval times took place on a stool or in the lap of another woman.
Others have it kneeling or squatting. In Taunton England, standing up
was the choice. Mauriceau of France made a daring innovation when
he started to deliver his patients in bed.
Childbirth during the medieval
times took place
on a stool or in the lap of another woman.
Mauriceau of France on the 17th
Century made a
daring innovation when he started to deliver his patients in bed!
If mothers could not breastfeed
their newborn themselves, the well to do hires a wet nurse.
Mothers who cannot afford to employ a wet nurse would ask a close kin
to do the task. Midwives or the physicians often times were asked
to select a breast to do the job adequately.
C 1895 - 1900
Small leather cased amputation kit
by Otto Helmond,
Pitt. Pa. All metal handle on the amputation saw denoting post
During the Civil War 1861-
1865, medicine barely
rosed up from its medieval period. Amputation was the only
reasoned treatment for gun shot wound, severe laceration, severly
infected limb, or fracture . Amputation accounted for 75 % of all
the surgeries done during the civil war. Records showed more or
30, 000 amputations were performed on the Union side with
than 25 % mortality. Few doctors knew how to administer ether or
chloroform although available and the principle of antisepsis was
unknown. Surgery was performed with bare unwashed hands in the
fields. The surgeons used the same amputation kits, rubbing
them between cases with a piece of dirty rags.
Boxed Pessaries with
Circa. Early 1900's
pessary made of gold
Mushroom shaped Pessary
Medical instruments from the
end of the 19th
century through early 1900's, include descriptions of "pessaries" that
resemble modern IUD (Intrauterine device). The existence of
laws that prohibit the use of the mails for contraceptive devices may
been the reason for the false advertisement.
Anthony Comstock was an anti-sin
whose activities resulted in the passage of the 1873 federal postal law
prohibiting the propagation of birth control information and
devices through the U.S. mail. He labeled contraceptive
as "lewd, lascivious, and obscene," that he burned tons and tons
contraceptive materials. In 1930, a U.S. federal court
the Comstock law unconstitutional.
Forerunner of Modern Day IUDs
was illegal to sell or
promote any form
of contaceptives during early 1900s. These birth control devices
were sold and advertised as pessaries. They were place in
the cervix with the stem inside the uterine cavity. These
pessaries were the
of the modern day IUDs.
was introduced in the mid 19th Century. This underarm bent
is clumsy, heavy, and inaccurate. Its scale etched on an ivory
read only if in place. If removed before recording, the mercury
drops in the process. It was superior to the hand on the
method . The thermometer is 17.5 x 5 cm.
Glass and ivory in brown leather case.
German word for life awakener. A counter irritant
The sharp needles in the tip of the instrument were dipped in a mixture
of menthol, camphor, turpentine, and vegetable oil. The head of
device was placed on the area of ailment. The toggle was drawn
to cock the spring then released driving the needles into the patient's
skin (ouch!), and presumably curing numerous illnesses. Seemed to
work, most patient never came back for a second treatment! The
ebony tube contained a handle with coiled spring attached.
27 x 3 cm.
Warning! Warning! Warning!
Medications mentioned on this web
for historical information only. Do not attempt to take or apply
any of the medicine to yourself or to others. It will cause
damage to your health and to others.
For Venereal Disease
Treatment for female
Gonorrhea: Cleanse vagina, cervix and urethra with saturated
of boric acid. Dry with pledget cotton, held by a uterine
Soak pledget in a 1% aqueous Methylene blue solution and apply it
up to the cervical canal, vagina, and urethral opening. Treat 2x
Syringes for injecting
medicine to the vagina.
Varying lengths: 14, 20, 22 cm.
Secret for Venereal
Boric acid powder,
Burnt alum powder,
Dissolve 1 dram in
pint warm water, wash and inject into vagina immediately after sexual
oil was commonly used medication to prime labor. Two table spoons
of castor oil was given followed by ten grains of quinine. This regimen
was repeated if labor does not start in one hour. An enema was
also given in conjuction with the above mediccations if labor does not
ensue. See other uses of enema below. (Warning: Do not attempt to use the
above medications. It will do irreparable damage to you and your
to divide the pubic bone to accomplish delivery of the fetus on
labor. It was first performed by J.R. Sigault in 1777. (Sometimes
called the Sigaultian Operation). Reintroduced by Morisani
of Naples in 1866, in France by Spinelli in 1891. Introduced in
Circa Early 1900
a union of the pubic bone was mistakenly regarded as a cause of
labor. The surgical separation of the pubic bone called
was in fashion one time and in competition with Cesarean section in the
mid 1800 through early 1900. Although the United States abandoned
the procedure because of the mutilation it did to the mother, European
and South American accoucheurs continued to perform these horrible
up to the mid 20th Century.
Art work by
string saw developed
by Leonardo Gigli (1863-1908) for dividing the pubic bone. It was
believed that cutting the segment of the pelvis made it moveable, and
to the pressure of the uterus to accomplish delivery of the
The operation is also called Hebotomy or Hebosteotomy.
The length of the chain saw and handles measure 45 cm. Comes with
a large curved unplated steel symphysiotomy needle, 9cm
steel instrument used to amputate the cervix to eradicate cancer of the
cervix, or to treat uterine prolapse. It has a chain loop
that is tightened by turning the handle clockwise until the cervix is
This technique was introduced by Gustav Simon in 1850.
was out of the question because it was fatal. (L 36 cm)
The cervical stump in abdominal
amputated by a chain ecraseur in the late 19th Century. The chain
was placed around the cervix and was tightened so as to strangulate and
lacerate the cervix, thus lessening the chance of hemorrhage. (L
Late 19th Century
The wire ecraseur
around the base
of uterine polyp or tumor. The handle was turned to tighten the
until the tumor came off. (L 15 cm)
Levi Lane, in 1878 performed the
vaginally. Palmer Dudley found no cases of vaginal
LAVH (Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal
Maxentius Gutberlet introduced the
of cutting the uterine attachments by abdominal approach and then
to removal of the uterus from the vagina as early as 1810.
Ref: James Ricci, M.D.
The Dev of Gyn Surg
and Instr. pg 387
Norman Publishing, 1990
Fielding Ould (1710-1789) in 1742,
he first suggest
episiotomy to avoid perineal injury.
Paul Dubois (1795-1871) introduced
Braun Ritter von
gave the name episiotomy.
Ref: James Ricci, M.D.
Norman Publishing, 1990
like retroflexion were attributed to several women's complaints.
Among them were painful menstrual cramps, and infertility. It is
a scissor-like instrument for dividing the cervix (inset on
The opening of the sharp edge was adjusted with a screw inside the
James Young Simpson introduced the metrodome in 1860.
Circa 19th Century
A brass stork cord scissors.
are flat and were used to compress the fetal cord until it could be
off with string and cut. Note the image of an infant on the
belly. Midwives in mid 1700 often debated about how long a fetal
cord should be cut. They believe to cut the cords longer on the
so "they would be well provided for the encounter of Venus!" On
the other hand, the cords were cut shorter on the female because "they
would be modest and their privities narrower to make them more
to their sexual partner!" (9 x 4.5 cm)
During the rule of King
aristocrat women resorted to enemas as often as 4 times a day to
improve their complexion and retain thier youthful appearance. Cloyster of opium were given
to relax an irritable colon .
Whitridge William's Obstetrics
The gold standard textbook in
the world. On its 21st edition 2001.
classic texbook used by
and practioners alike for 100 years. On Chapter XV, Conduct of Labor,
"The physician should
not to send for him if the labor commences at night, between 11 P.M.
7 A.M., unless it seems necessary that he should see the patient at
On the other hand, when the pains begin between 7 A.M. and 11 P.M., the
physician should be notified immediately, so that he may make his plans
accordingly." Hmmm, the good old days huh!!
John Whitridge Williams
(1886-1931), a Professor
of Obstetrics in John Hopkins University and author of Americas's most
popular obstetric text, first published in 1903.
See Anesthesia and Bloodletting in
Obstetrics on next pageAnesthesia
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