An elementary treatise on midwifery, or, Principles of tokology and embryology / by Alf. A.L.M. Velpeau ; translated from the French by Charles D. Meigs.

  • Velpeau, A. (Alfred), 1795-1867.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An elementary treatise on midwifery, or, Principles of tokology and embryology / by Alf. A.L.M. Velpeau ; translated from the French by Charles D. Meigs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    AUTHOR'S PREFACE. Confounded with the other branches of medicine, and pursued almost exclusively by mere medicasters during a long series of ages, the Art of Midwifery has advanced with extreme slowness. Among the Egyptians, the Hebrews, the Greeks and the Romans it was reduced in some sort to what concerns the cutting of the umbilical cord ; and even at the present time, in countries that are imperfectly civilized, those who make a profession of it inspire so little confidence, that the husband is still compelled to imitate the conduct of the first man, that is to say, he becomes the accoucheur of his wife. These primitive notions have doubtless long ceased to exist amongst us ; in our day the Art of Midwifery is especially seen to acquire a rapid movement, and to progress equally with the other departments of the art of curing. It would, however, be wrong to conclude from hence, that every thing has been already done, and that no further improvements can be made. The Science of Obstetrics ought to follow the movements of the age, and advance if it would not retreat. It seems to me that it may be defined, the ensemble of knowledge relative to the reproduc- tion of the human species. By studying it under this extensive and philosophic view, and by doing away the absurd and vulgar prejudice, that it is impossible to be at the same time a skilful accoucheur and an able physician, we shall succeed in establish- ing it upon a basis worthy of the subject! In this book I have endeavoured not to be unjust to any one. I