A letter to Sir William Garrow ... on his proposed Bill for regulating the practice of surgery throughout the United Kingdom / [James Hamilton].

  • Hamilton, James, 1767-1839
Date:
[1818]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to Sir William Garrow ... on his proposed Bill for regulating the practice of surgery throughout the United Kingdom / [James Hamilton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Thus, in the reign of King Charles II. Dr. Chamberlain became eminent as a Practitioner of Midwifery, and invented an instru¬ ment, by which the infant can be extracted alive, without injury to the parent, in cases where it was formerly deemed absolutely necessary to sacrifice one life. Dr. Chapman, who first taught Midwifery in London, lived about the beginning of the eighteenth century. He was succeeded by Dr. Smellie, who improved greatly upon the French mode of teaching, and whose Works are still deservedly held in much estimation. Dr. William Hunter followed Dr. Smellie, and published a Set of Plates, illustrating, the Anatomical Structure of the Gravid Uterus, which may be said to have laid the foundation of some of the most important improve¬ ments in the Practice of Midwifery. After Dr. Hunter’s time, several Physicians, among whom may be enumerated the names of Dr. Colin Mackenzie, Dr. Orme, Dr. Lowder, Dr. Denman, Dr. Garshore, Dr. Osborne, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Thynne, Dr. Bland, and many others, practised or taught Midwifery in London with high reputation, and, by their writings, improved very greatly the principles of the Profession. That in country districts and provincial towns, Surgeons and Apothecaries have practised Midwifery, is unquestionable, and can be easily explained; for it is obvious, that a minute subdivision of occupations cannot be encouraged in such places. But in the other two capitals of the empire, ever since medical men were employed to attend women in labor, viz. for the last sixty years. Physicians have practised Midwifery. In Edinburgh, Dr. Young, Dr. Alexander Hamilton, Dr. Gillespie, Dr. Stuart, and the present Professor of Midwifery ; and in Dublin, Dr. Macbride, Dr. Cleghorn, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Evory, and several other Physicians, might be named. It is therefore incontrovertible, that in the united empire, ac¬ cording to usage, Physicians have devoted themselves to the Practice of Midwifery in those situations where a subdivision of the duties of the Profession could be advantageously established. Unless it could be proved, that the employment of Physicians in the Practice of Midwifery has been injurious to society, the necessity or expediency of altering this usage by Legislative inter¬ ference cannot possibly be maintained. But a very little inquiry into the subject must convince every unprejudiced person, that this usage has been of material benefit to the public. In France, where the profession of Midwifery is exercised by Surgeons, scarcely any other improvement has taken place, than what relates to the mechanical department. But in Great Britain, in consequence of Physicians directing their attention to the Practice of Midwifery, the nature and the treatment of the various