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Victorian Foetal Craniotomy Instruments Framed Curio #1
Before the mid-eighteenth century, the lying-in chamber was strictly a woman's
domain. Poorly trained and with little more than her experience to guide her,
the mid-wife could easily manage an uncomplicated delivery, but an impacted
foetus was very much beyond her experience. A surgeon would be called in order
to save the mother's life, which meant that a hopelessly impacted fetus called for
desperate measures if the mother's life were to be saved.
In the framed curio exhibit is a grisly set of obstetrical
instruments from the turn of the century when C-sections were much more dangerous
and the fetus often did not survive prolonged labor. The pre-Listerian answer
was the feotal craniotomy. Perforation was the first step of the foetal craniotomy operation.
The impacted fetal head was perforated, then the other two instruments shown were utilized
in order to remove it as quickly and safely as possible.
The set above consist of what I believe is a Simpson's Perforator, and two Foetal Crochet and
Blunt Hooks as shown for foetal destruction. The Foetal Crochet and Blunt Hooks were used to hook
through the perforation of the skull and pull the head out that way. Another use for the
Foetal Crochet and Blunt Hooks were to pull out foetal limbs.
The hooks are probably around 1850, possibly sooner. No markers mark, no pitting or rusting,
but some plating loss.
Doctor William Smellie MD (1697-1763), is remembered as one of
the greatest physicians in obstetrical history-arguably the most influential
individual in the history of medical practice as it relates to childbirth.
Beginning as a male midwife in a profession dominated by women, Smellie became not
only a successful (and busy) practitioner, but also a highly effective teacher.
Possessing the rare combination of logical intelligence and compassion, he
attended to many poor women free of charge, asking only that his students be
allowed to attend and observe. He also preferred that childbirth be as natural as
possible, resorting to cesarean section only in cases where the mother's or infant's
life was at stake.
Smellie possessed an enquiring, precise mind that helped him to develop new tools and
techniques in midwifery, notably a list of safe rules for the use of forceps (he was
the first to rotate the fetus by means of a forceps, and to use them in a breech
delivery); the development of the steel-lock, curved, and double forceps; the practice
of measuring the head circumference of the fetus and the exact size of the pelvis; a
craniotomy scissors (which bears his name); and the practice of delivering a breech
infant's head with the rest of the body lying on the physician's forearm. He is also
known for his precise illustration of how the infant's head adjusts to the birth canal
during delivery.
Smellie developed a series of 39 plates to illustrate his pedagogical writings; these
plates are recognized as amazingly accurate. Spencer notes that Smellie's illustrations
(many of which were drawn by the doctor himself) "are far superior to any which had
hitherto appeared;... they give everywhere a masterly representation, true to nature,
of the relations of the parts of the mother and child, and have perhaps achieved more
in the spread of correct ideas of labour than all the books which have ever been written
on the subject." Smellie noted in his preface to the folio illustrations that "the
greatest part of the figures were taken from Subjects prepared on purpose, to shew every
thing that might conduce to the improvement of the young Practitioner, avoiding however
the extreme Minutiæ."
This beautiful framed curio is 22 and 1/2 inches wide by 26 and 1/2 inches tall.
The placards are both hand-illustrated using pen-and-ink dip pen on hundred-year-old
paper and typed on a Victorian era typewriter.
These very rare medical pieces were mounted on vintage red fabric and framed in
a beautiful vintage wooden frame. It is ready to hang in your own personal medical museum.
If you are thinking of purchasing a Framed Curio Exhibit,
please read the
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to make sure you are within your legal
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This framed curio is signed, rubber-stamped and dated on the back by Madame Talbot.
Please Note: With all of my Framed Curio Exhibits, I try to replicate
an authentic atmosphere of Victorian-era Dime Museum Patina.
This of course refers to that very special layer of age that builds up over decades,
something which I try to incorporate into all of the framed curio pieces I make.
This Victorian-era Dime Museum Patina may include one or more of the following:
vintage dust fabric, flower petals shards, glue bits, thread strands, sun faded material,
water stained, and/or smoke burned 100-year-old paper, &c., &c., and &c.
Order by #CURIO-132
PRICE: $634.95
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