In our inaugural blog post, the History of Medicine Section would like to introduce the reader to its newest rare book additions: three obstetrical texts from the 18th century. These three books expand our already impressive collection of obstetrical and gynecological texts from the 16th to 20th centuries.
Ruleau, Jean. Traité de l’operation cesarienne, et des accouchemens difficiles & laborieux. Avec des remedes contre les maladies qui survienent aux femmes. Paris: Chez Jacques le Febvre, 1704.
This first edition is among the earliest comprehensive works on cesarean section and includes the first documented case in France where both the mother and infant survived, though the infant lived for only two days.
The text is organized into four parts. In the first part, Jean Ruleau examines the history of the cesarean operation, addresses objections regarding its necessity and safety, outlines the conditions that warrant the procedure, and details the technical aspects, including the management of the “wound.” He emphasizes that surgeons must possess the necessary surgical expertise and understand the signs indicating when the procedure is required.
The second part focuses on difficult births and the methods for achieving successful outcomes. The third part discusses techniques for managing challenging labor and “unnatural” presentations. In the final part, Ruleau provides remedies for disorders or diseases occurring during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Our copy can be found in URDiscover here.
Vespa, Guiseppe. Dell'arte ostetricia, trattato di Giuseppe Vespa ... diviso in tre parti precedute da varj ragionamenti. Firenze: Appresso Andrea Bonducci, 1761.
Guiseppe Vespa (1727-1804) was the first professor of obstetrics at an Italian university. This book covers the key topics in obstetrics but primarily serves as a tool to advocate for the importance of academic training in the field under the guidance of a specialist. Vespa cites prominent figures in obstetrics from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as Mauriceau, Deventer, and Levret. At the back of the book, a large foldout table outlines the lessons Vespa planned to teach at the Regio Spedale di Santa Maria Nuova in Florence, Italy. His lecture series is divided into three sections: theoretical, practical, and theoretical practice of diseases.
The monograph's former owner was Dr. Ivo Confortini, an Italian physician who curated a library focused on obstetrics and gynecology. Our copy can be found in URDiscover here.
Zeller, Simon, Elder von Zellenberg. Bemerkungen über einige Gegenstände aus der pracktischen Entbindungskunst: nebst der Beschreibung des allgemeinen Gebährhauses. Wien: Debruckt und verlegt bei Johann David Hörling, 1789.
Simon Zeller von Zellenberg (1746-1806), a Viennese obstetrician and surgeon, was one of the early advocates of natural childbirth on the European continent. Having studied both French and English childbirth methods, he adopted the conservative approach preferred by English practitioners, who were more inclined to trust "nature." This contrasted with the French obstetricians, who emphasized the value of instrumental intervention. In this text, Zeller outlines the foundational principles of the emerging expectative procedure for face presentation: “Face deliveries had best be left entirely to the forces of Nature.” (Lesky, 55) Zeller worked as chief obstetrician in the private ward of the maternity hospital of the Vienna Medical School from 1784 to 1815.
The German gynecologist Franz Carl Ludwig von Winckel, a former owner of this copy, is remembered by the eponymously named “Winckel’s disease” of the newborn. Walter Pfeilsticker, also a former owner, was a gynecologist in Stuttgart during the first quarter of the 20th century. Our copy can be found in URDiscover here.
If you'd like to learn more about these books, or anything else in the History of Medicine's collections, connect with us here.