An introduction to the practice of midwifery

Brattleborough, (Vt.): William Fessenden, 1807. SECOND AMERICAN EDITION. Contemporary calf, spine label; foxing due to paper quality. Book label of James McMaster, Jr. dated 1813 on the paste-down. Second American printing, taken from the London edition of 1800. First published in 1788 at London, the book consists mainly of Denman’s notes for his lectures at St. George’s. He spent nine years in the Royal Navy as a surgeon, after which he received a medical degree from Aberdeen, electing to specialize in midwifery. Upon the death of William Hunter, Denman “became the country’s leading obstetrician and was the royal College of Physician’s first licentiate in midwifery” (Heirs).

Denman (1733-1815) made numerous contributions to the field of obstetrics. He is often best remembered for his observations on spontaneous evolution of the fetus, but also was one of the first to resort to premature delivery for women with contracted pelvis and gave an early account of membranous dysmenorrhea. He fully endorsed conservative treatment for eclampsia and was opposed to those who favored forced delivery. He provided a good description of snuffles in congenital syphilis and wrote an essay in 1768 suggesting that puerperal fever was contagious and that physicians were responsible for its dissemination.

The first American edition was published in two volumes in 1802; this is the first printing in America that was condensed into one volume.

DNB, V 808; Heirs of Hippocrates, 1008.