At a time when major universities are moving all scientific journals published before 1975 to remote locations and authors are instructed to cite only articles published in the last 20 years, when medical information is captured in the media in sound bites of 30 seconds or less, History of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is an indispensable addition to your personal library. The book recounts the events and changes that have taken place over many centuries in society: changes in scientific knowledge and the way it is communicated, changes in technology, and changes in the lives and times of those who have dedicated their efforts to the health of women and their progeny.
Covering developments in seemingly unrelated fields, the book illustrates how they were vital to advances in gynaecology and obstetrics. This multi-faceted approach, chronological tables, and reviews of related subjects and technologies, provides a far richer and more comprehensive treatment than would be possible if the authors had written from a century-by-century perspective. With narrative that engages and draws you along page after page, History of Obstetrics and Gynaecology puts the achievements of the last millennium in perspective.
Introduction
Narrative - Historical overview
Antiquity
Anatomy
Antenatal Care and the Early Diagnosis of Pregnancy
Blood Transfusions, Blood Groups, the Rhesus Factor and Haemoglobinopathies
Eclampsia
Fetal Monitoring
Labour and Delivery
Caesarean Section
Midwives in History
Statistics: Maternal Mortality and Perinatal Mortality
The Breast
Paediatrics
Genetics and Congenital Malformations
Microbiology
Antibiotics
Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle
The Menstrual Cycle
Menorrhagia
Chromosomal, Hormonal and Psychogenic Amenorrhoea and Oligomenorrhoea
The Menopause
Premenstrual Syndrome
Dysmenorrhoea
Infertility
The Speculum
Surgery
Laparoscopy
Hysteroscopy
Anaesthesia and Analgesia
Family Planning
Sexuality
Information Technology
Urology
Immunology
Radiology and Imaging in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Benign Pathology
Cancer
Cancer of the Vulva
Cancer of the Vagina
Cancer of the Cervix
Cancer of the Uterus
Cancer of the Ovary
Spreading Knowledge
Ethics and the Law in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Biographies
Name index
Subject index
'Once or twice in a generation, a book is published that is destined to become a classic. This is such a volume. It is a monumental achievement of scholarship and research. The authors have produced a masterpiece. [They] achieve the seemingly impossible - an account of history that is both meticulous and fascinating.' - From the Forward by J.J. Sciarra, President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Thomas J. Watkins, Northwestern University Medical School, USA