1st Edition

The History of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

By M. J. O'Dowd, E. E. Philipp Copyright 2000
    720 Pages 178 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    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.

    Foreword (J.J. Sciarra, MD, PhD)
    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

    Biography

    M. J. O'Dowd, E. E. Philipp

    '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