'Observations in Midwifery' Percival Willughby

Perceival Willughby's Observations in Midwifery, a rare book circa 1670, gives a unique look at seventeenth century midwifery…and it's not pretty. Willuhgby had been working as an obstetrician for 40 years when his 600+ page manuscript was written. In the book he recorded 200 cases with the intent to "inform the ignorant common midwives with such wayes as I have used with good successe ... shewing the wayes how to deliver any difficult birth, bee it naturall, or, unnaturall".  Willughby was disturbed by the often horrific practices of contemporary midwives—such as removing babies before labor had even begun or the use of a hooked stick in place of forceps—and went into grisly detail about the cases he observed and took part in.

There are only two known complete copies of the manuscript in existence: one is in the Royal Society of Medicine and the other is waiting to go under the hammer at the Dominic Winter auction house in Cirencester. Chris Albury, of Dominic Winter, notes that the rare book is "not just of medical interest," but that it provides "an insight into 17th century society, in that it gives you details of these families and homes he is visiting, and their circumstances".  Albury is less sure why the book was never published, as the author's intent to provide guidance and help others is so evident. The guide price of Observations in Midwifery is £20,000 to £30,000 and it will be sold July 26 as part of an auction of the Birmingham Medical Institute's antiquarian library.

Rare book of midwifery horror up for auction