ABSTRACT

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.