Chamberlen, Peter, The Elder

Chamberlen, Peter, The Elder

▪ French surgeon
born 1560, Paris
died 1631, London

      surgeon, a French Huguenot whose father, William, emigrated with his family to England in 1569. A celebrated accoucheur (“obstetrician”), he aided the wives of James I and Charles I in childbirth.

      Chamberlen is credited with the invention (c. 1630) of the obstetrical forceps, designed to draw the infant through the mother's vagina more easily. It consisted of two metal blades placed firmly on either side of the child's head and locked into place at the crossing of the handles. He refused to describe the instrument publicly, intending to use it in securing financial success for himself and his descendants. Although highly favoured at the royal court, Peter fell into constant conflict with the College of Physicians, who accused him of malpractice.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Chamberlen, Hugh, The Elder — ▪ British midwife born 1630, London died c. 1720       British male midwife, prominent member of a family of medical men remembered for the parts they played in the introduction of the obstetrical forceps. Hugh was the grandnephew of Peter… …   Universalium

  • Peter Chamberlen — was the name of two brothers, the sons of William Chamberlen (about 1540 1596), a Huguenot surgeon who fled from Paris to England in 1576. They are famous as they discovered the modern use of obstetrical forceps. It remained a family secret for… …   Wikipedia

  • Chamberlen, Hugh — born 1630, London, Eng. died с 1720, London British midwife. He was grandnephew of Peter Chamberlen the Elder (1560–1631), who invented the obstetrical forceps. A midwife to Catherine, queen of Charles II of England, Hugh Chamberlen used his… …   Universalium

  • History of Medicine —     History of Medicine     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► History of Medicine     The history of medical science, considered as a part of the general history of civilization, should logically begin in Mesopotamia, where tradition and philological… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • History of insurance — refers to the development of a modern laws and market in insurance against risks. In some sense we can say that insurance appears simultaneously with the appearance of human society. We know of two types of economies in human societies: money… …   Wikipedia

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