tioners, had few opportunities and fewer inducements to perfect their knowledge. Hence midwifery existed almost universally as an art; the aged and imbecile nurse was preferred to the physician.” It has been seen that only so far as taught by Dr. Shippen, and as a mere appendage to the Chair of Anatomy and Surgery, from which it received necessarily but little attention, it was comparatively ignored in the medical school as a branch of scientific education. Medical men, therefore, who desired to become adepts in it were under the necessity of visiting Europe, or of relying upon their own resources. To supply the demand for skilful and intelligent assistance in the conduct of labor, Dr. Dewees, with James, Church, and others, directed their attention to this branch, and by rendering themselves especially masters of it, were enabled to communicate their knowledge and experience to others.
No one could realize more fully than Dr. Dewees the want of more extensive and efficient instruction on the subject of practical midwifery, and, to use the words of Dr. Hodge, “we find that he has the high honor of first attempting a full course of Lectures on Obstetrics in America.[1]
“In a small office he collected a few pupils, and in a familiar manner indoctrinated them with the principles of our science, toiling year after year, in opposition to the prejudices not only of the community but even of the profession, who could not perceive that so much effort was necessary for facilitating the natural process of parturition.”[2] In 1806, Dr. Dewees took the
- ↑ An Eulogium on William P. Dewees, M. D., delivered before the medical students of the University of Pennsylvania, Nov, 5, 1842, by Hugh L. Hodge, M. D., Professor of Obstetrics, &c.
- ↑ Reference has been made to the efforts of Dr. Shippen in the early part of his career. Dr. Bond advertised instruction in obstetrics at the Pennsylvania Hospital, under date of October 25, 1781, in connection with his Clinical Lectures. We find in the American Daily Advertiser the announcement of a course, entitled “Anatomical, Chirurgical, and Obstetrical Lectures,” by Dr. John Foulke, October 25, 1790.
A course of private lectures was delivered by Dr. Benjamin Duffield. The advertisement of the commencement of this undertaking is as follows: “Dr. B. Duffield’s Introduction to his summer Course of Midwifery Lectures will be delivered this day, at Mr. Charles Little’s School House, at 6 o’clock in the evening. April 6th, 1793.” Dr. Church was a relative of
