W.Smellie
| William Smellie | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 5 February 1697 Lanark, Scotland |
| Died | 5 March 1763 Lanark, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Fields | Obstetrics, Anatomy |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
William Smellie (5 February 1697, Lanark – 5 March 1763, Lanark) was a Scottish obstetrician who practiced and taught primarily in London . He is notable as one of the first prominent male midwives in Britain. Through his work, he established safer delivery practices and helped make obstetrics more scientifically based.
Smellie was born on 5 February 1697 in the town of Lanark, Scotland. He practiced medicine before getting a license, opening an apothecary in 1720 in Lanark. It was not a particularly lucrative venture, as also sold cloth as a side business to supplement his income, but he began reading medical books and teaching himself obstetrics at this time. By 1728, he was married to Eupham Borland, who was seven years his senior. He enrolled later at the University of Glasgow and received his M.D. degree in 1745. After training in obstetrics in London and Paris, he opened a practice in London and began teaching. This practice proved far more successful than his first one, and Smellie made a name for himself in London (much to the surprise of friends from his hometown).
Smellie's work helped make obstetrics much more scientifically-based. He invented a "machine", an obstetrical manikin, for instructing his students. It essentially functioned as a model of the birthing process, and would nowadays be referred to as a "phantom". While not an original idea, the phantom was far more accurate than previous models and allowed him to visually demonstrate midwifing techniques. He also designed an improved version of the obstetrical forceps, which had been recently revealed after the midwifing Chamberlen family had kept it secret for generations. He publicized the use of these instruments although promoted natural birth as the best method of delivery due to its less invasive nature. In his new version, Smellie shortened and curved the blades and included a locking mechanism. In addition, he described the mechanism of labour, devised a maneuver to deliver the head of a breech, and published his teachings.He was the first observer and recorder of the natural birthing process and detailed the method by which the head of the child exited the female pelvis. Smellie also challenged the commonly accepted concept of saving the mother over the child in times of complication. Through the introduction of forceps in the field of obstetrics, more delicate maneuvers could be performed and therefore obstetricians were able to equally weigh the life of the mother and child when complications did arise and were more often able to resolve the problem and save both. He was the first recorded figure to be able to resuscitate an infant after lung collapse and describe in detail uterine dystocia.
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