ANTIQUE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS

- British Journal of Obstetrics - -

and Gynaecology

Vol 88 No. 4 NEW SERIES APRIL 1981

ANTIQUE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS

BY

J. L. THORNTON

AND

PATRICIA C. WANT Library, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London

THE College was founded in 1929, but it was not until three years later that the basis of a library was formed by William Blair-Bell (1871-1936), appropriately enough by the gift of the writings of William Smellie (1697-1763). In a letter to William Fletcher Shaw (1878-1962) dated 7th November 1932, Blair-Bell wrote:

“My dear Shaw, I hope, as you know, to give a lot of books to the

College before long, but I am sending now this rather nice old Edition (1779) of Smellie’s works. Since Johnstone and Phillips are presenting a fine portrait of him, and Mr Graham has presented a copy of his Life by Glaister, it seems appropriate that the College should have these volumes at once. I have had them for many years. They can be left on the mantlepiece underneath Smellie’s portrait for the time being.

Will you present them from me to the Executive Committee.

Yours ever, W. Blair Bell”.

It is obvious from College Minutes that early plans for College House included the provision of a Library, but it was not then developed as a working collection owing to the close proximity of the Royal Society of Medicine. In April 1933, DI A. E. Giles (1864-1936) was elected as the first Honorary Librarian and a Library Com- mittee was formed. Giles became Resident Librarian in 1937 but after the war this post was

discontinued, and in 1946 W. J. Bishop (1903- 1961) became part-time librarian (later Con- sultant Librarian), and was responsible for compiling the Catalogue of the Library up to 1850, published in 1956.

Blair Bell not only presented books from his own collection, but persuaded others to follow suit and eventually he bequeathed 450 volumes to the College. The collection remained mainly historical, but when the College moved from Queen Anne Street to Regents Park in 1960, there was not only room for expansion, but a need to extend the services of the Library to cover current literature. Largely through the efforts of W. J. Bishop, early in 1961 a grant was received from the Wellcome Trustees to bring the collection up to date, to equip the Library bibliographically, and to transform it into a working library. The first full-time professional librarian was appointed, the stock rapidly grew from 3000 in 1960 to the present I1 OOO, and in 1970 the library premises were greatly extended.

Many donations of books and periodicals have been received from both individuals and insti- tutions, but in particular three collectors of historical books have been responsible for the addition of books of special value and rarity, notably Roy Samuel Dobbin (1873-1939), Sir Eardley Holland (1879-1967), and Miles Phillips

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338 THORNTON AND WANT

(1875-1965). Particulars of some of their donations are mentioned below, as are details of some of the items purchased at the sale in October 1979 of the collection formerly owned by Alistair Livingston Gunn (1903-1970), Honorary Librarian at the time of his death. He had succeeded A. J. McNair (1887-1964) in that office on the death of the latter.

Following the publication of the 1956 Cata- logue, Eardley Holland (1957) wrote a review article which emphasized the original intention by pointing out the gaps in the collection, in addition to outlining the contents of the Library. He also mentioned items in his own possession, many of which he subsequently donated to the Library, or which were purchased when he sold part of his collection in 1961. Many other desiderata were subsequently acquired from various sources, and the College continues to make funds available for rare books, as well as maintaining the collection up to date. Un- fortunately, the older volumes are increasingly highly priced, and as the gaps are gradually filled it is also more difficult to find required items at prices the College can afford. However, the collection has also increased not only in monetary terms but in its potential value to all interested in the development of obstetrics and gynaecology from antiquity to the present day.

Although many of the books presented by Blair-Bell were comparatively modern, they included a choice selection of antique books, not all of which are directly related to obstetrics. His kinsmen Benjamin, Joseph, Sir Charles and John Bell are represented, and the early nineteenth century writings by the two latter are particularly attractive, being illustrated by the authors. Albertus Magnus is represented by a book printed in the fifteenth century, Commen- turn in librum Alberti de secretis mulierum, [Venice], 1478, one of the two incunabula contained in the Library. Eucharius Roesslin’s The byrth of mankynd, otherwyse named the woman’s booke is well represented by editions printed in London in 1552, 1565, 1604, 1626 and 1634, together with a Latin version, De partu hominis, Venice, 1536. Seventeenth century authors include Thomas Bartholinus’ Anatomia ex Caspari Bartholini parentis Institutionibus, omniumque recentiorum & propriis observationibus tertium ad sanguinis circulatione reformata, The Hague,

1660; Louise Bourgeois [alias Boursier] on Observations diverses sur la stirilitt!, perte de fruict, foeconditt!, accouchements et maladies des femmes et enfants nouveaux naiz, Paris, 1642; The compleat midwives practice, London, 1656; Nicholas Culpeper’s A directory for midwives, London, 1724, of which the first edition had been published in 1651; and Regnier de Graaf’s Opera omnia, Lyons, 1678. Books published in the eighteenth century include John Clubbe’s A treatise upon the inflammation in the breasts, peculiar to lying-in women, Ipswich, London, 1779; Thomas Denman’s Introduction to the practice of midwSfery. Part thejisrt [sic], London, 1782, and his Observations on the rupture of the uterus, on the snufles in infants, and on mania lactea, which was published in 1810; Alexander Gordon’s A treatise on the epidemic puerperal fever of Aberdeen, London, 1795; and John Harvie’s Practical directions, shewing a method of preserving the perinaeum in birth, and delivering the placenta without violence, London, 1767. Later interesting volumes include William Michell’s On difJicult cases of parturition; and the use of ergot of rye, London, 1828, and a curious collection of books by Alexander Walker, The nervous system, anatomical and physiological, and Physiognomy founded on physiology, and applied to various countries, professions and individuals, both published in London, 1834; Beauty; illustrated chiefly by an analysis and classification of beauty in women, 1836; Intermarriage; or the mode in which, and the causes why, beauty, health and intellect result from certain unions, and deformity, disease and insanity from others, 1838 ; and Woman physiologically considered as to mind, morals, marriage, matrimonial slavery, injidelity and divorce, 1839.

Without doubt the most important and valu- able books in the Library are those originally collected by Roy Samuel Dobbin (1873-1939), who spent most of his professional life in Cairo as Professor of Midwifery and Gynaecology. He began collecting books with the intention of writing a history of British midwifery, but enlarged the field to cover medicine in general, and never completed either project. Many of his books were exhibited at the International Congress of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene held in Cairo in 1928, and Dobbin was lent the jewel cases of‘ Tutankamen in which to display them.

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In 1931, he became anxious for the safety of his collection, and sent many of them to the Royal College of Surgeons of England, which he hoped would purchase them for a comparatively modest sum. The saga of his efforts to dispose of them as a collection is recounted in letters from Dobbin to William LeFanu (then Librarian of the Royal College of Surgeons) and to Lord Moynihan, and selections from these have been published by the present authors (Thornton and Want, 1974b). The correspondence was subsequently presented to the Library by William LeFanu. Dobbin at one time attempted to retrieve his books and take them back to Cairo, but he was taken ill in France and was forced to return. Eventually he was offered &500 for a proportion of the collection by J. S. Fairbairn on behalf of the College, which was accepted. Lady Sinison, widow of Sir Henry Simson (1872- 1912), had made this money available to the College as a memorial to her husband, and Dobbin was delighted that his collection should go to the College of which he was the only Life Fellow. Subsequently he sent the College many other gifts of books, and on his death bequeathed others to join them. In 1931 he had compiled a ‘Hand list’ recording the books sent to the Royal College of Surgeons. It is a remarkable manuscript catalogue of the collection, with fascin- ating annotations detailing their history, pre- vious ownership, binding, and reflecting the whimsical nature of their then owner. Many of the books themselves are annotated in Dobbin’s handwriting, reminding readers of their origin, and contributing to the interest of their contents.

,4 few examples from the Roy Dobbin Col- lection indicate its potential richness as a source for historical research. The earliest texts include Akxandri Tralliani medici lib. xii, Paris, 1548 ; Guy de Chauliac’s Guydos questions, newly corrected, London, 1579; a magnificent example of Johannes Ketham’s Fasciculus medicinae, Venice, 1513 (Fig. 1); De natura hominis liber unus, by Nemesius, Bishop of Emesa, Antwerp, 1565; Rhazes’ Liber nonus ad Almansorem, Venice, 1497, another highly prized volume; Roesslin’s The byrth of mankynd is represented by the London, 1552, 1565 and 1626 editions, and by the Latin translation printed in Frankfurt in 1532; and Jacob Rueff’s De conceptu et generatione hominis, Frankfurt, 1580 (Fig. 2).

Seventeenth century publications from the Roy Dobbin Collection include the second edition of Culpeper’s A physical directory: or a translation of the dispensatory made by the CoIIedge of Physitians of London, 1650 ; Epistola historiam exhibens foetus humani post xxi menses ex uteri tuba, matre salva ac superstite excisi, Leyden, 1700; two editions of Jacques Guille- meau’s Child-birth, or the happy deliverie of women, published in London, 1612 and 1635; William Harvey’s Exercitationes de generatione animalium, Amsterdam, (Jansson), 1651, the English translation of this, London, 1653, and several other items by Harvey; FranCois Mauriceau’s Des maladies des femmes grosses et accouchtes, fourth edition, Paris, 1694, a sixth edition of the English translation of this, Lon- don, 1727, and a Latin translation, Paris, 1681; and James Primrose’s De mulierum morbis et symptomatis libri quinque, Rotterdam, 1655. From the eighteenth century there are Anne Amable Augier Du Fot’s Cathtchisme sur I’art des accouchemens pour les sages-femmes de la campagne, Limoges, 1775; John Freind’s Em- menologia, London, 1729, the original Latin edition of which was published in 1703; William Hunter’s Anatomia uteri humani gravidi tabulis illustrata, Birmingham and London, 1774; AndrC Levret’s Essai sur I’abus des rtgles gtntrales, et contre les prtjugks qui s’apposent aux progris de l’art des accouchemens, Paris, 1766, and his Suite des observations sur les causes et les accidens de plusieurs accouchemens laborieux, Paris, 1751, and Observations sur les causes et les accidens de plusieurs accouchemens laborieux, third edition, Paris, 1762, bound together; Nicholas Puzos’ Trait6 des accouchemens, Paris, 1759; Claude Quillet’s La calliptdie, ou la maniire d’avoir de beaux enfans, Paris, 1774, which is a French translation of the original Latin poem; William Smellie’s A sett of anatomical tables, London, 1754; and De humani corporis fabrica libri decem, by Adriaan van der Spieghel [Spigelius], Venice, 1727.

Sir Eardley Holland was a keen book collector, and his interest in the subject is reflected in his review article (Holland, 1957). He gave numerous books to the College, but also sold part of his rich collection at Sotheby’s in 1961, and some of the items were acquired at the sale. Among the books formerly in his collection are


, i

FIG. 1 JOHANNES DE KETHAM

Fasciculus medicinae: Venice: Gvegoriis, 1513. The ‘zodiacal man’ is frequently represented in Arabic manuscripts and early medical texts. It was thought that parts of the body were governed by different zodiacal regions which supposedly had a direct bearing on time and method

of treatment.

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4 3 FIG. 2

JACOB RUEFF De conceptu et generatione hominis. Frankfurt : Corvinus for Feyerabend, 1580.

This woodcut illustration by the Swiss-German Jost Amman (1539-1591) depicts a scene in a contemporary birth- chamber. The parturient is seated on an obstetric stool and in the background can be seen an astrologer casting the

horoscope of the newborn infant.


Jean Astruc’s Trait6 des maladies des femmes, in five volumes, 1763-65; Thomas Denman’s Introduction to the practice of midwifery, two volumes (of which the second is second edition), London, 1788-98; four books by Alexander Hamilton, Elements of the practice of midwifery, London, 1775, Letters to Dr William Osborn, Edinburgh and London, 1792, Outlines of the theory and practice of midwifery, fifth edition, Edinburgh and London, 1806, and A treatise of midwifery, comprehending the whole management of female complaints, second edition, Edinburgh, [etc], 1785; John Leake’s A lecture introductory to the theory and practice of midwifery, fourth edition, London, 1782, Medical instructions towards the prevention, and cure, of chronic or slow diseases peculiar to women, London, 1777, and the fifth edition in two volumes, London, 1781, of which volume two has the title Practical observations on the child-bed fever, [etc]; Walter Lynn’s The singular case of a lady who had the small-pox during pregnancy; and who communi- cated the same disease to the foetus, London, 1786; John Maubray’s Midwifery brought to perfection by manual operation, London, 1725 ; William Osborn’s Essays on the practice of midwifery, London, 1792 ; Fielding Ould’s A treatise of midwifry, Dublin, 1742; two books by Johann Georg Roederer, Elementis artis obstetriciae, and Icones uteri humani observationibus illustratae, both printed in Gottingen in 1759; Martin Schurig’s Gynaecologia historico-rnedica, [etc], Dresden, 1730; and Man midwifery analyzed, or the tendency of that indecent and unnecessary practice detected and exposed. Addressed to John Ford, the third edition of an anonymously published work by Philip Thicknesse, London, 1790. Early nineteenth century publications include Marie Anne Victoire Gillain Boivin’s Mimorial de Part des accouchements, Paris, 1812, and jointly with Antoine Louis Dug&, Trait6 pratique des maladies de I’utirus et de ses annexes, two volumes and atlas, Paris, [etc], 1833 ; A practical compendium of midwifery, London, 1831 ; Junonesia; or women rescued. A familiar treatise relating to the prevalence, practice, and evil tendencies of man-midwifery, London, 1838 ; Samuel Merriman’s A dissert- ation on retroversion of the womb, including some observations on extra-uterine gestation, London, 18 10; and William Fetherston Montgomery’s An

exposition of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy, the period of human gestation, and the signs of delivery, London, 1837.

The collection of Miles Phillips was mainly of eighteenth and nineteenth century publications, and he was generous in donations to the College both during his lifetime and at his death. Other items were acquired at the subsequent sale of the remainder of his collection in November 1965. The Library possesses The English midwife enlarged, containing directions to midwives, London, 1682 ; Auguste-Cesar Baudelocque’s Nouveau prockdk pour pratiquer 1 ’operation cksarienne, a thesis published in Paris in 1823, and Observations on some of the most important diseases of women. . . . Edited by Thomas Castle, London, 1837; William Clark’s The province of midwives in the practice of their art, Bath and London, 1751 ; the following items by Thomas Denman, An essay on dificult labours, two parts, London, 1787-90, An essay on natural labours, London, 1786, An essay on preternatural labours, two parts, London, 1786, and Intro- duction to the practice of midwifery, fourth edition in two volumes, London, 1805, fifth edition, New York, 1821, and seventh edition, London, 1832; A letter to Dr Smelle [sic] Shewing the impropriety of his newly-invented forceps, by William Douglas, London, 1748 ; Paul Portal’s The compleat practice of men and women midwives, London, 1705, of which the French edition was originally published in 1685; Claude Quillet’s Callipaedia: or, the art of getting pretty children, London, 1710, translated from the original Latin poem; several items by William Smellie, including A treatise on the theory and practice of midwifery, Edinburgh, 1784, and Obstetric plates, with explanations, selected from the anatomical tables, London, 1848; Sarah Stone’s A complete practice of midwifery, London, 1737; Charles White’s An inquiry into the nature and cause of that swelling, in one or both of the lower extremities, which some- times happens to lying-in women, Warrington and London, 1784, and his A treatise on the management of pregnant and lying-in women, third edition, 1785, and fifth edition, 1791, both published in London. Miles Phillips also collected several copies of Percival Willughby’s Observations in midwifery, which Eardley Hol- land (1957) listed as a book which should be

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acquired for the College. This was first printed in a very limited edition in 1863 from a manuscript circulated in the seventeenth century, and Phillips also tried unsuccessfully to have it reprinted. He presented a copy to the College, and also a manuscript copy of part of it by Robert Gel1 dated 1741. The 1863 edition has since been reprinted (Willughby, 1863; see also Thornton and Want, 1978b).

Alastair Gunn had an extensive private library which he presented to his wife, and which wa’j eventually sold by auction in October1979. This included the Alfred M. Hellman Collection which had been purchased by Gunn, and which contained many rare items lacking in the College collection. Council made money available to the Library for the acquisition of some of these, but one particularly rare item was sold for E25 000, an indication of the prices fetched today by antique books, and of the difficulties encountered in filling the gaps in the collection. It also reflects the potential monetary value of the volumes already acquired. The College did manage to purchase the following Roesslin items from the Hellman Collection: Der swangern Frawen und Hebammen Rosegarten, [Hagenau, 1513?], and other German editions printed in Frankfurt in 1533, 1565, 1571 and 1558; Latin versions, De partu hominis, printed in the same town in 1544, 1551 and 1563; and three French translations, Des divers traveaux et enjmtemes des femmes, printed in Paris in 1539, 1563 and 1577. Also Jakob Rueff’s De conceptu et generatione hominis, Frankfurt, 1587, and the following items which fill notable gaps in the Co Ilege collection : Albertus Magnus’ De secretis mulierum, Venice, 1508 and Amsterdam, 1643; Jean Astruc’s Trait6 des maladies des

fewmes, 5 volumes, Avignon, 1763-65; Joseph Capuron’s Traiti des maladies des femmes, 2nd edition, Paris, 1817; Thomas Denman’s Aphor- isms on the application and use of the forceps, London, 1783 ; William Harvey’s Exercitationes de generatione animalium, Amsterdam, 1662; Wi iliam Hunter’s An anatomical description of the human gravid uterus and its contents, London, 1794, which was completed and published by Matthew Baillie after Hunter’s death; AndrC Levret’s Observations stir les causes et les accidens de plusieurs accouchemens laborieux, Paris, 1747 ; Adolphe Pinard’s TraitP du palper abdominal au

point de vue obstetrical, et de la version par manoeuvres externes, Paris, 1878 ; FranGois Rousset’s Exsectio foetus vivi ex matre viva sine alterutruis vitae periculo et absque foecunditatis ablatione, Frankfurt, 1601; and Mrs Jane Sharp’s The compleat midwife’s companion or the art of midwifery improv’d, third edition, 1724.

The items obtained from private collections represent but a fraction of important publications in the history of the speciality. Books from a variety of other sources have also en- riched the Library over the years and among these can be found notable illustrated volumes. The following titles are predominantly from this category, although one or two items have been mentioned earlier in this paper if originating from a named collection, and together they form an impressive list of illustrated works dating back to the early fifteenth century.

Charles Estienne [Stephanus] (1504-1564) was the author of De dissectione partium corporis humani, Paris, 1545, in which many of the plates are dated between 1530 and 1532. These pre-date those in De fabrica by Vesalius, first published in 1543, but are more artistic than factual, although some of the anatomical details in the plates were revised prior to eventual publication. Many of the woodcuts are of obstetrical interest. Eucharius Roesslin (died 1526) was the author of De schwangerenn Frawen und Hebam- men Rosengarten, which was originally published in 1513, and was reprinted several times and translated into Dutch, Czech, French and Latin. An English translation was printed in 1540 as The byrth of mankynd newly translated out a laten into Englysshe. The English translation of 1545 was an enlarged version by Thomas Raynald or Raynold (which was also the name of the printer). The earlier versions contained numerous woodcuts of the fetus in utero such as found in early manuscripts, and probably originated in the writings of Soranus of Ephesus (AD 98-138), but which were still copied in texts published in the seventeenth century.

Another comparable popular textbook for midwives was that by Jacob Rueff, De conceptu et generatione hominis, Frankfort, 1580, which contained amended versions of Roesslin’s fetal figures, with additional woodcuts. Andreas Vesalius (1 514-1 564) has been described as the


‘founder of modern anatomy’, and his De humani corporis fabrica was the last of the .great medical atlases to contain woodcuts. The first edition was printed in Basle in 1543, with the greatly improved version in 1555. The plates by Stephan van Calcar (died 1546), a pupil of Titian, were copied widely in other medical publications, but none reached the high standard of the originals. Both Vesalius and Adriaan van der Spieghel [Spigelius] (1578-1625) were born in Brussels and later became professors of anatomy at Padua, where Spieghel’s De formatu foetu was published in [1626]. His writings were published posthumously and were illustrated by many engraved plates originally drawn for Casserius by Joseph Maurer. These are a landmark in accur- acy of detail and technique. They include four female figures, with anatomical details of the pregnant uterus, two of the placenta, one of the fetus and placenta, and two of the newborn infant.

All the specimens were measured and brought down to scale by Jan Wandelaer (1690-1759) for the illustrations in Icones ossium foetus humani, 1737, by Bernhardus Siegfried Albinus (1697- 1770), who constantly supervised the prepar- ation of the copper engravings. These were engraved direct from the preparations, and are beautiful examples of the work of a supreme artist. John Burton (1710-1771), who was satirised as ‘Dr SlDp’ in Tristam Shandy, and practised in York, was the author of An essay towards a complete new system of midwifry, London, 1751. Burton asked George Stubbs (1724-1806) to illustrate this book, but the eighteen small copper-plates are poor, and were not all based on original observation. This was Stubbs’ first attempt at engraving, and he is better known for his paintings of horses and other animals.

The Library contains numerous editions of the books by William Smellie (1 697-1 763), and his atlas, A sett of anatomical tables, with explanations and an abridgement of the practice of midwifery, 1754, is particularly noteworthy for the illustrations, most of which were drawn by Jan Van Rymsdyk. However, they are excelled by those by the same artist published in The anatomy of the human gravid uterus, 1774, by William Hunter (1718-1783). Rymsdyk’s work as a medical artist has been the subject of several

papers based on material in the Library, and his work set a standard which has not been sur- passed (Thornton and Want, 1974a and c ; 1978a; 1979). William Hunter aimed at perfection in his illustrations, as did Albinus, and both inspired Samuel Thomas von Soemmering (1755-1830) to pursue the same goal. He trained Christian Kock (died 1818) as an artist, who was responsible for the two copper plates in Zcones embryonum humanorum, 1799. This was intended to supplement Hunter’s Gravid uterus, and is one of the most important of Soemmerring’s publications. Robert Hooper (177311835) was the author of The morbid anatomy of the human uterus and its appendages, 1832, which is illustrated by coloured aquatints, a plate-making process producing results closely akin to water- colours. This heralded the introduction of new techniques in the method of reproduction of illustrations, some of which were short-lived, and most of which relied upon comparatively small runs and therefore higher prices. Expensive atlases and other textbooks were not within the range of students’ purses, however much they desired to possess them.

Exhibitions of these books have been held in the College on several occasions, and during its Golden Jubilee year extensive displays were mounted, notably on Open Day, 25th June, 1979 when Her Majesty The Queen attended an evening reception. The books demonstrated five hundred years of obstetrical and gynaecological illustration, and attracted great interest.

The above is obviously only a very small selection of titles from a collection which covers the entire history of the subject. Books printed before 1851 are listed in the Catalogue published by the RCOG (1968), supplemented for later additions and for items published after that date by the author and subject card catalogues, All the required bibliographical tools are also available as guides to the literature, and the Library houses an extensive collection on the history of obstetrics and gynaecology, and also of bio- graphical material. These provide guidance to the original texts, and enable one to exploit the wealth of material available. Walter Radcliffe wrote a short but authoritative history entitled Milestones in midwifery, 1967, and other guides to the history of British midwifery are found in Herbert R. Spencer’s The history of British

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midwifery from 1650 to 1800, 1927, which is contmued by J. M. Munro Kerr, R. W. John- stone, and Miles H. Phillips’ Historical review of British obstetrics and gynaecology, 1800-1950, 1954; also, J. H. Aveling’s English midwives: their history and prospects, 1872, which has been reprinted (Aveling, 1872). A comprehensive list of these histories and biographies is provided as an appendix (pp 374-378) to a chapter by J. L. Thornton and Patricia C . Want (1977). These are guides to the original texts, which should be regarded as stepping stones in the history of obstetrics, and exploited by careful examination, instead of merely as ‘antiques’ reserved for exhibitions, and admired solely for their beauty and rarity. Although postal enquiries are received, and visitors from abroad make use of the historical collection, it is curious to note that it is usually those engaged in writing theses, or working on similar projects who consult the older books in the Library. Medical men in general appear to have little interest in the history of their profession until they have to write theses, prepare memorial lectures, or reach retirement. Perhaps they should be encouraged to investigate the past thoroughly before they venture into the future, or eventually they may discover they have been treading in the footsteps of others, instead of breaking new ground!

Fellows and Members of the College are entitled to make full use of the facilities offered by the Library, and other suitably introduced persons can use it for reference purposes. The Library is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm.

REFERENCES Aveling, J. H. (1872): English Midwives, their History

und Prospects. Churchill, London. (Reprinted, 13. K. Elliott, London, 1967).

Recewed September l,1980/Accepted October 6,1980.

Holland, E. (1957): The Library of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists down to the year 1850. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Empire, 64,282-7.

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (1968): Short-title Catalogue of Books Printed before I851 in the Library of the Royal College of Obstetri- cians and Gynaecologists, 2nd edition, R.C.O.G., London.

Thornton, J. L., and Want, P. C. (1974~): Artist versus engraver in William Hunter’s ‘Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus’. MedBiolIllus, 24,137-9.

Thornton, J. L., and Want, P. C. (19746): Roy Samuel Dobbin (1873-1939), book collector and benefactor of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaeco- logists. Proc XXIII Internat Congr Hist Med, London 2-9 Sept., 1972,2,1087-98.

Thornton, J. L., and Want, P. C. (1974~): William Hunter’s ‘The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus’, 1774-1974. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Cornmw,

Thornton, J. L., and Want, P. C. (1977): Obstetrics and gynaecology. In Use of Medical Literature. Edited by L. T. Morton. 2nd edition, Butterworths, London,

Thornton, J. L., and Want, P. C. (1978a): C. N. Jenty and the mezzotint plates in his ‘Demonstrations of a Pregnant Uterus’, 1757. J Audiovisual Media in Med, 1,113-5.

Thornton, J. L., and Want, P. C. (19786): William Harvey (1578-1657), ‘Father of British Obstetrics’, and his friend Percival Willughby (1596-1685). Br J Obstet Gynae.col, 85,241-5.

Thornton, J. L., and Want, P. C. (1979): Jan van Rymsdyk‘s illustrations of the gravid uterus drawn for Hunter, Smellie, Jenty and Denman. J Audio- visual Media in Med, 2,lO-15.

Willughby, P. (1863) : Observations in Midwifery. Edited from the Original MS. by H. Blenkinsop, Shakespeare Printing Press, Warwick. (Reprinted, with a new introduction by J. L. Thornton, S.R. Publishers, East Ardsley, 1972).

81,l-10.

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Documents

ANTIQUE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS