An Essay from the earliest period on the use of the Obstetrical Forceps
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 11/19/2025, 8:34:18 PM
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Description
An Essay from the earliest period on the use of the Obstetrical Forceps
Overview
This item is a doctoral thesis in medicine written in English and dated February 1, 1850. It is presented by Richard Gardiner to Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the degree of Doctorate in Medicine. The thesis is preserved as a pair of scanned JPEG images (≈360 KB and 291 KB) that contain the original pages of the manuscript. The file is catalogued in the PINAX repository and has no specified copyright restrictions.Background
Richard Gardiner was a medical student at Drexel University during the mid‑19th century. The thesis reflects the academic practices of the time, wherein students produced detailed essays on specific medical topics for examination. Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, was an emerging institution in the United States, and its medical faculty encouraged research into both classical and contemporary medical knowledge. The work situates itself within the broader tradition of medical history, referencing ancient physicians such as Hippocrates and Galen, and aligns with the homoeopathic movement that was gaining prominence in the 1850s.Contents
The essay examines the historical development of obstetrical forceps, tracing their use from antiquity to the present day (1850). It discusses the evolution of medical science, noting the expansion of the field beyond the brief learning period of early physicians. The text references the practical and theoretical aspects of obstetrical forceps, their design, and their application in childbirth. The thesis also touches on the broader context of homoeopathic medicine, suggesting that the instrument’s use was influenced by contemporary alternative medical practices. The scanned images provide the full narrative, including introductory remarks, methodological discussion, and concluding observations.Scope
The document covers the period from ancient medical practice (Hippocrates, Galen) to the mid‑19th century, focusing on obstetrical forceps within the field of obstetrics. It is limited to the historical and theoretical analysis of the instrument and does not include empirical clinical data or modern obstetric techniques. The thesis is relevant to scholars of medical history, obstetrics, and homoeopathic medicine, offering insight into 19th‑century academic discourse and the evolution of obstetrical instruments.Entities
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@file_pinax -> documents -> @essay_obstetrical_forceps:document {title: "An Essay from the earliest period on the use of the Obstetrical Forceps", creator: @richard_gardiner, institution: @drexel_university, created: @date_1850_02_01, language: "en", subjects: [@medical_science, @obstetrical_forceps, @medical_history, @homoeopathic_medicine], place: @philadelphia_pa}
@file_hu_theses_1850gardiner_001_jpg -> depicts -> @essay_obstetrical_forceps
@file_hu_theses_1850gardiner_002_jpg -> depicts -> @essay_obstetrical_forceps
@richard_gardiner:person {full_name: "Richard Gardiner"}
@drexel_university:organization {location: @philadelphia_pa}
@philadelphia_pa:place {state: @pennsylvania, country: @united_states}
@pennsylvania:place {country: @united_states}
@medical_science:concept {field: "Medicine"}
@obstetrical_forceps:concept {type: "Medical instrument"}
@medical_history:concept {domain: "History of medicine"}
@homoeopathic_medicine:concept {type: "Alternative medical practice"}
@doctorate_in_medicine:concept {level: "Doctoral degree"}
@essay_obstetrical_forceps -> about -> @obstetrical_forceps
@essay_obstetrical_forceps -> field -> @medical_science
@essay_obstetrical_forceps -> historical context -> @antiquity
@essay_obstetrical_forceps -> presented for -> @doctorate_in_medicine {institution: @drexel_university, date: @date_1850_02_01}
@essay_obstetrical_forceps -> references -> [@hippocrates, @galen]
@antiquity:concept {period: "Ancient history"} # defined for context
@hippocrates:person # common knowledge, referenced only
@galen:person # common knowledge, referenced onlyMetadata
Files (2)
OCR Text
Gentlemen, It is interesting to examine the records of Medicine. An Essay from the earliest period on the use of the Obstetrical Forceps, presented, important addition to the faculty, effected within its lot of the Homoeopathic Medical age of the entire College of the Healing Arts. Cued by Pennsylvania very brief period; into Philadelphia. For the degree of Doctorate in Medicine the long by Richard Gardiner. We from of Philadelphia learn, that a single day February 1, 1850, sufficient to gain a familiar acquaintance with its best resources. In Medicine as in the other sciences, much has been promulgated.
OCR Text
Gentlemen - It is interesting to examine the records of Medical Science, from the earliest period of Antiquity, and note the gradual improvements and important additions, which have been effected within its limits. In the days of Hippocrates and Galen, a knowledge of the entire cycle of the healing arts could be acquired in a very brief period; but the domain of Physic has been so much increased, during the long era of time, that separates us from those worthy pioneers, that a single lifetime is insufficient to gain a familiar acquaintance with its best resources. In Medicine as in the other Sciences, much has been promulgated
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 11/19/2025, 8:34:18 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 11/19/2025, 8:32:27 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 11/19/2025, 8:30:24 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 11/19/2025, 8:28:55 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Historical_Medical_Records"
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