Obstetrical forceps
- Maker: Jan Palfijn (inventor)
- Date: 1723 (invention)
- Collection: History of Medicine
Who was Jan Palfijn?
Jan Palfijn (1650-1730) was a famous surgeon and obstetrician. His name is inextricably linked to the forceps he invented. He was born in Courtrai and trained as a surgeon at the Bijloke hospital in Ghent. He also taught anatomy and surgery.
What was the significance of the forceps?
These ‘iron hands’, as Palfijn called them, saved the lives of many children and mothers. However, this instrument also helped to reinforce the ‘inferior’ position of the midwife. In the 18th century, the predominant view was that medical instruments ‘belonged in the hands of the doctor’, leading to more and more men taking over the role of the midwife.
How is a set of forceps used?
A set of forceps always consists of two curved parts called ‘blades’. The two parts are placed around the child’s head individually and then clicked together. Once the doctor is sure the forceps are correctly positioned and that nothing is being forced, s/he pulls the child’s head out of the birth canal as slowly and carefully as possible. Forceps can only be used once the baby’s head has descended sufficiently.
Was Palfijn really the inventor of the obstetrical forceps?
In fact, the British doctor Peter Chamberlen (1601-1683) developed the first obstetrical forceps about half a century before Palfijn. But after a demonstration that went wrong, in which the mother and child lost their lives, he kept his invention secret. He continued to work on his design in silence. It is striking that Chamberlen’s ‘fenestrated blades’ fit better around a child’s head than Palfijn’s version. This contradicts the story that he kept his instrument secret for such a long time to maximise its profitability.
