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Madame du Coudray: A Midwife in a Man's World?

Here on the Dittrick Blog, we've begun a series on body-snatching for the purpose of anatomy... but today, we'd like to interrupt that history with another, equally fascinating but focused on the other end of the life spectrum. It's National Midwifery Week, and today we present the history of a "woman in a man's world," the midwife Madame du Coudray. Angelique Marguerite Le Boursier du Coudray (1712-1790) was the “King’s Midwife” in France. And yet, Madame du Coudray left no journal and few personal papers, meaning that while her deeds are well-recorded, her life is still somewhat mysterious. She remained...

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What do Medical Museums *Really* have to Offer?

Sometimes it is important not to let objects speak for themselves. The Dittrick Medical History Center has the most extensive collection of 19th and early 20th century surgical instruments in the United States, the largest collection of historic contraceptives in the world, and the most comprehensive gallery of diagnostic instruments (like the earliest stethoscopes!) in North America. We also boast fascinating material on the history of birth, the history of anesthesia, the history of hospital care, WWI medicine, forensics, and much more. But objects and artifacts, as amazing as they are, don't tell the whole story. Museums--and medical museums in...

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Bodle and LaFarge: Sensational Arsenic Cases

Arsenic and its Discontents Despite its poisonous nature, arsenic was very easy to get a hold on in the 19th century. It could be found in many household products.  Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele mixed copper, arsenic, hydrogen, and oxygen to produce a brilliant green pigment. These pigments were used in everything from children’s toys to soap, wallpaper, fabric, and even sweets! The fabric of a lady’s green ball gown might contain 100 grains of arsenic--and it takes only 4.5 grains to kill an adult! Just as problematic were accidental uses. In 1858, 20 people died in Bradford, England,...

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Forensics: The Science of Sherlock and Steampunk

FORENSICS and the STEAMPUNK AESTHETIC Generally speaking, reactions to the term “steampunk” tend to be of two types: overwhelming enthusiasm or a quizzical expression. What on earth is it? Steampunk is usually defined as a sub-genre of science fiction that features technology and is set during the Victorian era and the industrialization of the West. What kind of technology? Steam-powered, electrical, and mechanical (the gears of clockwork are almost ubiquitous). However, there are other technologies--and other fields of inquiry--on the rise during the period, and these influence the aesthetic of the genre. In today's post, and as part of our...

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