- Title
- Dr. Peter Chamberlen 17th Century Royal Physician
- Creator
- Potts, Desmond
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2007
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Dr. Peter Chamberlen was a highly trained physician who specialised in midwifery at a time when midwifery had the potential to become a lucrative practice for men. Male midwives were considered inappropriate and unskilled for 'normal' births and were generally called when surgical procedures were necessary. Because the Chamberlen family had assisted in childbirth, including the children of royalty, for several generations Peter CHamberen virtually inherited his role as a royal midwife almost immediately after his graduation from medical school in 1619 and considered himself qualified for both difficult and normal births because of the training he received from his father. Because of his manicured heritage Peter Chamberlen also considered himself to have the necessary experience, training and skill to establish the first English state sponsored association of midwives that would have made London's independent midwives subject to his control. In 1634, after he had gained considerable experience as a reputable accoucheur, and establishing his reputation as a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Chamberlen petitioned the king for permission to institute the midwives association without consultation with the College or some influential midwives. Charles I, unwilling to promote the idea without support, suggested the matter should be taken up with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London, the official channels responsible for issuing midwifery licenses. Lacking the confidence to arbitrate on the matter, the ecclesiastic authorities sought advice from the Royal College of Physicians. Unfortunately for Chamberlen opposition arose from from the midwives, the Royal College of Physicians as well as the ecclesiastical authorities. This opposition was so intense that the proposed institute failed in its inception and Chamberlen was humiliated. Chamberlen retreated to the Netherlands but soon returned and continued to work in London as a male midwife. Henceforth he actively sought to clear his tarnished reputation. His life and contribution to 17th Century society form the basis of this thesis.
- Subject
- Peter Chamberlen; midwifery
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/29312
- Identifier
- uon:2510
- Rights
- Copyright 2007 Desmond Potts
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Abstract | 378 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Thesis | 7 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |