Comments on: The Chamberlen Family Secret

By: Kristan Tetens

Kristan Tetens — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:47:00 +0000

If I had seen those things coming at me while I was in labor, I think I might have asked for a blindfold!

By: Clare Dudman

Clare Dudman — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:04:00 +0000

At least they cleaned the instruments – but such a strange and somewhat baroque tale. Amazing they kept it going for all those generations.

By: Gayle Carline

Gayle Carline — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:48:00 +0000

Why on earth would they keep it a secret, instead of selling them to all of the other doctors in the country? Interesting.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:43:00 +0000

Great lead sentence–made me really want to know how/why this invention was kept in the dark for so long. Nice job!

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:25:00 +0000

Great post. Learned something new, I wonder why they kept it secret for so long. I wonder if it was perceived as a bad way to give birth, with a tool.

Then again as studio points out. What a scary way for a person to keep birth. If I read this post right. It means that the queen or a member of the royal family was the one that was alone and blindfolded.

By: MF Makichen

MF Makichen — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:28:00 +0000

Wow, that’s a scary piece of history. I’m constantly amazed by stories like this. If someone put this delivery scenario in a book everyone would think it was fictional. Thanks for the interesting post.

By: Kevin Fjelsted

Kevin Fjelsted — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:19:00 +0000

What an interesting historical context. It is kind of like company secrets today lol. Doesn’t it seem that the root of all of this was money. Both to keep the secret and later to spill the beans?

By: Travis Erwin

Travis Erwin — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:19:00 +0000

We have certainly came a long way but thanks for sharing this history.

By: studio219

studio219 — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:29:00 +0000

What a scary way to give birth: alone & blindfolded! Any idea why the Chamberlens felt the forceps had to be kept a secret? What were they trying to protect: reputation? a 'trade' secret? Could there have been some sort of persectuion for introducing a instrument into the delivery process? Very interesting piece of birthing history…thanks!