Copy of obstetrical crotchet, belonging to Chamberlen, 1580-1620

An obstetrical crotchet is a destructive tool aiding the removal of a dead foetus from the mother. This often involved the foetus being removed from the womb in pieces to save the mother's life. This is a copy of the original instrument. It was part of the collection of instruments used by the famous Chamberlen family of doctors from the late 1500s. Successive generations of male family members used obstetrical instruments, notably the forceps. They were the original ‘man-midwives’. They kept the designs of their instruments secret for well over a century. Several were discovered in 1813. They were hidden within Woodham Mortimer Hall, the family home in Essex. The originals are in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists museum.