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Henrick Van Deventer
Henrick Van Deventer (1651-1724) was trained as a goldsmith, but later joined the Labadists, a pious sect, and became their physician, surgeon, and man-midwife. The ascetic diet and rickets endemic among the Labadists led Van Deventer to obtain a medical degree in 1694 and later become an expert on deformities of the spine and pelvis. He was the first to appreciate the relevance of a pelvic examination and especially of the shape of the pelvis and it's underlying proportions and measurements. In his book, originally entitled New Light for Man-Midwives and Midwives, Van Deventer described the normal pelvis together with its variations, as well as the mechanisms of birth in relation to an abnormal pelvis. His work combined theory and practice in one scientific treatise. Van Deventer held midwives in great esteem (he married one) and believed in natural childbirth. He felt that obstetricians should only become involved in the presence of clear pathology, and he avoided using instruments and forcing medicines. Van Deventer's book was translated into Latin, German, French, and English, and new editions appeared for 25 years after his death.
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