Angelica, who gave life (10 photos)

Professional obstetric care has saved many lives of both mothers and babies. But the transition from semi-literate midwives to professional help did not happen suddenly. And a simple woman played an important role in this.





After the end of the Seven Years' War, the population of France decreased sharply. And King Louis XV decided to use obstetrics as a strategy for maintaining fertility.



Louis XV

Angelique du Coudreau (1712-1789), the chief court midwife, spent 20 years on the road. And through the efforts of this brave woman, the situation was corrected.



It must be said that narrow-mindedness and illiteracy in this area reigned blatantly even in the cities. Not to mention the countryside. And Angelica had to defend the right to take every professional step.

She graduated from the capital's surgical college and trained for three years to obtain a midwife certificate. After which she even entered the medical faculty of the university, where women were not allowed to enter.



Angelique du Coudreau

When she arrived from the capital in Auvergne, she already had 11 years of practice behind her. And I was simply horrified by the blatant denseness. Women in labor in the provinces were forced to jump and gallop. Often the fetus was simply squeezed out if labor was delayed. There was no talk of saving a child if he showed no signs of life or was simply weak.

Realistic mannequin



Du Coudreau realized with horror that besides her, the unfortunate women would not receive help from anyone. And in 1758, a midwife created a surprisingly realistic mannequin depicting a woman's reproductive system. Burlap and leather were used to create the womb, and the lower torso was made from real bones.

Using a system of ropes, strings and belts, the mannequin contracted and expanded, simulating labor. And the wet sponges inside helped to understand what to do during bleeding or loss of amniotic fluid.



Plus, the midwife made a baby doll. And several more depicted defects so that future midwives would understand in advance what they might have to face.

The mannequin was accompanied by a book with detailed descriptions and pictures of different situations that the midwife might encounter. Surgeons from different cities flocked to Angelica for training.



Later, through the efforts of a midwife, “A Brief Exposition of the Art of Childbirth” appeared in pictures for the illiterate. What is noteworthy is that the woman approached the creation very delicately, avoiding unnecessary sensuality and vulgarity:

I have collected in this manual everything that is most essential in this art and most accessible to those who are least educated in this matter.

Blood, dirt, life



Illustration from the book

According to the most conservative estimates, the midwife visited approximately 40 settlements and personally trained about 4 thousand people. She was personally responsible for another 6 thousand - those that her students had already taught.

Knee-deep in mud, wearing a blood-spattered apron, she spent hours and days giving new lives and comforting women. She showed special concern for unmarried and poor women in labor.



According to surviving information, du Coudreau was not married (or widowed early) and had no children. But those babies who might not have existed if this midwife had not been there can safely be considered her children.



Allee Angelique du Coudreau in Rennes

The only surviving example of her mannequin is in the Museum of Flaubert and the History of Medicine in Rouen. Du Coudreau became a national heroine and an international symbol of progress in medicine and proved by her example that even in difficult conditions you can achieve incredible heights if you sincerely believe in your just cause and love your work.