Few medical artifacts can be more intriguing and iconic than the obstetric manikin recently acquired by the Dittrick. Dating to the late 18th century, it served to train midwives in the mysteries of childbirth and delivery. It is modeled upon “la machine” of Madame du Coudray, the renowned midwife to Louis XV of France.
Last September I saw the original and best- preserved “machine” of du Coudray in the Musée Flaubert in Rouen, France. The Rouen manikin has all the bells and whistles, including large and small fetus, placenta, and even twins. Ours, in comparison, is a bare-bones model, but it still a very compelling artifact. We are indebted to the generosity of Trustees of the Cleveland Medical Library Association for their support of its acquisition.
I recently wrote to Nina Gelbart, author of The King’s Midwife -- a History and Mystery of Madame du Coudray, seeking her perspective on the Dittrick manikin. Professor Gelbart wrote back that “you've acquired something very rare, probably the only one in the US, and about which much can be said that is extremely important for medical history.” Additionally, the manikin is accompanied by Madame du Coudray’s Abrégé de l'art des accouchements [Summary of the art of childbirth] (1769), which features color plates of delivery technique. 
We’ve invited Professor Gelbart to come to the Dittrick in the Fall and present her views on du Coudray, the use of her “machine” and text, and what it all tells us about midwifery and the rise of obstetrics in the 18th century. We’ll keep you posted on the details.
Jim Edmonson
For more on selected Dittrick artifacts and their intriguing stories, visit our website.
Last September I saw the original and best- preserved “machine” of du Coudray in the Musée Flaubert in Rouen, France. The Rouen manikin has all the bells and whistles, including large and small fetus, placenta, and even twins. Ours, in comparison, is a bare-bones model, but it still a very compelling artifact. We are indebted to the generosity of Trustees of the Cleveland Medical Library Association for their support of its acquisition.
We’ve invited Professor Gelbart to come to the Dittrick in the Fall and present her views on du Coudray, the use of her “machine” and text, and what it all tells us about midwifery and the rise of obstetrics in the 18th century. We’ll keep you posted on the details.
Jim Edmonson
For more on selected Dittrick artifacts and their intriguing stories, visit our website.
Photos courtesy of Laura Travis