Reflections on Dr Henderson of Perth's Case of Impracticable Labour: An Early Case (1820) in which the Caesarean Operation was Performed

Abstract

The rediscovery of a female pelvis with features characteristic of osteomalacia stimulated an enquiry into the clinical history of the woman involved. It was established that she died in 1820, aged 30. Despite being severely debilitated and confined to bed for some years with increasing skeletal deformities, she became pregnant, and in due course laboured unsuccessfully for about 102 hours. An elective caesarean section was performed, but she died some hours later, though her daughter survived and was appropriately christened Caesar Anna.

This represents one of the earliest cases in which the caesarean operation was performed where the full obstetric history was carefully recorded by the obstetrician involved, Dr Henderson of Perth. The case was clearly considered important, and in 1836 engravings of this pelvis were used to illustrate Professor Hamilton's “Practical Observations of Various Subjects Related to Midwifery”. Such cases are now of great rarity in the developed world.