301 - Large curved obstetric surgical knife, France, second half of the 17th century

Large curved obstetric surgical knife, France, second half of the 17th century Iron and wood; 32 cm long. Curved knife based on Mauriceau’s design for obstetric surgery. This knife is illustrated and described in Mauriceau’s work, *Treatise on the Diseases of Pregnant Women*, first published in 1668, as: “a curved knife [...] suitable for separating a monstrous child, for piercing the abdomen of one suffering from dropsy, and for incising the skull to drain the brain, or to cut it into pieces, when, because it is too large and monstrous, it has remained alone in the womb and separated from the child’s body.” In perfect original condition. A rare surgical instrument.