Obstetrical Forceps: Symbols of Power and Professionalism in Victorian Britain

An examination of British medical journals and texts from 1795 to 1882 reveals a trend from a relatively conservative use of obstetrical forceps to a more frequent and radical use of forceps in childbirth. This trend not only paralleled the efforts of the doctors to establish themselves in an increasingly competitive profession, but it reflected the efforts of the doctors to take midwifery from the midwives and "professionalize" it as a branch of medicine under the control of male practioners.