10/28/2021
A fabric womb, dated around 1760.
In 1759 king Louis XV commissioned pioneering midwife Angélique du Coudray to teach midwifery to rural women to reduce infant mortality. Between 1760 to 1783, she traveled rural France and it is estimated that she trained about 4,000 students during that time.
Du Coudray invented the first lifesize obstetrical mannequin, called “The Machine.” Various strings and straps served to simulate the process of childbirth. The head of the infant mannequin had a shaped nose, stitched ears, hair drawn with ink, and an open mouth, with tongue.
While the semi-creepy mannequin is not pleasant to look at, let's hope it helped to save a lot of lives.
