French Literature Reviews - 2026

V. Worth-Stylianou, Les Traités d'obstétrique... on the Threshold of Modernity.
History, Politics and Society

Worth-Stylianou, Valérie

Les Traités d'obstétrique en langue française au seuil de la modernité.
Critical Bibliography of the "divers travaulx"
from Eucharius Rösslin (1536) to the "Apologie de Louyse Bourgeois sage femme" (1627)

Geneva, Droz, coll. "Travaux d'Humanisme et Renaissance", vol. 421, 2007.

496 p., 17,5/25 cm, 84 ill.
ISBN 978-2-600-01134-1
ISSN 0082-6081
CHF excluding tax 120 .-

Maternity—whether concerning generation, pregnancy, childbirth, sterility, or "monstrous" births—fascinated the Renaissance. Consequently, in the age of print, French-language obstetrical treatises enjoyed remarkable success, accelerating the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Valérie Worth-Stylianou examines this history of medical literature by cataloging the editions of some thirty works, from the first French version of Eucharius Rösslin's manual published in 1536 to the polemical pamphlet of Louise Bourgeois—the first midwife to have her work published—in 1627, including treatises by famous surgeons and physicians such as Ambroise Paré, Laurent Joubert, and Jacques Guillemeau. Which works achieved decisive circulation? Did the choice to publish them in French, while Latin remained the language of medicine, imply a questionable vulgarization of secrets reserved solely for medical practitioners? What of the controversies surrounding dual seed, the duration of pregnancy, and the generation of hermaphrodites? While these texts reflect debates between physicians and surgeons, medical practitioners and midwives, is it not remarkable that, even before the era of renowned accoucheurs such as Mauriceau and Portal, the most discerning authors strove above all to teach methods for reducing the appalling rates of maternal and infant mortality? The compiled corpus includes the annotated text of the prefaces, the contribution of each author, and about one hundred illustrations.

During the Renaissance, medical publishing experienced significant expansion as vernacular printing broadened access to specialized knowledge. Obstetrical texts in French engaged a wide readership on topics such as pregnancy, childbirth, and neonatal health. These works often intersected with broader intellectual shifts concerning the popularization of scientific discourse and the linguistic boundaries of medical authority. Scholars examining this period frequently consider how vernacular dissemination altered traditional hierarchies of learning between Latin-trained physicians, practical surgeons, and experienced birth attendants during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

Readers interested in the history of medicine and early modern French literature may find this critical bibliography relevant to their studies. Maternity—whether concerning generation, pregnancy, childbirth, sterility, or monstrous births—fascinated the Renaissance. Consequently, in the age of print, French-language obstetrical treatises enjoyed remarkable success, accelerating the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Valérie Worth-Stylianou examines this history of medical literature by cataloging the editions of some thirty works, from the first French version of Eucharius Rösslin's manual published in 1536 to the polemical pamphlet of Louise Bourgeois in 1627.