The Chamberlen forceps in K. Das' Obstetric Forceps (1929). (Wikimedia Commons)

A Grip on the History of Forceps in Medicine

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On a cold winter evening in 1600, Peter Chamberlen the Younger found himself attending to a labouring woman on the outskirts of London. The mother-to-be had been in labour for over 48 hours, and the situation was dire. Despite his wealth of experience, Peter feared that both the mother and child might be lost.