Marie Boivin facts for kids
Marie-Anne Victoire Gillain Boivin (born April 9, 1773 – died May 16, 1841) was a French midwife, inventor, and writer on obstetrics. Many people consider Mme Boivin one of the most important women in medicine during the 1800s. She invented a new tool called a pelvimeter. Her medical textbooks were translated into many languages and used for 150 years.
Contents
Her Early Life and Education
Marie Anne Victoire Gillain was born in 1773 in Versailles, France. She was educated by nuns at a nunnery in Étampes. Her skills were noticed by Princess Élisabeth of France, who was the sister of King Louis XVI.
When the nunnery was destroyed during the French Revolution, Marie-Anne spent three years studying anatomy and how to be a midwife. Her medical studies paused when she married Louis Boivin in 1797. He was a government worker.
Louis Boivin died soon after, leaving her with a daughter and not much money. She became a midwife at a local hospital. In 1801, she became the superintendent, or head, of that hospital. In this role, she convinced Jean-Antoine Chaptal to add a special school for obstetrics. This is the branch of medicine that deals with childbirth.
Mme Boivin continued to study medicine. She became a student, assistant, and friend of Marie-Louise Lachapelle in Paris. Mme Boivin earned her diploma in 1800. She then went back to Versailles to practice her skills.
Her Amazing Career in Medicine
After her husband died, Mme Boivin returned to Paris to help Mme Lachapelle at a hospital called La Maternite. During this time, Mme Boivin also worked closely with Dr. Chaussier.
In 1811, Mme Boivin left her job. This was due to some professional disagreements with her colleague, Mme Lachapelle. Later, in 1822, Mme Lachapelle died. Mme Boivin was offered her old position, but she turned it down. Instead, she took a job at a Paris hospital for women who needed help. She worked there for a very low wage.
In the years that followed, she worked as a co-director or director at several hospitals. These included the General Hospital for Seine-et-Oise (in 1814) and a temporary military hospital (in 1815). She also worked at the Hospice de la Maternité and the Maison Royale de Santé. She was also a member of several medical groups. She wrote many articles and books about her medical cases and her inventions. Her book, Mémorial de l'art des accouchements (published in 1817), was printed many times. It became a very important textbook for medical students.
Important Contributions to Medicine
Mme Boivin invented a new tool called a pelvimeter. This tool helped doctors measure the pelvis. Her invention helped both her patients and other medical workers.
She was one of the first doctors to use a stethoscope to listen to a baby's heart inside the mother. She was also given credit for finding the cause of certain types of bleeding. She also discovered causes of miscarriages and diseases of the placenta and uterus.
A historian named Radcliffe said that she was doing surgeries that, in other countries, only men were allowed to do. Mme Boivin was also one of the first surgeons to remove part of the cervix (a part of the uterus) when it had a cancerous growth. Because Mme Boivin was such a skilled and creative surgeon, German universities became more open to the idea of women becoming experts in gynecological surgery.
From 1812 to 1823, Mme Boivin published many works. Some were her own original writings, and some were translations of other works. Her first edition of Memorial de l'Art des Accouchemens came out in 1812. It included notes she had taken from Marie-Louise Lachapelle's lessons. This book was used as a handbook for medical students and midwives. The third edition of this book was translated into several European languages.
She also published articles about her own cases and her uterine speculum. These appeared in important medical journals in Paris. Later, Mme Boivin focused on more advanced writings about gynecology. Her books included Nouveau Traité des Hemorragies de l'Uterus (about bleeding from the uterus) and Traité de Maladies de l'Uterus et des Annexes (about diseases of the uterus). The latter was her most important work. It had 41 detailed pictures and 116 figures, which she colored herself. This book replaced a textbook that had been used for 150 years.
Selected Works
- Memorial de l'Art des Accouchmens (a handbook for medical students and midwives), 1812
- Nouveau traité des hémorragies de l'utérus (about bleeding from the uterus), 1818
- Mémorial de l'art des accouchemens (third edition of the handbook for medical students), 1824
- Observations et reflexions sur les cas d'absorption de placenta (about cases where the placenta is absorbed), 1829
- Traité des Maladies de l'utérus et des annexes (about diseases of the uterus), 1833
Honors and Awards
Mme Boivin received many honors for her important work:
- She was given the Prussia Golden Medal of Civil Merit in 1814.
- She received an honorary MD degree from the University of Marburg in Germany in 1827. This means she was given a medical doctor degree as a special honor.
- She received praise from the Royal Society of Medical in Bordeaux.
- She was a member of several medical societies.
- A nursery in her hometown of Versailles was named after her.
See also
In Spanish: Marie Boivin para niños
