Another of the greatest “inventions” for the treatment of obstructed and difficult labor was the cesarean section. Actually, the first recorded event of a Cesarean section was on the death record of a woman who was giving birth to a baby some time during the period of 715-673 B.C. Obviously this was an unsuccessful cesarean, but the record does prove that crude attempts were being made this far back.

During the Renaissance, the practice of Cesareans was revived. One of the first published detailed account of a cesarean was in 1596. Scipione Mercurio stated in his instructions that you need four strong assistants to hold the patient down as the incision is made; he then applied a liquid concoction of varied herbs before removing the baby. He did not, however, record if this event made way for the survival of either the mother or child.
There are many records of various doctors who attempted cesarean sections during the 1700’s to early 1900’s. There was really a 50/50 chance of survival for both the mother and the baby.
Considering that it wasn’t really until the 1840’s that doctors realized they had to scrub and wash their hands between patients, it’s not surprising that so many babies and mothers died! In fact, it was common during those times for doctors to attend autopsies of recently deceased people who had died from very contagious diseases and then to attend a birth without washing their hands! Needless to say, it was during this time that many contagious diseases, such as scarlet fever, spread extremely fast and there were many deaths