FOUNDER OR KILLERS¿

According to an article of the historian Don Shelton published in the last number of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the physicians William Hunter and William Smellie but that pioneers of the obstetrics would have been pregnant women murderers among 1749-1755. Commissioners to supply dead bodies to medicine abilities both carried out the murders to dissect bodies, to study the physical effects of the pregnancy and to develop new techniques carrying out secret Caesarean operations in recently dead or unconscious women sometimes to extract or to revive unborn babies. According to Shelton both would have murdered some 40 pregnant women and their unborn ones.

Shelton countersigns its argument in the existence of: I) Extremely detailed atlases of young pregnant women II) Too many young women deceaseds just few days before giving birth, what makes him sustain that the only way of obtaining these bodies was by means of the murder. The usual thing is that older, undernourished or poor women die. In some moment Smellie and Hunter suspended their practice under suspicion, although they restarted it years later III) Strong connections of Hunter to powerful families that would have impeded the realization of investigations IV) A lucrative business, reason of attraction of many unscrupulous.

FUNDADORES O ASESINOS?

Segun un articulo del historiador Don Shelton publicado en el ultimo numero del Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, los médicos William Hunter y William Smellie mas que pioneros de la obstetricia habrían sido asesinos de gestantes entre 1749-1755. Comisionados para suministrar cuerpos a facultades de medicina realizaron los asesinatos para disecar cuerpos, estudiar los efectos fisicos del embarazo y desarrollar nuevas técnicas realizando cesareas secretas en mujeres recientemente muertas o inconscientes ya veces para extraer o revivir a nonatos. Segun Shelton ambos habrian asesinado unas 40 mujeres embarazadas y a sus nonatos.

Shelton refrenda su argumentación en la existencia de : I) Atlas de gestantes extremadamente detallados permitiendo los llamaran padres de la obstetricia inglesa. II) Demasiadas mujeres jóvenes fallecidas pocos días antes de dar a luz, lo que le hace sostener que el único modo de obtener estos cuerpos fue mediante el asesinato. Lo usual es que mueran viejas, desnutridas o pobres En algun momento Smellie and Hunter suspendieron sus practicas bajo sospecha, aunque las reiniciaron años mas tarde III) Fuertes conexiones de Hunter a poderosas familias que habrían impedido la realización de investigaciones IV) Un lucrativo negocio, motivo de atracción de muchos inescrupulosos.