The University of Limerick Library has acquired a rare 18th- century Irish medical work on midwifery, the first book of its kind ever to be published in Ireland.
The Special Collections Library at the University of Limerick (UL) will formally unveil its latest acquisition today - a copy of Sir Fielding Ould's A Treatise of Midwifry: In Three Parts. Published in Dublin in 1742, the book is regarded as the first obstetrics textbook of importance in English and the first book on midwifery published in Ireland.
According to Special Collections librarian Ken Bergin, the book is of "great rarity" and is the only Irish edition.
It was acquired by UL thanks to a grant from Smith and Nephew, a company involved in the advancement of medical education.
According to Prof Paul Finucane, director of graduate medical school development at UL, the book will assist students in the new graduate-entry medical programme due to come on stream next year. "This important addition to the library will encourage the study of medical history by students in the new graduate-entry medical programme, which will take in its first students in 2007. The novel curriculum at UL will allow students to explore many areas of personal interest and this will include medical history," Prof Finucane said.
Sir Fielding Ould was master of the Rotunda from 1759 to 1766. He brought modern European obstetrics to the Dublin of his time and he looked after rich and poor alike in his practice. He attended the Countess of Mornington at the birth of the future Duke of Wellington and was knighted in 1760.
He died at his home on Frederick Street in Dublin in November 1789, aged 79.
The rare copy of his book will go on public display in the Special Collections Library from Monday next.