Today in History: Dr James Barry performs the first successful Caesarean section in Africa
A successful CS is defined as the survival of the baby and mother for at least a month after the operation, the first of which was recorded in the Netherlands in 1792.
Caesarean section (or CS) is supposedly named after Roman leader, Julius Caesar, but researchers think it highly unlikely that Julius Caesar was born via CS, as the abdominal birth mortality rate of mothers at the time was presumed to be about 100 per cent.
A successful CS is defined as the survival of the baby and mother for at least a month after the operation, the first of which was recorded in the Netherlands in 1792.
The first successful CS in Africa was performed in Cape Town by an army surgeon, Dr James Barry, after the go-ahead was given by the baby’s father, Thomas Munnik, despite the disapproval of the local church.
The baby was named after the doctor, and lived to be 78 years old. He gave his godson, prominent politician General James Barry Munnik Hertzog, the surgeon’s name.
Interestingly, Dr James Barry’s sex became a matter for dispute some years later, as he was believed to have actually been a woman in disguise, namely Margaret Ann Bulkley, who pretended to be a man so that she could attend medical school in Edinburgh.
Information sourced from: South African History Online.
