The introduction of anesthesia in Obstetrics was slow because of the opposition of the clergy and the medical profession.  In 1591, Eufama McAlayne of Edinburgh was buried alive on Castle Hill for begging a potion from a midwife Agnes Sampson to relieve her labor pains. 

Pain in labor has been considered as a natural atonement of women for the original sin commited in the garden of Eden.  Hence, most prominent clergymen objected to the administration of anesthesia in a parturient mother.

Leading  minds in medicine like Meigs, Hodge, Bedford, were against the use of anesthesia in midwifery.  They believed that, "Self respecting women should not submit to the stupor or drunkeness produced by anesthetics!"

Bloodletting in pregnancy was part of prenatal care and was a common practice.  Up to 300 ml (10 oz) of blood was taken at least once in mid pregnancy.  A bleeding bowl shown below catches and measures the amount of blood let go.  It was considered that bloodletting would remove the phletora of blood that makes the process of labor difficult.  The superficial veins of the arm more than in the legs were mostly cut. Rarely leeches were utilized. 

In early 1800's  bloodletting was used for pain relief of labor.  Dewees attributed pain in labor to abnormal biological conditions produced by civilization; loss of power in the longitudinal muscular fibers (Right photo in red), over the circular fibers of the uterus (Right photo in blue).  The resistance of the circular muscle fibers, could be overcome by bleeding the patient.  The sharp knife was snapped into the vein of a laboring patient with a spring.   The spring lancet is a small brass instrument measuring  5.5 x 3 cm. with leather case. Circa 1780.

     A rare authentic pewter bleeding bowl used to catch blood in bloodletting procedures in the 18th Century.  There are four rings on the inside of the bowl denoting 4 ounces (120 cc) each.  Bloodletting was used to rid the body of yellow or black bile or blood poisons.  Eclampsia, formerly known as Puerperal Convulsions was thought to be caused by body toxins.  The patient was bled of 16 to 30 ounces (1 liter), until she was on the verge of shock.  Puerperal Convulsions was almost always fatal to the pregnant patient. 

Eclampsia, formerly called the puerperal convulsions, was thought to be caused by blood borne toxins, thus the name "Toxemia".  The toxins originated from the uterus causing swelling and inflammatin ot the brain of pregnant women causing her to have seizures.  Bloodletting was used to unload the vessels of the brain (Ramsbotham, 1865). The temporal artery or the jugular vein was cut by a folding fleam or knife bleeder.  The bloodletting device was used around the 18th and 19th Century.  It is made of brass with a tortoise shell shield.