In the Obstetrical Journal of Great Britain and Ireland (August 1878), Dr Hamilton from Falkirk, Scotland wrote an article entitled “mortality in childbed statistics”. Quoting a Dr Murphy, he stated that “in 75,911 cases of midwifery occurring in British practice, there were 138 forceps cases, and in thirty five of these, or one in every four, the child was stillborn”. Then, as now, obstetricians were discussing intervention during labour and were divided in their views, with one side claiming that intervention caused fetal loss, while the other side being convinced that only by intervention would lives of mothers and babies be saved.