The Evolution of a Social Obstetric Conscience

lHE story of great achievement in any community is, in general, the story of those men and women, who, by patient industry and prodigious labours, have in their day and generation made notable contributions to its life and work. Therefore, in this inaugural address-subsequent to the honour I have received in being called to the Chair of Midwifery and Gynaecology in this University-I take the earliest opportunity of paying my sincere and humble tribute to those of outstanding character and ability, who, in the years that have gone, laid here the foundations and built up a great teaching school in this particular branch of our medical profession. Well may it be said of them that they builded better than they knew, and, in recalling their work, I am not unmindful of Bacon's advice to "use the memory of thy predecessors fairly and tenderly; for if thou clost not it is a debt will sure be paid when thou are gone." The Queen's University of Ireland, with its three constituent colleges in Belfast, Cork, and Galway, was founded, as recent events here have reminded us, in the year 1849. Between that year and 1945 there were four Professors of Midwifery anld onie Professor of Gynaecology in the College and University. Thus, despite the ardluous niature of the work, the average term of office for the Professors of Midwifery has been twenty four Xyears. Burden was a remarkable man, endowed with those qualities of enthusiasm and tenacity of pturpose which are so essential to the first occupant of a chair. He strove xigorously aind(persistenitly in the interests of patients, medical students, niurses, land of the mater-nitv hospital, and he carriedl out reforms in the face of I)arrow-ininded opposition. 'fo attempt to recount in detail the story of William Burden's career wvould be, in the time at my disposal, an impossible task; the period, however, in which he exercised authority in this School is most interesting and amusing. Much was accomplished during the eighteen years of his professoriate. He secured the admission of medical students and nurses to the maternity hospital of that time; he arranged and supervised their training and instituted a visiting medical staff. One suspects, however, that he must have made a number of enemies in spite of, or perhaps, indeed, because of, his great achievements, for he was permitted to retire from the maternity hospital without a single expression …