Leve de foetus

Abstract

This article discusses how Belgian doctors dealt with religious beliefs in their medicalpractice in the nineteenth century, using the medical discussion of the cesarean section asa case study. In this period doctors faced a dilemma as cesareans were highly mortal forwomen and other altemative operations had fatal consequences for the fetus. Whereasmost Catholic physicians preferred the cesarean section, liberal practitioners often saw noharm in sacrificing the unborn fetus in order to save the mother. By analyzing the argumentsand codes of conduct of Belgian doctors I will show how they demarcated boundariesbetween religious beliefs and their medical practice.