The obstetric trials and tribulations of Dr. John Mackieson, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 1827-1857.

For 30 years, from 1827 to 1857, Dr. John Mackieson, a medical practitioner in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, kept a detailed account of complicated obstetric cases. An analysis of this casebook provides a unique profile of obstetric complications and their management in eastern Canada 150 years ago. The main causes of maternal death were puerperal sepsis and hemorrhage. The reported perinatal deaths most often were associated with traumatic vaginal delivery.