Kedarnath Das, an eminent obstetrician, was born on this day. He is remembered most for designing long and curved obstetric forceps, which were of particular use in the delivery of children of Indian women, who had smaller pelvis compared to European women and bore children whose weight was generally lower than European children’s at birth.
The forceps he designed came to be known as Bengal forceps.
After studying at Scottish Church College, Calcutta, he graduated in medicine from Calcutta Medical College and obtained his MD in Gynaecology and Obstetrics from Madras University.
In 1919, he was appointed the head of department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Carmichael Medical College, later RG Kar Medical College. He was its principal till his death in 1936.
He held several other important positions. He was a member of the British Medical Association from 1901.
The most important among his books is Obstetric Forceps: Its History and Evolution (1928).
He was knighted in 1933.