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A prominent obstetrician, professor of midwifery and medical jurisprudence, and dean of the faculty at Harvard Medical College, Dr. Walter Channing (1786-1876) was a central figure in Boston's medical community for more than fifty years. He was also an important presence in the lives of countless women who relied on him to provide safe pregnancy and childbirth, care for postpartum disorders, and treat gynecological problems. Known for his medical expertise as well as his compassion and concern, Channing was highly regarded by colleagues and patients alike. This well-crafted biography rescues the remarkable but overlooked physician from obscurity. Channing's private and professional experiences mirror dramatic changes in antebellum Boston, and Amalie M. Kass provides both a rich picture of a multi-faceted man and a vivid depiction of his city's rapidly changing social, political, and economic landscape. She examines Channing's obstetrical practice and charts his many other distinguished pursuits-lecturer to hundreds of young men in the art of midwifery, consultant to doctors throughout New England, staff physician for nearly two decades at Boston's only general hospital, and edito