Amalie M. Kass examines Walter Channing's obstetrical practice and charts his many other distinguished pursuits, such as 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 editor of the *New England Journal of Medicine and Surgery*. 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 50 years. Kass's book rescues this remarkable, but overlooked physician from obscurity, and provides a vivid depiction of his city's rapidly changing social, political, and economic landscapes. In addition, Channing was a major force in gaining acceptance for the use of anesthesia in childbirth, played an instrumental role in founding the Boston Lying-In Hospital as a refuge for women who would otherwise lack decent obstetrical care, and was an active champion for the social reform movements of his day.