Francois Mauriceau (1637-1709) was a leading obstetrician in 17th century Europe. He is remembered for publishing in 1668, Traite des Maladies des Femmes Grosses et Accouchees, a book that established obstetrics as a science, and was later translated into several languages. He is also known for development of a classical maneuver of assisted breech delivery. He gave a description of tubal pregnancy, and with German midwife Justine Siegemundin, Mauriceau is credited for introducing the practice of puncturing the amniotic sac to arrest bleeding in placenta praevia.