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Miracle at Coney Island: How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American Medicine
How did thousands of premature infants come to be exhibited at America’s most popular amusement park? In Miracle at Coney How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American Medicine, Claire Prentice uncovers the incredible true story of Martin Couney, the “incubator doctor.” Couney ran his incubator facility for premature babies at Coney Island from 1903 to 1943 and set up similar exhibits at World’s Fairs and amusement parks across America, and in London, Paris, Mexico and Brazil.Couney’s techniques were advanced for the time and his facility was expensive to run. But he didn’t charge the parents of the preemies a penny; instead the public paid to see them. He claimed to have a survival rate of 85 percent. By contrast, most mainstream doctors in the early part of the 20th century regarded premature babies as “weaklings” and did little or nothing to save them.Prentice's meticulous research unravels the mystery of Couney’s origins, and reveals that the “incubator doctor” was not all that he seemed. She brings one of the most extraordinary stories in American medicine to life through interviews with Couney’s former “incubator babies.”Claire Prentice is an award-winning journalist and the author of The Lost Tribe of Coney Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled Off the Spectacle of the Century. She has contributed to the BBC, the Washington Post, the Times of London, The Guardian, the Smithsonian magazine, the Huffington Post, NPR, Marie Claire, and the Sydney Morning Herald.
111 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
May 30, 2016
I came across this book after hearing, “My Life Under Glass” on Radio 4 – a documentary about Dr Martin Couney’s Infant Incubator exhibit, bizarrely situated at Coney Island. This is the story of how a sideshow doctor saved thousands of lives and transformed medicine, though exhibiting premature babies in a sideshow exhibit. From 1904 to 1943 the crowds flocked to see a medical miracle - while the parents of the babies were never charged for the care, the cost being met by the entrance fee, the question is whether they were exploited. Indeed, this is central to the book – was Dr Couney a showman and a charlatan or a dedicated life saver?
Although this is a kindle single, it actually covers a lot in terms of the history of the early care of premature babies and of Couney’s actual life story. We begin with Martin Couney’s (or Cohen’s) early life. How he told his story (although, as we later learn, he had the showman’s ability to reinvent himself) from being born in Alsace-Lorraine and studying under obstetrician Pierre Budin. How he was sent to the Berlin Industrial Exposition in 1896 and found himself between a Congo ‘village’ and Tyrolean yodellers in ‘The Child Hatchery’. Therefore, the linking of science and technology and entertainment was one that was familiar to him. However, when he attempted to take the exhibit to London, doctors were not keen that babies should be used as a sideshow attraction and he had to bring premature babies from France.
By the time Dr Couney arrived in Nebraska , desperate parents were arriving with their babies, looking for hope. At that time, premature babies really had no medical treatment available. Dr Couney’s exhibit – his incubators which kept babies warm and free from germs – seemed to work. Still, his exhibit was always controversial; with the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children calling for the exhibition of infants of places of amusement to be banned.
Throughout his career, Dr Couney craved professional recognition, but being based at Coney Island obviously cast a shadow over this. So, was he running a freak show? Or did he spread important medical ideas and technology? There seems no doubt that he saved thousands of babies and this is a brilliant re-telling of a little known story. I certainly had no idea that incubators were made popular in an amusement park and found this a very interesting and well told story.
Although this is a kindle single, it actually covers a lot in terms of the history of the early care of premature babies and of Couney’s actual life story. We begin with Martin Couney’s (or Cohen’s) early life. How he told his story (although, as we later learn, he had the showman’s ability to reinvent himself) from being born in Alsace-Lorraine and studying under obstetrician Pierre Budin. How he was sent to the Berlin Industrial Exposition in 1896 and found himself between a Congo ‘village’ and Tyrolean yodellers in ‘The Child Hatchery’. Therefore, the linking of science and technology and entertainment was one that was familiar to him. However, when he attempted to take the exhibit to London, doctors were not keen that babies should be used as a sideshow attraction and he had to bring premature babies from France.
By the time Dr Couney arrived in Nebraska , desperate parents were arriving with their babies, looking for hope. At that time, premature babies really had no medical treatment available. Dr Couney’s exhibit – his incubators which kept babies warm and free from germs – seemed to work. Still, his exhibit was always controversial; with the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children calling for the exhibition of infants of places of amusement to be banned.
Throughout his career, Dr Couney craved professional recognition, but being based at Coney Island obviously cast a shadow over this. So, was he running a freak show? Or did he spread important medical ideas and technology? There seems no doubt that he saved thousands of babies and this is a brilliant re-telling of a little known story. I certainly had no idea that incubators were made popular in an amusement park and found this a very interesting and well told story.
July 2, 2016
A little dry in the presentation, with some aspects of the story being told multiple times, but you cannot help but be amazed at the miraculous story of the man who devoted his adult life to ensuring the survival of premature infants in the last 19th/early 20th century. My own son was a preemie at 30 weeks so I can only imagine the grief of a parent who was told by hospitals and doctors of the time to take them and let them die in peace. An interesting read.
March 19, 2020
This book was a good read. It was short, and a well-written biography about an amazing man. I am very interested in infant development and neonatal medicinal technology, so this was extremely interesting to me. I would only recommend it to someone who is also interested in the medical world surrounding premature infants.
January 7, 2018
This is quite an interesting story. Dr. Martin Couney was a pioneer in the incubation therapy of premature babies. He started out life as Martin Cohn, but eventually changed his name to Martin Couney when he emigrated to America in the late 1800s. Couney was also not a trained doctor, although many did not realize it. He made a name for himself by creating incubator shows at various worlds fairs, expos, and the boardwalks of Atlantic City and Coney Island, helping to save the lives of thousands of premature babies. Set up as sideshows, Couney charged onlookers to view the babies in the incubators or being washed and nursed to a survivable weight. His patients came from area hospitals and doctors who did not have the equipment to help them survive. Many parents of preemies made their way to Couney to ask for help in saving their newborn. He had an outstanding record with a low mortality rate, that likely was the reason the AMA ignored his lack of credentials.
This is a quite unusual read. You're not sure whether to be horrified that the babies were used as part of a sideshow or impressed that this "not a real doctor" actually did a good thing for thousands of babies who have gone on to lead long normal lives. They surely would have died as infants had it not be for Dr. Couney. He may not have had the credentials to be a doctor, but he knew what he was doing and a lot of people have him to thank for their lives.
This is a quite unusual read. You're not sure whether to be horrified that the babies were used as part of a sideshow or impressed that this "not a real doctor" actually did a good thing for thousands of babies who have gone on to lead long normal lives. They surely would have died as infants had it not be for Dr. Couney. He may not have had the credentials to be a doctor, but he knew what he was doing and a lot of people have him to thank for their lives.
April 7, 2018
Really good info about the life of a dedicated man who, in a really unusual way, saved babies from what would be certain death. He was a pioneer, and an unusual one at that.
Well written. Easy to understand. Insightful.
Well written. Easy to understand. Insightful.
October 16, 2016
Ever since I saw a segment about this on Mysteries at the Museum, I’ve been intrigued by the story of the incubator babies at Coney Island.
This book is a great introduction to the story of the babies and the man who created the show to help thousands of babies. This books covers more than 50 years of the trials and successes Martin Couney had while trying to convince the world that premature babies were worth saving.
Highlights of the book include biographical history of Couney, the strict conditions he enforced and the detail of the operations for each of his exhibitions and stories of the folks who supported and worked for Couney. Surprises were how long and how far reaching Couney’s exhibitions of the baby incubators were. I also really liked the interviews with some of the babies who survived because of being placed into the care of Couney and his team.
I found this book through Amazon Prime Reading and read it quickly because it was hard to put down as this story had always intrigued me.
This book is a great introduction to the story of the babies and the man who created the show to help thousands of babies. This books covers more than 50 years of the trials and successes Martin Couney had while trying to convince the world that premature babies were worth saving.
Highlights of the book include biographical history of Couney, the strict conditions he enforced and the detail of the operations for each of his exhibitions and stories of the folks who supported and worked for Couney. Surprises were how long and how far reaching Couney’s exhibitions of the baby incubators were. I also really liked the interviews with some of the babies who survived because of being placed into the care of Couney and his team.
I found this book through Amazon Prime Reading and read it quickly because it was hard to put down as this story had always intrigued me.
July 2, 2016
Fascinating read.
December 1, 2022
For forty years, 1903 to 1943, Martin Couney, the "incubator doctor," both cared for and exhibited premature babies in an incubator facility at Coney Island. He also ran similar facilities at amusement parks and world's fairs around the US and in Mexico, London, Paris, and Brazil.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the medical profession considered it not worthwhile to try to save premature babies. It was assumed that even if they lived, they would always be weak, and not productive. Couney disagreed. He believed, based on an exhibit he may have attended in Berlin, and they one he ran in London, that most of these babies could be saved, with good incubators and good care.
Couney charged nothing to the parents of the babies, and funded his incubator facilities by charging admission to see the babies in their incubators. He hired highly qualified nurses and also wetnurses to care for the babies. The incubators pumped both heat and clean, filtered air to the babies. The established medical community doubted the value of incubators, and the value of trying to save premature babies. The fact that Couney was essentially putting the babies as well as the incubators on exhibit in amusement parks and fairs obviously created some negative reactions and harsh judgments. Yet no one who examined his facilities, his staff, and the care the babies received, as well as their survival rate, could doubt he was providing excellent care. As a result, hospitals, which if they had any incubators at all would rarely have more than one or two, and would send premature babies and their parents to Couney. As the years passed, he began to acquire real support from more conventional, and excellent, doctors, some of whom learned from him and in turn learn from their own incubator facility experiences and teach him, as well.
In his later years, the increase in incubators in hospitals and the breakdown in the economics that supported his amusement park incubator facilities, combined with an excess of ambition in his exhibit/facility in the New Yoik World's Fair, started to bring him down. His care of the babies remained excellent, but it was his wife, Annabelle, who had handled the business end. When she died, there was no one to put a steadying hand on the finances. Yet at the end, he also finally got the medical recognition he'd always wanted even more that the recognition of the popular press, being recognized with an award and a dinner by the American Medical Association.
The irony of this is that research by Prentice and others suggests very strongly that Martin Couney, who was born Michael Cohn or Michael Cohen, and ran his London incubator exhibit before moving to America, likely never studied medicine at all. It's a really fascinating story, and Couney's well-run exhibits, even if they were in amusement parks and fairgrounds, effectively countered the view of both the medical establishment and the growing eugenics movement, that these babies were not worth saving. He helped to revolutionize neonatal care, especially in the US.
This is an absolutely fascinating story, and this review barely skims the surface.
Highly recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the medical profession considered it not worthwhile to try to save premature babies. It was assumed that even if they lived, they would always be weak, and not productive. Couney disagreed. He believed, based on an exhibit he may have attended in Berlin, and they one he ran in London, that most of these babies could be saved, with good incubators and good care.
Couney charged nothing to the parents of the babies, and funded his incubator facilities by charging admission to see the babies in their incubators. He hired highly qualified nurses and also wetnurses to care for the babies. The incubators pumped both heat and clean, filtered air to the babies. The established medical community doubted the value of incubators, and the value of trying to save premature babies. The fact that Couney was essentially putting the babies as well as the incubators on exhibit in amusement parks and fairs obviously created some negative reactions and harsh judgments. Yet no one who examined his facilities, his staff, and the care the babies received, as well as their survival rate, could doubt he was providing excellent care. As a result, hospitals, which if they had any incubators at all would rarely have more than one or two, and would send premature babies and their parents to Couney. As the years passed, he began to acquire real support from more conventional, and excellent, doctors, some of whom learned from him and in turn learn from their own incubator facility experiences and teach him, as well.
In his later years, the increase in incubators in hospitals and the breakdown in the economics that supported his amusement park incubator facilities, combined with an excess of ambition in his exhibit/facility in the New Yoik World's Fair, started to bring him down. His care of the babies remained excellent, but it was his wife, Annabelle, who had handled the business end. When she died, there was no one to put a steadying hand on the finances. Yet at the end, he also finally got the medical recognition he'd always wanted even more that the recognition of the popular press, being recognized with an award and a dinner by the American Medical Association.
The irony of this is that research by Prentice and others suggests very strongly that Martin Couney, who was born Michael Cohn or Michael Cohen, and ran his London incubator exhibit before moving to America, likely never studied medicine at all. It's a really fascinating story, and Couney's well-run exhibits, even if they were in amusement parks and fairgrounds, effectively countered the view of both the medical establishment and the growing eugenics movement, that these babies were not worth saving. He helped to revolutionize neonatal care, especially in the US.
This is an absolutely fascinating story, and this review barely skims the surface.
Highly recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
January 22, 2018
Interesting look at a man who brought life and recognition of life to those born prematurely and an enlightening look at medicine and society in the early 1900's.
Babies born prematurely at the turn of the 20th century had little chance of survival. Most mothers gave birth in their homes; hospitals were only used by the poor who couldn't pay for a house call; and because 15 and 20% of those born did not make it to their first birthday, neither doctors nor hospitals gave much priority to those born prematurely.
A few doctors were experimenting with Infant incubators during this time but were unable to overcome the costs necessary to establish a sustainable program. One man, however, did. Martin Couney (aka Michael Cohen) spent more than 50 years educating the public and nursing babies who weighed between two and four pounds at birth to full weight. He did so in exhibit halls and national expositions, including Luna Park, Coney Island, and the Omaha 1898 and Chicago 1934 expos. He claimed to have saved 85% of the babies brought to him (6,500), enticed thousands to his public viewings, and made a fortune doing so. And while he also influenced several doctors who later convinced their hospitals to invest in infant incubators to save those born prematurely, no one really knew, or now knows, who Couney really was: a Berlin-trained doctor or a sideshow Barnum?
Prentice shares her research and discussions with Couney's family and the now-adult survivors and their families in captivating, story-telling prose.
Babies born prematurely at the turn of the 20th century had little chance of survival. Most mothers gave birth in their homes; hospitals were only used by the poor who couldn't pay for a house call; and because 15 and 20% of those born did not make it to their first birthday, neither doctors nor hospitals gave much priority to those born prematurely.
A few doctors were experimenting with Infant incubators during this time but were unable to overcome the costs necessary to establish a sustainable program. One man, however, did. Martin Couney (aka Michael Cohen) spent more than 50 years educating the public and nursing babies who weighed between two and four pounds at birth to full weight. He did so in exhibit halls and national expositions, including Luna Park, Coney Island, and the Omaha 1898 and Chicago 1934 expos. He claimed to have saved 85% of the babies brought to him (6,500), enticed thousands to his public viewings, and made a fortune doing so. And while he also influenced several doctors who later convinced their hospitals to invest in infant incubators to save those born prematurely, no one really knew, or now knows, who Couney really was: a Berlin-trained doctor or a sideshow Barnum?
Prentice shares her research and discussions with Couney's family and the now-adult survivors and their families in captivating, story-telling prose.
February 16, 2018
This was an interesting story about the “dr” to invented incubators for nicus. It got repetitive but was still a good read. One of nurses is Evelyn lundeen who was part of the innovation and it makes me super curious if we’re related!
August 15, 2018
It is so cool to learn about a man who saved so many premature babies. It's amazing how much he had to go through to prove himself and the success of his incubation process. The book was a little dry at times, but it was so worth pushing through!
January 21, 2023
Great read after The Light of Luna Park. I’ve loved learning more of Dr Couney and his story of caring for preemies.
July 24, 2023
Interesting listen. Felt like the lede was buried in terms of the lack of medical credentials. Wish I’d gone with another book on the subject that was published a year after this one.
November 28, 2023
Really interesting, especially to me having a preemie myself. I had no idea this is how the care for preemies started. Not a super thrilling book by any means, but definitely interesting.
April 19, 2017
Excellent writing, great storytelling. What a treat to find this morsel of American history not widely known!
The author asks at one point, "Was he a visionary or an opportunist? An evangelist or a showman?" To wit I answer, He was a visionary who saw a need AND saw the way to fill the need!
My personal opinion is that he was doing God's work, expanding life and ancestry lines. Even though he wasn't a deeply religious man, God used him to get the job done that needed doing!
"In spite of his human frailties, it is hard to see Martin Couney as anything but a hero who, from the very fringes, changed the direction of American medicine and made an incredible impact on the world." (afterword)
The author asks at one point, "Was he a visionary or an opportunist? An evangelist or a showman?" To wit I answer, He was a visionary who saw a need AND saw the way to fill the need!
My personal opinion is that he was doing God's work, expanding life and ancestry lines. Even though he wasn't a deeply religious man, God used him to get the job done that needed doing!
"In spite of his human frailties, it is hard to see Martin Couney as anything but a hero who, from the very fringes, changed the direction of American medicine and made an incredible impact on the world." (afterword)
February 1, 2018
What do preemie babies, Coney Island, and World's Fairs have in common? Dr. Martin Couney. In the late 1800s, most doctors didn't even think premature infants were worth trying to save, but Dr. Couney did. Some have described him as an anti-eugenisist. When most of the medical community thought of preemies as a waste of resources, Dr. Couney sought to educate. He cared for some of the most vulnerable babies utilizing incubators of his own design and did so with no expense for the parents. How? Through ticket sales, at World's Fairs and Coney Island, at various points in history. He saved an estimated 6,000 babies - but more importantly, he educated not just the common people but the medical community that premature infants could be saved and were worth saving.
This is a short, quick read into an often forgotten bit of history. Definitely worth the couple hours of time to read it!
This is a short, quick read into an often forgotten bit of history. Definitely worth the couple hours of time to read it!
April 30, 2018
Who knew that from the late 19th thru the mid 20th century thousands of premature babies were exhibited at side shows and fairs to anyone willing to cough up the price of admission? I didn’t! Many people considered this revolting exploitation but before this practice, virtually every baby born early just... died. Doctors had no idea how to treat them and weren’t sure it was worth the effort anyway. These exhibitions paid for the then super expensive incubators and round the clock nursing and paved the way for today’s very successful treatment of most early babies.
June 27, 2016
I can't tell you how many times I've read about these babies at Coney Island and elsewhere while reading other things, whether it was books or magazine articles, or encyclopedias. So when I saw this book on the 'doctor' who started all this, of course, I grabbed it. The book didn't disappoint too much. It was very interesting...I'm always amazed at the types of things that people got away with prior to even the 1960's. Considering I've read so much about eugenics and the Nazis (and written about all of this and the disabled in papers), you would think nothing would surprise me at this point. At least this time, the man involved in all this was trying to do something good, besides making a profit. The author makes it clear from her research that Dr. Couney really was not an official doctor. Which definitely raises the question...how did Couney get away with all of this? Even though there are much stricter laws on the books concerning doctors, we still have people out there who have no degrees who present themselves as having the background and training to treat people with things like cancers. But back in the early 1900's, we did not have the access to information that we have now, as well as not having the laws to protect those who are unable to protect themselves.
Courney performed a necessary role in spite of his lack of credentials. Hospitals and doctors were not trying to save the lives of premature infants at this time period. They thought it was a waste of time and resources to even try. But Courney's show demonstrated to doctors and hospitals that these lives could be saved under certain conditions. Incubators and special care through feedings could preserve the lives of babies who were below the normal weight of six pounds.
My big complaint about the book was the lack of information about the scientific aspects of the incubators. Where did Courney first get his incubators? Were they already available somewhere? Or did he make any changes to incubators? There was absolutely no information about how incubators came about, and very little about the science behind saving these babies lives. As someone who teaches science, I really would like to have that information.
Courney performed a necessary role in spite of his lack of credentials. Hospitals and doctors were not trying to save the lives of premature infants at this time period. They thought it was a waste of time and resources to even try. But Courney's show demonstrated to doctors and hospitals that these lives could be saved under certain conditions. Incubators and special care through feedings could preserve the lives of babies who were below the normal weight of six pounds.
My big complaint about the book was the lack of information about the scientific aspects of the incubators. Where did Courney first get his incubators? Were they already available somewhere? Or did he make any changes to incubators? There was absolutely no information about how incubators came about, and very little about the science behind saving these babies lives. As someone who teaches science, I really would like to have that information.
January 25, 2017
If you are the least bit curious how modern medicine made strides in premature infant care, this is the book to read. Claire Prentice the history of Martin Couney and his incubators Carnival show. You will be astounded at his success and you will be horrified how long it took before the American Medical world finally caught on to what he was doing and even longer before they started implementing his methods. Mr. Couney saved a lot of babies of all genders, nationalities and race and their parents didn't have to pay any money. You can call it exploitation but nearly all the money he made from his sideshow he put into the care of his infant charges. Interesting and informative literature, I didn't expect it and I'm happily surprised.
December 17, 2016
I like Claire Prentice's non fiction books about famous Coney Island side shows very much. The Lost Tribe of Coney Island unmasked a horrible showman who exploited native people from the Philippines. The latest from her is about a showman that did great work and saved thousands of premature infants from the beginning of the 20th Century until the 1940s. All of them the children of people who couldn't afford long hospital stays. If you like learning about old New York this is the book for you!
June 28, 2016
Incubator history
Detailed history of how the incubator for premature infants was introduced to medical doctors and the public first as a sideshow at expositions. There was no cost to the parents because the entrance fee covered the cost of the medical staff. In a time where premature infants were considered to week to survive, the the incubator gave the tiny babies a good chance to live.
Detailed history of how the incubator for premature infants was introduced to medical doctors and the public first as a sideshow at expositions. There was no cost to the parents because the entrance fee covered the cost of the medical staff. In a time where premature infants were considered to week to survive, the the incubator gave the tiny babies a good chance to live.
July 6, 2016
Preemies on the Midway!
Awesome! I had heard references to Martin Couney's exhibitions of premature infants for years and always been curious about how this had all happened. Fortunately for me, Claire Prentice did the research for me, then wrote it all out in an engaging narrative. My only beef- she doesn't mention when Archie Leach worked as a barker but makes mention of it in a chapter Ser in 1901.
Awesome! I had heard references to Martin Couney's exhibitions of premature infants for years and always been curious about how this had all happened. Fortunately for me, Claire Prentice did the research for me, then wrote it all out in an engaging narrative. My only beef- she doesn't mention when Archie Leach worked as a barker but makes mention of it in a chapter Ser in 1901.
July 1, 2016
Well worth reading very interesting, I love reading stories about the past.
Dr. Or not Dr. Martin Couney deserves so much credit for saving so many premature babies and opening the eyes of Americans that every life deserves a chance.
Dr. Or not Dr. Martin Couney deserves so much credit for saving so many premature babies and opening the eyes of Americans that every life deserves a chance.
July 10, 2016
Very interesting to see how a man could use a sideshow to create waves in the medical community in order to advocate for premature babies.
December 19, 2017
This is one of those rare books one reads more for the captivating story than for the quality of story-telling. "Dr." Martin Couney was a pioneer in developing medical technology and techniques for the care of premature infants beginning at the very end of the nineteenth century and carrying on into the World War II years. And how he did this was shocking to our modern sensibilities: he built incubators, placed preemie babies in them, and then put them on display at side-shows, expositions and fairs, alongside freak shows and fan-dancers, in different places around America, most notably Coney Island and Luna Park in New York City. Then it turns out that he was not even a qualified medical doctor but really an inventor and showman. But, one with a big heart for children and families. To his credit, despite posing as a pediatrician, he used his gifts to save babies' lives and help out families (he never accepted any fees from the mothers and fathers whose infants were in his care, running his facilities completely through the admission fees) through his showmanship, but also his dedication to saving lives. Which he did successfully, being virtually the only person in his time to take the care of premature babies seriously in his early years of operation. Despite his "carnie" approach, he affirmed what can only be characterized as a pro-life/ pro-family culture in America, and there are thousands of people of several generations alive today thanks to his professionalism (hiring top-grade nurses, constructing sterile incubators, his policy of operating with a prescient emphasis on wet-nursing and skin-to-skin bonding for the babies) that was well ahead of his time. As an American historian, the husband of a labor-and-delivery nurse for 32 years, and the father of a son who was born very prematurely in 1987 (and is a thriving and healthy man today), I connected strongly to this story of a man who used his showmanship and technical expertise for the greater good, benefitting so many others. Claire Prentice tells this story capably but in a rather stilted journalistic style. Nonetheless, the fascinating aspects of this unique story, never before completely told, are enough to carry the reader through to a special time in American history when people began fighting for just-born (and therefore unborn) children despite the strikes that might have risen against them. One man, Martin Couney, said, in essence, no matter what, he was going to dedicate his life to giving those children a chance at a full and productive life. And he succeeded by pioneering the way for other doctors and nurses. No matter what, our society owes people like that an eternal debt of gratitude.
November 27, 2016
Although I had one baby who needed to spend some time in an incubator, it had never crossed my mind to wonder about the history of such a life-saving device. And if I had, I probably would not have believed the story of how they came to be popularized.
Preemies displayed side-by-side with a freak show (or exotic dancer) at a huge amusement park? And people pay money to come see them? Yup. This is the story of Dr. Martin Couney (who apparently wasn't really a doctor) who saved thousands of premature babies (usually weighing under 3 pounds) in incubators which he took claim for developing (also, not exactly the truth). At a time in history when such a small baby was considering a weakling and not worth trying to save, he stands out in vivid contrast. Not only did he use incubators, but he carefully provided the best medical care possible by employing nurses, doctors, wet nurses and protecting the babies nutritionally and in a germ-free environment. He claimed an 85% success rate and was clearly responsible for saving the lives of thousands of babies. Triplets and twins were frequently his "patients" although he turned down an opportunity to help with the care of the famous Dionne quintuplets.
What is also clear is that Couney was a showman and sought to make serious money with his display of the babies. I had no problem with that - he clearly put the welfare of the babies before anything else, never charged the parents for any of the months of care their infants received, and accepted babies from all races and backgrounds usually personally riding in his specially-equipped ambulance to pick the babies up himself.
The one thing Couney craved (although I think he clearly desired that his preemies would survive and thrive above all else) was professional recognition. He went through some tough times in that regard as might be expected but did, ultimately, receive that recognition and appreciation from the medical profession. Although he also received the financial rewards he sought for most of his years with the exhibits (1903-1943) public interest waned even as he spent more and more on providing the best care possible in expensive, theatrical surroundings. The result might have been predictable - his fortune replaced by debt.
Preemies displayed side-by-side with a freak show (or exotic dancer) at a huge amusement park? And people pay money to come see them? Yup. This is the story of Dr. Martin Couney (who apparently wasn't really a doctor) who saved thousands of premature babies (usually weighing under 3 pounds) in incubators which he took claim for developing (also, not exactly the truth). At a time in history when such a small baby was considering a weakling and not worth trying to save, he stands out in vivid contrast. Not only did he use incubators, but he carefully provided the best medical care possible by employing nurses, doctors, wet nurses and protecting the babies nutritionally and in a germ-free environment. He claimed an 85% success rate and was clearly responsible for saving the lives of thousands of babies. Triplets and twins were frequently his "patients" although he turned down an opportunity to help with the care of the famous Dionne quintuplets.
What is also clear is that Couney was a showman and sought to make serious money with his display of the babies. I had no problem with that - he clearly put the welfare of the babies before anything else, never charged the parents for any of the months of care their infants received, and accepted babies from all races and backgrounds usually personally riding in his specially-equipped ambulance to pick the babies up himself.
The one thing Couney craved (although I think he clearly desired that his preemies would survive and thrive above all else) was professional recognition. He went through some tough times in that regard as might be expected but did, ultimately, receive that recognition and appreciation from the medical profession. Although he also received the financial rewards he sought for most of his years with the exhibits (1903-1943) public interest waned even as he spent more and more on providing the best care possible in expensive, theatrical surroundings. The result might have been predictable - his fortune replaced by debt.
June 14, 2018
Fascinating true story about the advent of incubators for premature babies. Hospitals did not have incubators until the the late 1940s/early 1950s. Prior to that time, there was no real effort to save premature babies and they were sent home with their mothers most often to die.
Dr. Couney started a sideshow in Coney Island featuring real premature babies in incubators which he designed. He also set up a show of premature babies in incubators at the World's Fair in the 30s. He claimed an 85% success rate saving these babies who would otherwise have died. He claims to have saved over 6,500 babies out of the 8,000 premature babies he cared for over a period of 40 years. Their parents paid nothing, customers who came to see the sideshow paid a 25 cent admission. He employed skilled medical personnel to assist him. He held reunions with the survivors. His work and success caught the attention of the medical establishment. He was even recognized by the AMA.
A startling revelation is that Dr. Couney may not have even really been a medical doctor. Although he was very successful at keeping the babies alive, his medical degree cannot be validated.
The author, Claire Prentice, is a journalist. She did a very good job reporting the remarkable story.
It's a quick and interesting read.
Dr. Couney started a sideshow in Coney Island featuring real premature babies in incubators which he designed. He also set up a show of premature babies in incubators at the World's Fair in the 30s. He claimed an 85% success rate saving these babies who would otherwise have died. He claims to have saved over 6,500 babies out of the 8,000 premature babies he cared for over a period of 40 years. Their parents paid nothing, customers who came to see the sideshow paid a 25 cent admission. He employed skilled medical personnel to assist him. He held reunions with the survivors. His work and success caught the attention of the medical establishment. He was even recognized by the AMA.
A startling revelation is that Dr. Couney may not have even really been a medical doctor. Although he was very successful at keeping the babies alive, his medical degree cannot be validated.
The author, Claire Prentice, is a journalist. She did a very good job reporting the remarkable story.
It's a quick and interesting read.
April 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this. The story is fascinating and very heart-warming. It was an interesting view into what medicine was like then, and it was sad to read about how premature babies were viewed back then, particularly because there are many now who show very little regard for the lives of imperfect babies. It seems that society has forgotten a lesson that it needs to learn again.
My one real criticism with the book was that the author tries to inject more scandal into it than there probably really was. So the guy lied about his credentials. From other things I've read, it seems that medicine, like the practice of law, were less regulated back then, and training was not always as formal. I'm sure he wasn't the only "doctor" out there who wasn't one. That face was interesting, and fine, but the author harped on it a bit. It was almost like she felt the story needed to be a little darker, but I found the end of his story to be quite sad enough. On the whole, though, it was very inspiring. I wonder how many more people are in the world today because of the babies that he saved.
My one real criticism with the book was that the author tries to inject more scandal into it than there probably really was. So the guy lied about his credentials. From other things I've read, it seems that medicine, like the practice of law, were less regulated back then, and training was not always as formal. I'm sure he wasn't the only "doctor" out there who wasn't one. That face was interesting, and fine, but the author harped on it a bit. It was almost like she felt the story needed to be a little darker, but I found the end of his story to be quite sad enough. On the whole, though, it was very inspiring. I wonder how many more people are in the world today because of the babies that he saved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2022
Very interesting and well researched
This was a fascinating read. I must ad!it I knew nothing about it and was reticent to read it but because I'd just finished this authors book on lobotomy and enjoyed it, I thought I'd give it a go. It was a good call. She's a very good writer. She clearly does her research. And what I love is that she turns her research into a nonfiction story I could really get into (the same is true for her lobotomy researched book). This is short enough to read in around 2 hours depending on how quickly one reads and whether they can sit and do so. This in and of itself is great for me because it didn't feel like I had time to get bored whilst trending through it. Instead I learned quite a bit about multiple things including but not limited to preemies, exhibit/fairs (I only ever hear of the worlds fair), Incubators, and about multiple people who were so instrumental in the medical field. Definitely fascinating read on something I probably never would have looked at twice! Highly recommend this.
This was a fascinating read. I must ad!it I knew nothing about it and was reticent to read it but because I'd just finished this authors book on lobotomy and enjoyed it, I thought I'd give it a go. It was a good call. She's a very good writer. She clearly does her research. And what I love is that she turns her research into a nonfiction story I could really get into (the same is true for her lobotomy researched book). This is short enough to read in around 2 hours depending on how quickly one reads and whether they can sit and do so. This in and of itself is great for me because it didn't feel like I had time to get bored whilst trending through it. Instead I learned quite a bit about multiple things including but not limited to preemies, exhibit/fairs (I only ever hear of the worlds fair), Incubators, and about multiple people who were so instrumental in the medical field. Definitely fascinating read on something I probably never would have looked at twice! Highly recommend this.
October 27, 2017
I grabbed this as a free prime loaner from Amazon, thinking it was simply a short fiction story, never looking at the description just choosing because is was a "kindle short." I just started the preface and realized it is a true story.
It was Coney Island in the early 1900’s. Beyond the Four-Legged Woman, the sword swallowers, and “Lionel the Lion-Faced Man,” was an entirely different exhibit: rows of tiny, premature human babies living in glass incubators. Barkers, including a young Cary Grant, called out to passersby, enticing visitors to come see the preemies.
A sideshow next to the strong men, cartortionist, lion faced lady and so on, for 40 years starting in 1903, Dr. Martin Couney, ran incubator-baby exhibits on Coney Island. He died in obscurity, but he was one of the great champions of this lifesaving technology of using incubators and saved the lives of thousands of premature babies. At the time not only was the technology was controversial, saving premature babies was considered a waste of time and resources.
The book is a first in-depth look at this man and his championing of premature babies. It is not done exceptionally well and there is more that if included would have added to the book, but I found it very interesting and informative.
It was Coney Island in the early 1900’s. Beyond the Four-Legged Woman, the sword swallowers, and “Lionel the Lion-Faced Man,” was an entirely different exhibit: rows of tiny, premature human babies living in glass incubators. Barkers, including a young Cary Grant, called out to passersby, enticing visitors to come see the preemies.
A sideshow next to the strong men, cartortionist, lion faced lady and so on, for 40 years starting in 1903, Dr. Martin Couney, ran incubator-baby exhibits on Coney Island. He died in obscurity, but he was one of the great champions of this lifesaving technology of using incubators and saved the lives of thousands of premature babies. At the time not only was the technology was controversial, saving premature babies was considered a waste of time and resources.
The book is a first in-depth look at this man and his championing of premature babies. It is not done exceptionally well and there is more that if included would have added to the book, but I found it very interesting and informative.
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