Hyperemesis Gravidarum is medical terminology for the excessive vomiting of early pregnancy. There is a commonly held belief that Charlotte Nicholls (née Brontë) suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum; however, is this merely a myth, a story, a false idea or is it true, a reality, and an accurate description of her tragic, final illness and untimely death?
Charlotte’s official death certificate of 1855 showed that the disease Phthisis, also known as consumption or tuberculosis, was the cause of her death. Yet modern Brontë commentators claim that Charlotte died from excessive vomiting of pregnancy / hyperemesis gravidarum.
Charlotte wrote in Jane Eyre (1847),
“I cannot proceed without some investigation into what has been asserted, and evidence of its truth or falsehood.”
And so, on 19 January, 2026, the very same day a hundred and seventy-one years ago in 1855, when Charlotte wrote to Ellen Nussey explaining that,
“… indigestion and continual faint sickness have been my portion …”
join us via Zoom from the Brontë Birthplace, Thornton to hear esteemed retired Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist Dr Michael O’Dowd present evidence both for and against the concept that Charlotte was affected by hyperemesis gravidarum.
Dr Michael O’Dowd’s biography
Dr Michael O’Dowd is a Member of the Brontë Society, Haworth and also the Banagher Brontë Group in Ireland. He lives in Bearna on the West Coast of Ireland on the outskirts of Galway City.
He has two Bronte-related books: “Charlotte Brontë. An Irish Odyssey”, a non-fiction book based on the honeymoon of Charlotte and Arthur Bell Nicholls, published in 2021, and his latest book “Charlotte Brontë: A Medical Casebook” published in 2025.
Alongside his professional qualifications in obstetrics and gynaecology, Dr. O’Dowd holds a research doctorate in medicine and a PhD in Medical History. He has additional qualifications in anaesthetics and paediatrics.
Before his retirement, Michael was a Hospital Director, and a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. He also served as National Chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Ireland. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists London, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine London, and Honorary Fellow of the Indian Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He continues as a Medical Historian.
Dr O’Dowd has lectured on aspects of medical history over the years. His academic publications include: The History of Medications for Women (2000), and The History of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (1994 / 2001), the latter as primary co-author. His book James Marion Sims: The Facts (2023) explored the surging tide of disinformation that negatively affects medical history.
In October 2025 Dr O’Dowd was welcomed as a Member of the International Society for the History of Medicine
Finally, co-writing with his journalist daughter Katy, under the pen name of Derry O’Dowd, the father and daughter team have written a five-volume historical medical fiction called “The Scarlet Ribbon series – Love, Death and Man Midwifery in the 1700s”.
Date: Monday, 19 January, 2026 via Zoom at 18.30
Price: £6
Please note this talk will not have an in person option, tickets are online only. A recording of the talk will be sent out afterwards and available for one month for those unable to attend on the day. If you are experiencing any technical difficulties please send an email to bookings@brontebirthplace.com.