UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13D

                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                              (AMENDMENT NO. 10 )*

                           THE COOPER COMPANIES, INC.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                     Common Stock, par value $.10 per share
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    216648402
                          ---------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                            Harold L. Schneider, Esq.
                              Tenzer Greenblatt LLP
          405 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10174 (212) 573-4348
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notice and
                                Communications)

                                February 4, 1997
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement

If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box [ ].

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with the statement [ ]. (A fee is
not required only if the reporting person:  (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting  beneficial  ownership  of more  than  five  percent  of the  class of
securities  described  in Item 1;  and (2) has  filed  no  amendment  subsequent
thereto reporting  beneficial  ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7).

NOTE: Six copies of this statement, including all exhibits, should be filed with
the  Commission.  See Rule  13d-1(a) for other  parties to whom copies are to be
sent.

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for  any  subsequent   amendment   containing   information  which  would  alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).








                                  SCHEDULE 13D

CUSIP NO. 216648402                                        PAGE  2  OF  4  PAGES
         ----------                                             ---    ---      


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1              NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
               S.S OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

               Cooper Life Sciences, Inc.
               94-2563513

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2              CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*         (a) [ ]
                                                                         (b) [ ]

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3              SEC USE ONLY

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4              SOURCE OF FUNDS*

               Not Applicable

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5              CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT
               TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)     [ ]

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6              CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

               Delaware

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                7     SOLE VOTING POWER
 NUMBER OF            1,732,533 shares of Common Stock
  SHARES
BENEFICIALLY    ---------------------------------------------------------------
 OWNED BY       8     SHARED VOTING POWER
  EACH                -0-
REPORTING       ---------------------------------------------------------------
 PERSON         9     SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
  WITH                1,732,533 shares of Common Stock
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
                10    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                      -0-

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11             AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
               1,732,533 shares of Common Stock

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12             CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
               SHARES*             [ ]

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13             PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
               14.83%

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14             TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
               CO

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!







               This  Amendment  No.  10  amends  and  supplements  Item 5 of the
Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 22, 1992,
as amended by Amendment  No. 1 dated  November 12, 1992,  Amendment  No. 2 dated
July 6, 1993,  Amendment No. 3 dated August 24, 1993, Amendment No. 4 dated July
14, 1994, Amendment No. 5 dated August 15, 1994, Amendment No. 6 dated September
6, 1994,  Amendment No. 7 dated March 7, 1995,  Amendment No. 8 dated August 27,
1996 and  Amendment  No. 9 dated  December 12, 1996 (as amended,  the  "Schedule
13D"), by Cooper Life Sciences,  Inc., a Delaware corporation ("CLS"),  relating
to the Common Stock, par value $.10 per share (the "Common Stock") of The Cooper
Companies,  Inc., a Delaware  corporation  (the  "Company").  Except as modified
hereby,  there has been no change in the information  previously reported in the
Schedule 13D.

Item 5.        Interest in Securities of Issuer.

               The  number of shares of Common  Stock  which may be deemed to be
               beneficially  owned by CLS has  decreased  by more than 1% of the
               number of shares of the class which are deemed to be outstanding.
               Said  decrease is the result of open market sales of an aggregate
               of  230,700  shares of Common  Stock,  as more fully set forth on
               Schedule I hereto.

                                Page 3 of 4 Pages









                                    SIGNATURE

               After  reasonable  inquiry,  and to the best of my knowledge  and
belief,  I certify  that the  information  set forth in this  statement is true,
complete and correct.

                                            COOPER LIFE SCIENCES, INC.

                                            By: /s/ Steven Rosenberg
                                                -------------------------------
February 10, 1997                                  Name:  Steven Rosenberg
        Date                                       Title:  Vice President

                                       Page 4 of 4 Pages








                                   SCHEDULE I
                       TO AMENDMENT NO. 10 TO SCHEDULE 13D

                                            No. of               Price
Nature of                                   Shares                Per
Transaction                  Date            Sold                Share*
- -----------                  ----            ----                ------
Sale                         01/23/97           700              $17.375
Sale                         01/23/97        10,000               17.50
Sale                         01/29/97         1,100               17.625
Sale                         01/30/97         8,900               17.625
Sale                         01/30/97        10,000               17.75
Sale                         01/30/97        10,000               17.875
Sale                         01/30/97        10,000               18.00
Sale                         01/30/97        10,000               18.125
Sale                         01/30/97           100               18.25
Sale                         01/31/97         9,900               18.25
Sale                         01/31/97        10,000               18.375
Sale                         01/31/97        10,000               18.50
Sale                         01/31/97         3,200               18.625
Sale                         02/03/97         6,800               18.625
Sale                         02/03/97        10,000               18.75
Sale                         02/03/97        10,000               18.875
Sale                         02/03/97        10,000               19.00
Sale                         02/03/97        10,000               19.125
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               19.25
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               19.375
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               19.50
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               19.625
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               19.75
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               19.875
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               20.00
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               20.125
Sale                         02/04/97        10,000               20.25

TOTAL                                       230,700

- ---------------------
*  Before payment of commissions.