Name/TitlePioneer Work for Women
MakerBlackwell, Elizabeth (Dr)
Maker RoleAuthor
About this objectHardback book with faded red covers titled 'Pioneer Work In Opening the Medical Profession to Women' by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. Includes an introduction by Millicent G. Fawcett (1914) and an author's preface (1895) which states: "It has often been urged that a record should be preserved of some of the first efforts by means of which the medical profession of our day has been opened to women. In the belief that a large providential guidance may often be recognised in the comparatively trivial incidents of an individual life, this request of many friends is here compiled with. The possession of old journals and of family correspondence gives accuracy to these details of past years." The main chapter headings are:
I. The Early Years, 1821
II. Earning Money for Medical Study, 1845
III. Study in America, 1847
IV. Study in Europe, 1849
V. Practical Work in America, 1851
VI. England Revisited, 1858
VII. Return to England, 1869
Medium and MaterialsOrganic, board and paper
MeasurementsH: 173 x W: 111 x D: 18 mm
Date Made1914
Period1910s
Place MadeEngland, London
Place NotesJ. M. Dent & Sons Ltd, 10-13 Bedford Street, London W.C.2.
PublisherJ. M. Dent & Sons Ltd
Publication Date1914
Publication PlaceEngland, London
Series TitleEveryman Library
Number in Series667
Subject and Association Descriptionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Blackwell:
Elizabeth Blackwell (3 February 1821 – 31 May 1910) was an English-American physician, notable as the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States, and the first woman on the Medical Register of the General Medical Council for the United Kingdom. Blackwell played an important role in both the United States and the United Kingdom as a social reformer, and was a pioneer in promoting education for women in medicine. Her contributions remain celebrated with the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal, awarded annually to a woman who has made a significant contribution to the promotion of women in medicine.
Blackwell was not initially interested in a career in medicine. She became a schoolteacher in order to support her family. This occupation was seen as suitable for women during the 1800s; however, she soon found it unsuitable for her. Blackwell's interest in medicine was sparked after a friend fell ill and remarked that, had a female doctor cared for her, she might not have suffered so much. Blackwell began applying to medical schools and immediately began to endure the prejudice against her sex that would persist throughout her career. She was rejected from each medical school she applied to, except Geneva Medical College in New York, in which the male students voted in favor of Blackwell's acceptance, albeit as a joke. Thus, in 1847, Blackwell became the first woman to attend medical school in the United States.
Blackwell's inaugural thesis on typhoid fever, published in 1849 in the Buffalo Medical Journal and Monthly Review, shortly after she graduated, was the first medical article published by a female student from the United States. It portrayed a strong sense of empathy and sensitivity to human suffering, as well as strong advocacy for economic and social justice. This perspective was deemed by the medical community as feminine. Blackwell founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her sister Emily Blackwell in 1857, and began giving lectures to female audiences on the importance of educating girls. She played a significant role during the American Civil War by organizing nurses, and the Infirmary developed a medical school program for women, providing substantial work with patients (clinical education). Returning to England, she helped found the London School of Medicine for Women in 1874 [continues].
Subject and Association Keywordswomen's history
Subject and Association Keywordsmedicine & medical treatment
Subject and Association Keywordssocial reform
Subject and Association Keywords(auto) biography
Named CollectionGlasgow Women's Library
Object TypeBook
Object numberGWL-2021-50-3
Spine LabelPIONEER WORK FOR WOMEN ~ ELIZABETH BLACKWELL ~ EVERYMAN LIBRARY
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved