In the 19th century, women who wished to become doctors had limited opportunities to study because they were not welcome in most American universities. Many women resorted to attending university in Europe or one of the women-operated medical schools in the United States. Author Lydia Reeder spotlights a prominent woman doctor, Mary Putnam Jacobi, and her efforts to provide medical education to women in the U.S. Jacobi was trained in Europe but returned to America to teach and manage her own medical practice. She was a published medical researcher who pioneered scientific methods of conducting research with human subjects. As her influence grew, she played a key role in funding the Johns Hopkins graduate school for medicine, which was the first to provide a co-educational environment for medicine. Reeder also profiles many prominent women doctors as well as male doctors who were notorious for their opposition to allowing women to study medicine and others who became allies. In her later years, Jacobi became active in the suffrage cause and motivated many of New York City’s distinguished and wealthy women to support women’s right to vote. VERDICT This is a fascinating account of women’s rights issues that has continuing relevance today.
A version of this review was previously published in Library Journal here.
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