JEX-BLAKE (Sophia Louisa, 1849-1912, Physician, Campaigner for Women's Rights)

Fine Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent returning "the original lists from Lyons & Montpelier, & also a list of all the women we know of from books who are not in any official list. I think among these latter you will find one or more students at each University mentioned in the Record ...", with a note in another hand at the head saying "Here is a whole letter from your frien. P.F.", 2 sides 8vo., no place, 16th July no year

In the 1860's Jex-Blake decided that medical practice, rather than teaching mathematics, was the occupation best suited to her ability and interests. In 1869 she published an essay entitled 'Medicine as a profession for women' and applied to enter the medical course at Edinburgh University. She and four other women she recruited passed the matriculation examination and on 2nd November 1869 signed the matriculation roll, thereby becoming the first women medical students in a British University. Jex-Blake and her fellow female students were attacked in the street ('the riot at Surgeons' Hall'). It took two years of campaigning before women gained limited access to the wards of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. She then took the University to the Scottish Court of Session when it decided that degrees could not be granted to women. Setbacks followed and Jex-Blake took the campaign to London and founded the London School of Medicine for Women. She enlisted Russell Gurney M.P., whose enabling bill was passed in August 1876 stating that all of the nineteen examining bodies were permitted to accept women, and soon after the Royal Free Hospital and the London School of Medicine for Women became affiliates. In 1877 Jex-Blake obtained her MD at Bern and opened a medical practice in Edinburgh the following year. In 1887 she founded the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women, but it closed in 1898. She died on 7 January 1912. Her close friends, Dr Margaret Todd, wrote of her: 'She was impulsive, she made mistakes and would do so to the end of her life: her naturally hasty temper and imperious disposition had been chastened indeed, but the chastening fire had been far too fierce to produce perfection ... But there was another side to the picture after all. Many of those who regretted and criticised details were yet forced to bow before the big transparent honesty, the fine unflinching consistency of her life.'
An exceptionally rare autograph.

Item Date:  0

Stock No:  39071