Sophia Jex-Blake's Doctoral Dissertation on Puerperal Fever
Abstract
Sophia Jex-Blake (1840-1912) was among the first women to study medicine in a British university and an ardent champion of women's rights. Her doctoral dissertation, written at the University of Basel in 1877, was on puerperal fever. This dissertation enlightens us about Jex-Blake as a person and about medical beliefs and practices in the period. While Jex-Blake is sometimes thought of as an abrasive person, her dissertation reveals her as compassionate and sensitive. The dissertation shows that in the 1860s and 1870s, hospitals still neglected disinfection; it also documents the isolation and suffering of unwed mothers in this period.Metrics
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