Revisiting the 'She Doctor' Panic of 1869 | Undark Magazine

Q. I read once that “Henry VIII made a point of this in his 1540 charter forming the Company of Barber Surgeons, forerunner of the Royal College of Surgeons, in which it was decreed “No carpenter, smith, weaver or women shall practice surgery.” Why in the past women were not allowed to study?

A. Because …

“Preston remained unfazed. After another 13 years of persistence the hospital finally gave in again. Now, Ann and her students would test the waters a second time with a new crop of students. And the male students did their best to trouble that water.”

Read the Article | Undark Magazine | Olivia Campbell

A woman doctor bandaging a young woman's hand. Mezzotint, 1787.

Date10 April 1787,Public Domain Mark