International Women's Day: Female Edinburgh doctors to be honoured

SEVEN pioneering female doctors are to be remembered at a special Edinburgh event on International Women's Day.

The Edinburgh Seven plaque which is to be unveiled at a ceremony in the city today, Picture: Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh/PA Wire

The women - Sophia Jex-Blake, Isabel Thorne, Edith Pechey, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Mary Anderson and Emily Bovell - were admitted to study medicine at Edinburgh University in 1869, making them the first females to be accepted on to a degree programme at any British university.

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSED) is to unveil a plaque commemorating the medics’ achievements at a ceremony in the city on Thursday.

At the time, the actions of the group known as the Edinburgh Seven were extraordinary enough to attract widespread criticism from across society, even inciting a riot on the streets of the Scottish capital.

Sophia Jex-Blake , Picture: Edinburgh University Library

Although they were admitted in 1869, they had to continue their campaign to be allowed to train and practice as doctors.

A defining moment in that campaign was The Surgeons’ Hall Riot of November 18, 1870, which attracted widespread publicity and created a groundswell of support for their fight.

Information on the University of Edinburgh’s website reveals the challenges faced by the women at the time.

The article states: “The everyday jealousy the male students exhibited was vile.

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

“The men made life as difficult as possible for the Edinburgh Seven, shutting doors in their faces, howling at them and behaving aggressively.

“Events came to a head at their anatomy exam when several hundred male students pelted the women with mud and other objects as they arrived. The women struggled through the crowd until a supporter unbolted a door to hurry them inside.

“During the exam, the rioters shoved a live sheep into the hall, causing further chaos.”

Sophia Jex-Blake , Picture: Edinburgh University Library

The notice, part of Historic Environment Scotland’s commemorative plaque scheme, will be officially revealed by Caroline Doig, a retired paediatric surgeon and the first woman to be elected to the RCSED Council in 1984 and the first female chair of the General Medical Council.

She said: “Today, the college celebrates the role of women in all its committees and activities, and its growing female membership has reached over 5,000 surgical and dental professionals worldwide.

“I am delighted there are now so many women pursuing a career in surgery and it is an honour to unveil this commemorative plaque on International Women’s Day, in memory of the first seven women to be admitted on to a degree programme at any British university.”

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