Women in Pathology at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary

Tue, Aug 27th 2019 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Speaker - Fiona Roger

Reception - Anne Tait
Menu Choice - Iain MacKinnon



Women in Pathology at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary

It was very much ladies’ day at this week’s regular meeting as member Fiona Roger provided a fascinating look at the developing role of women in medicine.

Fiona unashamedly used a dissertation from her niece, Rosa McMillan, a 4th year medical student at Glasgow University, which detailed the beginnings – and the struggles – of women to enter the male-dominated world of pathology.

The kudos went to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, which in 1899 appointed its first female doctor. This turned out to be many years in advance of any other hospital or medical establishment. It also provided Rosa with the title for her dissertation – “The Glasgow Royal Infirmary had a vision without which the people perish.”

The famous Dr Elsie Inglis – who had a hospital named after her in Edinburgh – did most of her work at GRI in the 19th century. As time went on, it became clear GRI was the leader in teaching and employing female doctors, particularly in the specialty of pathology. For example, in the late 19th century Edinburgh Royal Infirmary refused to even accept female students.

Fiona told her audience that after the turn of the century, professor John Hammond Teacher, head of the pathology department at GRI, had the view that the employment of women “did not detract from the department”. He was, she said, the force behind employing greater numbers of women doctors and the proof that GRI was ahead of its time in allowing the progress of women in pathology and most other specialties.

The Professor also clearly had a penchant for humour. As a member of the Teacher’s whisky family, the Prof was prone to use phrases such as “whisky is a serviceable substitute should other fixatives be unavailable”. It is doubtful the modern NHS would prescribe anything similar!

As another example, Fiona revealed that Glasgow’s Western Infirmary appointed its first female resident in 1946 – a full 50 years after the first female resident at GRI.

In a vote of thanks, Anne Tait reckoned it was pertinent to have a woman not only giving what was a detailed and fascinating presentation but also doing the vote of thanks.

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