Dorothy Pantin (28 June 1896 – 6 August 1985), was the first woman medical doctor and surgeon of the Isle of Man.

Early life and education

Pantin was born in

Douglas, Isle of Man Douglas ( gv, Doolish, ) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021). It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of . The River Douglas forms part of the town's harbour ...

to local doctor Charles Satchell Pantin, O.B.E in 1896. She was one of five children. Both she and one of her brothers, Charles Guy Pantin, became doctors. She attended St Paul's school and then Pantin gained her medical degree in the London school of medicine in 1920 and finishing in 1922.

Career

She returned to the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

in 1923. Her main objective was to improve the medical care of children and mothers, becoming the island's leading obstetrician. She worked on the design of the new maternity building which opened in 1939. During her tenure on the island the maternal mortality rates dropped by more than half. She was the first medical supervisor of the Jane Crookall Maternity Home. She conducted the first

blood transfusion Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but mo ...

, in 1926, and the third

Caesarian section Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mo ...

, in 1928 of the island's history. This was only the second to be successful. Pantin worked as honorary surgeon to Noble's Hospital and Dispensary from 1926. She worked to ensure good diet for people struggling through the depression and to prevent

rickets Rickets is a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children, and is caused by either dietary deficiency or genetic causes. Symptoms include bowed legs, stunted growth, bone pain, large forehead, and trouble sleeping. Complications may ...

. When the orthopaedic ward was opened at Noble's Hospital in 1932 Pantin was there on a daily basis. She spent 11 years as the honorary secretary and treasurer of the Isle of Man branch of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

and became its president in 1937. She died in August 1985 and was buried in the Douglas Borough Cemetery.

Awards and honours

She is remembered by having one of the buildings on the island named after her and there is a plaque to her on the Jane Crookall maternity ward at

Noble’s Hospital Noble’s Hospital is a hospital on the Isle of Man. It is one of only two hospitals on the island, and as of 1 April 2021, is run by Manx Care; having previously been run by the Department of Health and Social Care History In 1947 the hospit ...

. She is also remembered by having been put on an Isle of Man stamp.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pantin, Dorothy 1896 births 1985 deaths Isle of Man British women medical doctors Manx women