Jennie Kidd Trout (born Gowanlock; April 21, 1841 – November 10, 1921) was the first woman in Canada to become a licensed medical doctor, on March 11, 1875. Trout was the only woman in Canada licensed to practice medicine until July 1880, when
Emily Stowe
Emily Howard Stowe (née Jennings, May 1, 1831 – April 30, 1903) was a Canadian physician who was the first female physician to practise in Canada, the second licensed female physician in Canada and an activist for women's rights and suff ...
completed the official qualifications. Although the Inspector General of Hospitals in Upper and Lower Canada from 1857-59,
Dr James Barry, was born Margaret Anne Bulkley in Ireland around 1789, Barry practiced medicine (whether out of practical need, or gender identity as either intersex or transgender) as a man.
Biography
Born in Wooden Mills,
Kelso,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, Jennie (whose name is variously spelled 'Jenny') moved with her parents to Canada in 1847, settling near
Stratford, Ontario. Trout had taken a course in teaching after graduation, and had taught until her marriage to Edward Trout. She married Trout in 1865 and thereafter moved to
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, where Edward ran a newspaper.
Motivated by her own chronic illnesses, she decided on a medical career, passing her matriculation exam in 1871 and studying medicine at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
. Trout and Emily Jennings Stowe were together the first women admitted to the
Toronto School of Medicine, by special arrangement. Stowe, however, refused to sit her exams in protest of the school's demeaning treatment of the two women. Trout later transferred to the
Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania
The Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP) was founded in 1850, and was the second medical institution in the world established to train women in medicine to earn the M.D. degree. The New England Female Medical College had been establishe ...
, where she earned her
M.D.
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...
on March 11, 1875 and became the first licensed female physician in Canada.
[Buchanan, D. (2012). " In His Name": The Live and Times of Jenny Kidd Trout. Leaven. 3(3): 16.]
Trout then opened the Therapeutic and Electrical Institute in Toronto, which specialized in treatments for women involving "
galvanic bath
Galvanic bath is an alternative medical treatment (a type of electrotherapy) based on the simultaneous use of water and electric current. The patient lies in a 34 degree Celsius bath, while gentle electric current is passed through his body ...
s or electricity." For six years, she also ran a free dispensary for the poor at the same location. The Institute was quite successful, later opening branches in
Brantford
Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...
and
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
.
[
Due to poor health, Trout retired in 1882 to Palma Sola, ]Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. She was later instrumental in the establishment of a medical school for women at Queen's University in Kingston. Her family travelled extensively between Florida and Ontario, and later moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, where she died in 1921.[
In 1991, ]Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...
issued a postage stamp in her honour to commemorate her as the first woman licensed to practise medicine in Canada.
On April 21, 2018, Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
celebrated her 177th birthday with a Google Doodle
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
.
See also
*Canadian Women's Suffrage Association
The Canadian Women's Suffrage Association, originally called the Toronto Women's Literary Guild, was an organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that fought for women's rights.
After the association had been inactive for a while, the leade ...
References
External links
GOWANLOCK, JENNY KIDD (Trout)
Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
Historica Minute video and details
with links to lesson plans
Jennie (Jenny) Kidd Trout
(''The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available f ...
'')
Jennie Kidd Gowanlock Trout
biographical page from a descendant
Famous Canadian Physicians
at Library and Archives Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trout, Jennie Kidd
1841 births
1921 deaths
20th-century Canadian physicians
19th-century Canadian physicians
Canadian women physicians
People from Perth County, Ontario
Pre-Confederation Ontario people
Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
People from Kelso, Scottish Borders
University of Toronto alumni
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
Canadian philanthropists
Queen's University at Kingston faculty
Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania alumni
Canadian women philanthropists
Immigrants to the Province of Canada
20th-century women physicians
19th-century women physicians
20th-century Canadian women scientists