The Ladies' Medical College (renamed The Obstetrical College for Women) was a short-lived English medical college for women, established in 1864 by the Female Medical Society. It offered courses in

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...

and diseases associated with women and children, but failed to extend its curriculum to the full scope of medical training and closed in 1873.

Formation

The

Medical Act 1858 The Medical Act (21 & 22 Vict c 90), ''An Act to Regulate the Qualifications of Practitioners in Medicine and Surgery'', also referred to as the Medical Act 1858, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the General Medical ...

, which for the first time regulated the licensing of physicians in the UK and created the Medical Register, effectively barred women from becoming doctors in the UK by requiring physicians to pass examinations offered by any of 19 examination boards, none of which permitted the admission of women. The practice of

was unregulated, and was undertaken either by self-trained working class women, or by male physicians. The male medical establishment, as a rule, opposed encroachment on what it considered to be its territory by women. Against this backdrop, a Female Medical Society was established in 1862 with a long term aim of enabling women to qualify as doctors, but with a shorter term focus on medicine applicable to women and children. At its outset, the society sought to raise the status of

such that it could be considered a profession for educated women; to respect the feelings of female patients who preferred to be tended by female practitioners; and to save lives, both by the effect of better training and practice, but also by reducing infections introduced by male physicians who in their wider work came into contact with disease, surgery and post-mortems. In support of its aims, the Society established in 1864 the Ladies' Medical College at premises in

Fitzroy Square Fitzroy Square is a Georgian square in London. It is the only one in the central London area known as Fitzrovia. The square is one of the area's main features, this once led to the surrounding district to be known as Fitzroy Square or Fitzro ...

, London,Probably at No. 4 Fitzroy Square. James Edmunds is recorded as occupying the premises from 1866–1879, in "Fitzroy Square", ''Survey of London: Volume 21, the Parish of St Pancras Part 3: Tottenham Court Road and Neighbourhood''. Eds. J R Howard Roberts, and Walter H Godfrey. London: London County Council, 1949. pp. 52-63. vi
British History Online
initially offering a course in

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

and supporting and related subject matter, with a somewhat broader curriculum by 1870. From 1867 students gained clinical experience at the

British Lying-In Hospital The British Lying-In Hospital was a maternity hospital established in London in 1749, the second such foundation in the capital. Background The impetus for the creation of a dedicated maternity hospital was dissatisfaction on the part of the gov ...

. 14 students entered in the first year of operation, 69 by 1867 and 84 in 1870. Notable students of the College include

Isabel Thorne Isabel Jane Thorne (née Pryer; 22 September 1834 – 9 October 1910) was an early campaigner for medical education for women. Mrs Thorne, as she was known, was a member of the feminist Edinburgh Seven, who campaigned and succeeded in securing t ...

(who described its teaching as inadequate) and Matilda Chaplin, both of whom went on to be members of the

Edinburgh Seven The Edinburgh Seven were the first group of matriculated undergraduate female students at any British university. They began studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1869 and, although the Court of Session ruled that they should neve ...

who in 1870 sought to qualify as doctors at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

;

Florence Fenwick Miller Florence Fenwick Miller (sometimes Fenwick-Miller, 1854–1935) was an English journalist, author and social reformer of the late 19th and early 20th century. She was for four years the editor and proprietor of The Woman's Signal, an early and in ...

who traced the opposite journey, training in Edinburgh in 1871 and then taking a midwifery certificate at the College; and

Alice Vickery Alice Vickery (also known as A. Vickery Drysdale and A. Drysdale Vickery; 1844 – 12 January 1929) was an English physician, campaigner for women's rights, and the first British woman to qualify as a chemist and pharmacist. She and her life ...

, first British woman to qualify as a

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

and

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

Criticism and ambivalent status

The medical profession, in general, reacted very poorly to the College, espousing various grounds in the

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origi ...

(BMJ): that the midwifery role should remain subordinate to the (male) physician; that the college provided a 'dangerously insufficient' training creating 'half-educated' female practitioners; or that the college aimed too high in serving educated women rather than working-class midwives. Feminist journals such as the ''

Alexandra Magazine Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "pr ...

'' and ''

English Woman's Journal The ''English Woman's Journal'' was a periodical dealing primarily with female employment and equality issues. It was established in 1858 by Barbara Bodichon, Matilda Mary Hays and Bessie Rayner Parkes. Published monthly between March 1858 a ...

'' were more supportive. That the College's ambitions were limited appears to have limited its life-span. Aspiring female physicians were concerned with access to the acquisition of credentials enabling them to be listed on the Medical Register, and these the College did not offer. As a result, it was not supported by leading campaigners for the medical education of women such as the Edinburgh Seven nor

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (9 June 1836 – 17 December 1917) was an English physician and suffragist. She was the first woman to qualify in Britain as a physician and surgeon. She was the co-founder of the first hospital staffed by women, ...

. In 1872, the Society renamed it ''The Obstetrical College for Women and unsuccessfully sought funds to extend the curriculum offered; the College closed in 1873. Writing in a later period,

Ray Strachey Ray Strachey (born Rachel Pearsall Conn Costelloe; 4 June 188716 July 1940) was a British feminist politician, artist and writer. Early life Her father was Irish barrister Benjamin "Frank" Conn Costelloe, and her mother was art historian Mary ...

noted that the College was "a half-measure'. A year after the closure, the

London School of Medicine for Women The London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW) established in 1874 was the first medical school in Britain to train women as doctors. The patrons, vice-presidents, and members of the committee that supported and helped found the London School of Me ...

(LSMW) - unconnected with the Society and arising out of the experience and reaction to the Edinburgh Seven - opened in 1874 to provide full medical training, and the

UK Medical Act 1876 The Medical Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict c 41) was an act which repealed the previous Medical Act in the United Kingdom and allowed all British medical authorities to license all qualified applicants whatever their gender. It was introduced by Parliamen ...

enabled the medical authorities to license all qualified applicants irrespective of gender. The LSMW's success is noted to have overshadowed the Ladies' Medical College in the historical record.

Notes

References

{{coord, 51.52325, -0.13947, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title, format=dms Medical schools in London Former women's universities and colleges in the United Kingdom History of medicine in the United Kingdom Women in London 1864 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 1864 1873 disestablishments in England History of obstetrics