Edinburgh College of Medicine for Women

The Edinburgh College of Medicine for Women

Minto House, 20 Chambers Street, Edinburgh, location of the college from 1896 to 1908.

Active| 1889 (1889)–1908 (1908)

Parent institution

| Scottish Association for the Medical Education of Women

The Edinburgh College of Medicine for Women was established by The Scottish Association for the Medical Education of Women whose leading members included John Inglis, the father of Elsie Inglis. Elsie Inglis went on to become a leader in the suffrage movement and found the Scottish Women's Hospital organisation in World War I, but when the college was founded she was still a medical student. Her father, John Inglis, had been a senior civil servant in India, where he had championed the cause of education for women. On his return to Edinburgh he became a supporter of medical education for women and used his influence to help establish the college. The college was founded in 1889 at a time when women were not admitted to university medical schools in the UK, with the sole exception of London University.[1]

## Origins

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The college was set up as a result of a dispute within the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women. This had been established in 1886 by Sophia Jex-Blake, who was regarded by many of her students as a strict disciplinarian.[2] When two students, Grace Cadell and her sister Martha, were dismissed in 1888 for a breach of rules, they successfully sued Jex-Blake and the school. Another student, Elsie Inglis, emerged as the leader of a group of students sympathetic to the Cadell sisters and increasingly hostile to Jex-Blake.[2] John Inglis her father had a circle of influential friends, including the Principal of the University of Edinburgh, Sir William Muir. They set up the Scottish Association for the Medical Education of Women, which soon had an impressive list of supporters and financial backers.[3] The first president was Sir Alexander Christison, who was striving to reverse the anti-female stance of his father Prof Robert Christison.[4]

Site of the initial location of the college at 30 Chambers Street. The building shown became the Edinburgh Dental Hospital, which replaced the earlier building which had housed the college.

The college opened in 1889.[3] The Association initially rented rooms at 30 Chambers Street[5] and in 1896 moved a few doors down to premises at Minto House, 20 Chambers Street, which had been the location of another private medical school and so was well suited to the needs of the college with lecture rooms and laboratories.[3][5]

## College activities

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The college was set up in direct competition to Jex-Blake's Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women, which was to close in 1898.[6][7] It aimed to prepare the women students for the examinations of the Triple Qualification (TQ) offered by the Scottish medical Royal Colleges.[6] Successful candidates were able to register with the General Medical Council and practice medicine in Britain, throughout much of the then British Empire and in some states of the United States of America. When the Scottish universities allowed women to graduate in medicine, many of the college's graduates were awarded the university degrees of MB, CM until 1899 or MB, ChB thereafter.[8]

In the first session the college had 18 lecturers whose lectures covered the syllabus of subjects required by the TQ. The TQ also required a series of clinical placements in a variety of specialities in approved hospitals. The main teaching hospital, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, refused to allow women medical students on its wards. Jex-Blake's School of Medicine had arranged clinical teaching at a smaller teaching hospital Leith Hospital, and its wards were therefore not available to the college. The college arranged for its clinical teaching at Glasgow Royal Infirmary where two surgeons, Sir William Macewen and James Hogarth Pringle were ardent supporters of medical education for women.[9]

There was still much opposition to medical education for women and much of the success of the college resulted from the influential supporters of the Scottish Association for the Medical Education of Women. These included the Association's first president Sir Alexander Christison Bt, who ironically was the son of Sir Robert Christison who had been a leading opponent of medical education for women. Among the first Vice Presidents were Dr Robert Craig Maclagan and Sir Robert Philip the pioneer of tuberculosis treatment.[10]

In July 1892 the college had sufficient funds and sufficient influence to have two wards in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh opened to the women medical students of the college at a cost of £700.[11] The students were initially taught in the medical ward by Dr William Russell and Dr (later Sir) Byrom Bramwell and in the surgical ward by Mr (later Professor Sir) Joseph M Cotteril.[12]

The college closed in 1908 when its 20 Chambers Street buildings were sold. Thereafter the women students were taught in the School of Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Edinburgh until 1916.[6]

## Early lecturers

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At the time of the college's foundation there was still opposition to medical education for women. By choosing to lecture at the college the lecturers were effectively making public their support for women in medicine. Most were young men several of whom would become well known in later life.[13] The first lecturers included:

* John W Ballantyne (Midwifery and gynaecology) who made significant contributions to improving antenatal and perinatal care, publishing over 500 papers and books on obstetrical topics.[14]
* William Craig FRSE, FRCSEd (Therapeutics) became better known as a botanist in later life.[15]
* James Hodsdon FRCSEd (Surgery) who went on to be knighted and elected president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.[16]
* William Keiller (Anatomy), who from 1891 became Professor of Anatomy at the University of Texas at Galveston.[17]
* Harvey Littlejohn FRCSEd (Public Health) who became professor of Forensic Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and as an expert on medical jurisprudence became an expert witness at celebrated criminal trials.[18]
* William Ivison Macadam FRSE, FIC (Chemistry) who continued chemistry research and teaching in the extramural school, supporting the cause of women's education until his tragic murder in his laboratory in 1912.[19]
* Robert Philip FRSE, FRCP (Medicine) who became a pioneer in the treatment of tuberculosis and went on to become president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and president of the British Medical Association. He was knighted for services to medicine.[20]
* William Russell FRCPE (Pathology) who became Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He was the first to describe the cellular inclusion particles known as Russell bodies.[21][22]

## Notable students

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* Agnes Bennett[23]
* Harriet Amelia Scott Bird[24]
* Mary Booth[25]
* Grace Cadell[26]
* Martha Cadell[27]
* Kadambini Ganguly[28]
* Kate Welton Hogg[29]
* Elsie Inglis[30]
* Elizabeth Macrory[29]
* Mary MacNicol[31]
* Caroline Matthews[32]
* Hilda Margaret Northcroft
* Mabel Ramsay[33]
* Eleanor Rosina Sproull[29]
* Mona Chalmers Watson[34]
* Mary Broadfoot Walker

## References

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1. ^ Jeffery, Roger (2025). "Women who qualified as doctors in the United Kingdom, 1877–1914: Birthplaces, parentage and training". Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. doi:10.1177/14782715251333612. PMID 40296499. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
2. ^ a b Roberts, Shirley (1993). Sophia Jex-Blake : a woman pioneer in nineteenth century medical reform. London: Routledge. pp. 174–179\. ISBN 978-0415087537. OCLC 27770044.
3. ^ a b c Lawrence, Margot (1971). Shadow of swords: A biography of Elsie Inglis. London: Michael Joseph. pp. 54–56.
4. ^ British Medical Journal 19 October 1918
5. ^ a b "Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory. 1896-97. p 405". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
6. ^ a b c "The Archive of the Extramural School of Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Edinburgh | Library & Special Collections The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh". library.rcsed.ac.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
7. ^ Somerville, J (2005). "Dr Sophia Jex-Blake and the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women,1886–189" (PDF). Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. 35 (3): 261–267\. doi:10.1177/1478271520053503024.
8. ^ Geyer-Kordesch, Johanna (1999). Shaping of the Medical Profession: The History of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. London: A&C Black. pp. 18–19\. ISBN 9780826426321.
9. ^ McIntyre, Neil (2014). How British women became doctors : the story of the Royal Free Hospital and its Medical School. London: Wenrowave Press. pp. 127–129\. ISBN 9780993017803. OCLC 907241060.
10. ^ Tait, H.P. (1965). Dr. Elsie Maud Inglis, 1864–1917: A great lady doctor. Leith: Bridgend Press.
11. ^ Balfour, Frances (1918). Dr Elsie Inglis. London: Hoddder & Stoughton. p. 42.
12. ^ Tait, H.P. (1965). Dr. Elsie Maud Inglis, 1864-1917: A great lady doctor. Leith: Bridgend Press.
13. ^ Tait, H P. (1964). Dr Elsie Maud Inglis (1864-1917): a great lady doctor. Edinburgh: Bridgend Press. p. 23.
14. ^ Reiss, HE. (2000). "John William Ballantyne 1861-1923". Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 20 (4): 343–346\. doi:10.1080/01443610050111913. PMID 15512581. S2CID 32664130.
15. ^ "Search results, herbarium specimens collected by William Craig (HerbariaUnited)". herbariaunited.org. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
16. ^ Surgeons' lives : Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh : an anthology of College Fellows over 500 years. Macintyre, Iain M. C., MacLaren, Iain., Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Edinburgh: Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. 2005. ISBN 978-0950362090. OCLC 64773979.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
17. ^ "William Keiller, M.D. Department of Anatomy Drawings". utmb-ir.tdl.org. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
18. ^ "Harvey Littlejohn, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.Ed., F.R.C.S., F.R.S.Ed". British Medical Journal. 2 (3477): 369–70\. 27 August 1927. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.3477.369. PMC 2524543. PMID 20773367.
19. ^ Scotsman 25 June 1902
20. ^ "Munks Roll Details for Robert William (Sir) Philip". munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
21. ^ "William Russell". www.rcpe.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
22. ^ "OBITUARY". BMJ. 2 (4155): 269. 24 August 1940. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.4155.269. S2CID 220199060.
23. ^ Manson, Cecil; Manson, Celia (1960). Dr Agnes Bennett. London: Michael Joseph. pp. 24–37.
24. ^ "Fantastic Finds for Friday: International Women's Day". Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Heritage Blog. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
25. ^ Roe, Jill. "Booth, Mary (1869–1956)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
26. ^ "Dr. Grace R. Cadell". BMJ. 1 (2984): 303. 9 March 1918. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.2984.303. S2CID 220005916.
27. ^ "RCPE Archives Catalogue: Record". archives.rcpe.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
28. ^ "Kadambini Ganguly – UncoverED". Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
29. ^ a b c Brookes, Barbara (17 May 2012). "A Corresponding Community: Dr Agnes Bennett and her Friends from the Edinburgh Medical College for Women of the 1890s". Medical History. 52 (2): 237–256\. doi:10.1017/s0025727300002374. PMC 2329860. PMID 18458784.
30. ^ "Inglis, Elsie Maud (1864–1917), physician and surgeon | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34101. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
31. ^ Letter from Dr Mary H Macnicol on her retiral, 11 Feb 1936. Lothian Health Service Archive LHB 8/3/9
32. ^ Obituary - Dr. Caroline Matthews". The British Medical Journal. 30 April 1927. p. 819.
33. ^ "OBITUARY". British Medical Journal. 1 (4872): 1212–1215\. 22 May 1954. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.4872.1212. PMC 2085109.
34. ^ Terry, Roy (2004). "Watson, Alexandra Mary Chalmers". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/67666. Retrieved 4 March 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)