Emily Stowe

Emily Howard Stowe (nee Jennings, born May 1, 1831 in Norwich, Ontario, Canada, † April 30, 1903 in Toronto, Canada) was a Canadian teacher, doctor, women's rights activist and Theosophist. She was the first practicing physician in Canada.

Life and work

Childhood, marriage, children, Theosophy

Stowe was born on 1 May 1831 in Norwich, the eldest of seven children of Solomon Jennings and Hannah Howard Lossing. The parents were farmers and members of the religious community of Quakers. The mother, dissatisfied with the course offerings at regional schools, their children taught at home.

On November 22, 1856 married in Norwich John Stowe († 1891) from the compound had three children. According to the religion of her husband, she converted to Methodism.

She was a member of the Theosophical Society, and on February 16, 1891 next to her daughter Augusta Stowe - Gullen, Algernon Blackwood and Albert Smythe in Toronto co-founder of the first theosophical lodge in Canada.

As a teacher,

1846 Stowe took the post of a teacher at the school in the neighboring town of Summerville. 1852 wanted to start in Cobourg studying at Victoria College, but was because she was a woman, dismissed. Then they started in November 1853 to study at the teacher training institution Normal School in Toronto and graduated in 1854 with honors (First- Class Honours ). Then she got a job as a director at a public school in Brantford and was the first female school director of the Canadian province of Ontario.

As a doctor

When her husband became ill with tuberculosis around 1863, she began to be interested in medical issues and tried at the Toronto School of Medicine of the University of Toronto to start studying. Again, it was because she was a woman, dismissed. That's why she started in 1865 to study medicine at New York Medical Homeopathic College for Women in New York and graduated in 1867.

A moment later she opened a homeopathic practice in Toronto, the first doctor to practice in Canada, which was led by a woman. However, they had this, operate specialized in women 's and children's diseases practice until 1880 illegal. The legalization she was on the one hand, once again because she was a woman, denied. On the other hand, they had to struggle against great odds the resident male allopathic physicians. 1879 came to an accusation that she had allegedly made ​​an abortion. After lengthy investigations, tests, their qualifications and interviews with witnesses regarding faultless character, but was acquitted. On July 16, 1880, she received a surprise but an official medical license, how did this change of opinion is unclear.

Following their example, completed her man trained as a dentist, graduated in 1875 from this and practiced since then in the same building next to his wife. Her daughter, Augusta Stowe - Gullen also studied medicine and was in 1883 the first woman who earned a degree in medicine in Canada. Stowe even argued for an improvement of hygienic conditions and promoted reforms in health care. She also became involved in the women's movement and argued for women's suffrage. On a Women's Congress in Chicago, she fell in May 1893 by the rostrum and broke her hip. As a result of this injury she had to close her doctor's office and also set their reformist commitment.