Cecilia Grierson
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Cecilia Grierson (22 November 1859 – 10 April 1934) was an Argentine physician, reformer, and prominent
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. She had the added distinction of being the first woman to receive a Medical Degree in Argentina.


Early life

Cecilia Grierson was born in
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in 1859 to Jane Duffy, an Irish Argentine woman, and John Parish Robertson Grierson. Her paternal grandfather, William Grierson, was among the Scottish colonists who had arrived in Buenos Aires in 1825 to settle Santa Catalina-Monte Grande. Grierson spent her early childhood on her family’s
estancia An estancia is a large, private plot of land used for farming or raising cattle or sheep. Estancias in the southern South American grasslands, the ''pampas'', have historically been estates used to raise livestock, such as cattle or sheep. In Pu ...
in Entre Ríos Province, where her family were prosperous farmers. At the age of six she was sent to attend English and French schools in Buenos Aires, but had to return home on the early death of her father. She assisted her mother in managing a
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school, and eventually taught there. Grierson returned to Buenos Aires to enroll at the Nº 1 Girls
Normal School A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...
, where she graduated as a teacher in 1878. She taught for a number of years at a nearby boys’ school, and decided to study
medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
.


Medical career

Grierson faced entrenched opposition to her enrollment in medical school in 1883, and was asked to provide written justification for her wish to become a doctor. Another woman,
Élida Passo Élida Passo (1867–1893) was an Argentine pharmacist, the first woman to practice that profession in her country and the first woman university graduate in South America. Biography Élida Passo was born in Buenos Aires in 1867, the daughter of ...
, had entered the
Faculty of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
to pursue a degree of
Doctor of Pharmacy A Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD; New Latin: ''Pharmaciae Doctor'') is a professional doctorate in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a doctoral degree to practice the profession of pharmacy or to become a clinical pharmacist. In many countries the ...
, becoming in 1885 the first Argentine woman to earn a university diploma in Argentina. Passo overcame numerous rejected applications and returned to earn a Medical Degree. She became seriously ill while in the fifth year of medical school, however, and died in 1893 without a diploma. Women were barred from the Faculty of Medicine at the nation's four universities in operation at the time; indeed, few women in 19th century Argentina enrolled in formal secondary education. Grierson, however, was an exceptional student, volunteering as an unpaid assistant at the university laboratory, and in 1885, beginning her internship under the auspices of the Public Health Department. She organized an
ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...
service while with the department, introducing the use of alarm bells (equivalent to today’s sirens), an innovation that until then had been exclusive to the fire brigade. Her work during an 1886
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic garnered her widespread acknowledgment for her efficient work in caring for patients in the Isolation Unit (in present-day
Hospital Muñiz The Infectious Diseases Hospital “Dr. Francisco Javier Muñiz" is a public metropolitan-area hospital serving Buenos Aires, Argentina and the surrounding area since 1882. As the name implies, the hospital specializes in infectious diseases. Th ...
). Grierson was also a pioneer in
kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...
. She introduced a course in massage therapy at the Faculty of Medicine, and later articulated her ideas in her textbook, ''Practical Massage''. The book was widely read and played a key role in the development of modern kinesiology in Argentina. She joined the staff at the important
Hospital Rivadavia The Hospital General de Agudos Bernardino Rivadavia was founded in 1774 in 800 Bartolomé Mitre St., San Nicolás, Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the name Hospital de mujeres (''Women's Hospital''). In 1887 it was moved to its present location in ...
in 1888, and graduated in 1889 upon her successful defense of her thesis on
gynecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...
: ''Histero-ovariotomías efectuadas en el Hospital de Mujeres desde 1883 a 1889'' (''Ovary Extractions at the Women’s Hospital, 1883-1889''). Grierson thus became the first woman in Argentina to earn a Medical Degree. She joined the medical staff at Hospital San Roque (today
Hospital Ramos Mejía Hospital Ramos Mejía is a hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Notable patients who have been in the hospital * José María Gatica José María Gatica (25 May 1925 – 12 November 1963) was an Argentine boxer, one of Argentina's most famo ...
) upon graduation. She also offered classes in
anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...
at the Academia de Bellas Artes, and provided free psychological and learning consultations for children with special needs, particularly blind and deaf mute children. She also finished her textbooks: ''La educación del ciego'' (''The Education of the Blind''), ''Cuidado del enfermo'' (''Patient Care'') and ''Primer Tratado Nacional de Enfermería'' (''First National Nursing Textbook''). Grierson founded the first
nursing school Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ca ...
in Argentina, the Nursing School of the Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires, in 1890. Student nurses attended classes on childcare, first aid and treatment of patients. This initiative led, in 1891, to the creation of the Nursing School, which Grierson directed until 1913. This success helped make her a founding member of the
Argentine Medical Association The Argentine Medical Association (''Asociación Médica Argentina'', AMA) is the principal professional association of physicians in Argentina. It is a medical non-profit organization with headquarters in Buenos Aires. Overview The group was fou ...
(1891). Encouraged by the reports of the Third International Conference of the
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on
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training, she created the Argentine First Aid Society in 1892, publishing a book on the care of accident victims. Taking part in 1892 in the first cesarean section performed in Argentina, she founded the National Obstetrics Association in 1901, and its journal, ''Revista Obstétrica''. She also gave
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lessons at the Faculty of Medicine and mentored the few other female students that had enrolled; one of these, Armandina Poggetti, in 1902 became the first woman in Argentina to earn a degree in
Pharmacology Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...
. Grierson founded the Society for Domestic Economy in 1902. This organization, later renamed the Technical School for Home Management, was the first of its kind in the country, and in 1907, she instituted the Domestic Sciences course at the Buenos Aires Girls’ Secondary School (the first such course in Argentina). Following her 1909 report on improving conditions in Europe regarding education, living standards, and the availability of
vocational school A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...
s, the National Education Council approved a curriculum for vocational schools in Argentina. Grierson published ''Educación técnica de la mujer'' (''Women’s Technical Education''), introducing the study of
day care Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...
in these schools. She held teaching positions in the
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and the National Secondary School for Girls, where she taught from its inception in 1907. The Argentine government named her as a representative to the First International Eugenics Conference, held in
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in 1912.


Feminist activism

The harassment Grierson endured as a medical student and afterward helped make her a militant advocate for women's rights in Argentina. She joined the recently established
Socialist Party of Argentina The Socialist Party ( es, Partido Socialista, PS) is a centre-left political party in Argentina. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest still-active parties in Argentina, alongside the Radical Civic Union. The party has been an opponent of ...
, and became one of a relatively small number of Argentine women in academia or from high society who supported
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
and the women’s emancipation movement that had developed in the
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and the
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. Grierson was named Vice President of the second meeting of the suffragist organization, the
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(ICW), held in London in 1889. This led her to establish the Argentine Women’s Council (CNM) in 1900. The CNM, in the person of Grierson and
Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane Dr. Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane (née Elvira Rawson; April 19, 1867June 4, 1954) was a militant Suffragette, suffragist and the second woman to receive a medical degree in Argentina. She was an activist for women's and children's rights and was k ...
, presented a draft bill in 1906 to the
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providing for the creation of funds for social welfare benefits and maternity leave for working-class women. The bill was not passed, however, nor was another measure drafted by Grierson banning the
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trade. Rifts developed within the CNM, however. Alvina Van Praet de Sala, the president, arranged for a priest to attend all their meetings, a decision which was opposed by Grierson and her allies. These began to identify themselves more closely with feminism and to promote a more vigorous campaigns in favor of
women’s suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to gran ...
. Some thirty university and professional women, including Grierson, broke with the more conservative
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line in the CNM. They, among them Grierson, Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane, Julieta Lantieri Renshaw, Alicia Moreau de Justo, Ernestina A. López and other prominent women from academia, co-founded the Association of Argentine University Women (AMUA), the first university student association for women in the country, in 1904. The AMUA sought to engage with the problems of working-class women as much as with those of female university graduates. They campaigned against women’s inferior legal status, their exclusion from civic activity and lack of access to education relative to men. They also campaigned for civil and political rights, the rights of children (particularly illegitimate children), legalized
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; and against alcoholism,
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, and
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. Grierson presided over the First International Women’s Conference, organized by the AMUA. Grierson was an active supporter of the Argentine Freethinkers Association (AALP), which advocated
rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy' ...
, anticlericalism, a scientific approach to life, and full equality for women. The AALP sought to join the CNM, but were rejected on account of their anticlerical views. This provoked a new confrontation between Grierson and the membership of the CNM, upon which she joined the Women’s Socialist Centre. Grierson chaired the First International Feminist Conference of Argentina organized by the Association of University Women during the
Argentine Centennial The Argentina Centennial was celebrated on May 25, 1910. It was the 100th anniversary of the May Revolution, when viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros was ousted from office and replaced with the Primera Junta, the first national government. Co ...
, in 1910. This provoked her departure from the CNM, which, with official support, had organized the
rightist Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, auth ...
First Patriotic Women’s Congress. Grierson articulated her opposition to a turn to the right on the part of Argentine feminists in her 1910 treatise ''Decadencia del Consejo Nacional de Mujeres de la República Argentina'' (''Degeneration of the Argentine National Women’s Council'').


Later life

Grierson was publicly honored in 1914 on the occasion of the silver jubilee of her graduation, an homage repeated in 1916, when she retired from academia. She lived in scenic Los Cocos, Córdoba Province, during her retirement, practicing
family medicine Family medicine is a medical specialty within primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary ...
on a largely ''pro bono'' basis and teaching. She inaugurated a school in the rural town, as well as a residence for teachers and artists. She was allowed credit for only a few years' service upon her retirement and received but a modest pension; she lamented most, however, that she was never offered the position of Chair of her alma mater's Faculty of Medicine. Grierson never married. The noted academic and activist died in Buenos Aires in 1934, at age 74, and was buried in the city's British Cemetery, (See also the English page of: Cementerio Británico).


Tribute

The nursing school she established in 1891 was renamed for her following her death. A street in Los Cocos and one in the newest district of Buenos Aires,
Puerto Madero Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land ...
, were also named in her honor. On November 22, 2016,
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celebrated her 157th birthday with a Google Doodle.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grierson, Cecilia 1859 births 1934 deaths People from Buenos Aires Argentine people of Irish descent Argentine people of Scottish descent University of Buenos Aires alumni University of Buenos Aires faculty Argentine women activists Argentine feminists Argentine philanthropists Argentine women physicians Socialist feminists Freethought Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery Argentine suffragists 19th-century women physicians