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 (; 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 suffrage. Stowe hel ...

completed the official qualifications.

Biography

Born in Wooden Mills, Kelso,

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, Jennie (whose name is variously spelled 'Jenny') moved with her parents to Canada in 1847, settling near

Stratford, Ontario Stratford is a city on the Avon River (Ontario), Avon River within Perth County, Ontario, Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a 2021 Canadian census, 2021 population of 33,232 in a land area of . Stratford is the County seat, s ...

. 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 ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, 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 whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

. 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 Founded in 1850, The Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP), formally known as The Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, was the first American medical college dedicated to teaching women medicine and allowing them to earn the Doctor ...

, where she earned her

M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...

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 indep ...

and

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Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. Due to poor health, Trout retired in 1882 to Palma Sola,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. She was later instrumental in the establishment of a medical school for women at Queen's University in

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. Her family travelled extensively between Florida and Ontario, and later moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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, where she died in 1921. In 1991,

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (, trading as Canada Post (), is a Canadian Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Can ...

issued a postage stamp in her honour to commemorate her as the first woman licensed to practise medicine in Canada. On April 21, 2018,

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celebrated her 177th birthday with a

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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; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...

'')
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 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 Academic staff of Queen's University at Kingston Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania alumni Canadian women philanthropists Immigrants to the Province of Canada 20th-century Canadian women physicians 19th-century Canadian women physicians 20th-century Canadian women scientists

Biography

See also

References

External links