Lydia Folger Fowler (May 5, 1823
/ref> – January 26, 1879) was a pioneering American

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

, professor of medicine, and activist. She was the second American woman to earn a medical degree (after

Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell (3 February 182131 May 1910) was an English-American physician, notable as the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States, and the first woman on the Medical Register of the General Medical Council for the Un ...

) and one of the first American

women in medicine The presence of women in medicine, particularly in the practicing fields of surgery and as physicians, has been traced to the earliest of history. Women have historically had lower participation levels in medical fields compared to men with occu ...

and a prominent woman in science. She married a

phrenologist Phrenology is a pseudoscience that involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits. It is based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or ...

and her daughter, Jessie Allen Fowler, continued their ideas.

Family life

Lydia Folger was born in

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...

, Massachusetts, in 1823, to Gideon and Eunice Macy Folger, a historic Massachusetts family descended from Peter Foulger. Lydia was the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Peter Foulger and Mary Morrill Foulger.Alice Dixon
"A Lesser-Known Daughter of Nantucket: Lydia"
''Historic Nantucket'', Winter 1993/1994 (Vol. 41, No. 4; incorrectly labeled Vol. 43, No. 4), p. 60-62. Through them she was the first cousin four times removed of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

."Wheaton graduate becomes doctor"
''Wheaton College'' (last visited August 23, 2012). Other notable family members included her extended cousins Lucretia Coffin Mott and

Maria Mitchell Maria Mitchell ( ; August 1, 1818 – June 28, 1889) was an American astronomer, librarian, naturalist, and educator. In 1847, she discovered a comet named 1847 VI (modern designation C/1847 T1) that was later known as " Miss Mitchell's Comet ...

and her paternal aunt Phebe Folger Coleman. Lydia was also a member of the Starbuck whaling family of Nantucket through her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Starbuck Folger. Her mother was notably a member of the Macy family of Nantucket whose descendants would later form Macy's department stores. Folger married Lorenzo Niles Fowler, a phrenologist, on September 19, 1844. Lydia Folger Fowler also gave herself the nickname of "Mrs. L. N. Fowler" to incorporate the initials of her husband into her name. She met Lorenzo at the house of her paternal uncle, Walter Folger, Jr., an "eccentric and famous astronomer-navigator in Nantucket". Lorenzo and his brother,

Orson Squire Fowler Orson Squire Fowler (October 11, 1809 – August 18, 1887) was an American phrenologist and lecturer. He also popularized the octagon house in the middle of the nineteenth century. Early life The son of Horace and Martha (Howe) Fowler, he ...

, were well-known phrenologists; the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' noted in his obituary that "Prof. Fowler examined the heads of many distinguished men, among them

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the '' New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poe ...

, Baron Rothschild, Li Hung Chang, and

Sir Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

.""Noted Phrenologist Dead: Lorenzo N. Fowler Succumbs to a Paralyzing Stroke"
(obituary), ''

'', September 4, 1896. Lydia and Lorenzo Fowler had three daughters: Amelia Mary Fowler, Loretta Fowler Piercy and Jessie Allen Fowler, who also became a phrenologist. Lydia Fowler was the honorary secretary of the

British Women's Temperance Association The White Ribbon Association (WRA), previously known as the British Women's Temperance Association (BWTA), is an organization that seeks to educate the public about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, as well as gambling. Founding of British Wom ...

, and Jessie succeeded her mother in that position. In 1896, Jessie accompanied her father when he returned to America, and she became the editor of the Fowler's '' Phrenological Journal''. Jessie inherited the company of Fowler and Wells after her father and aunt died in 1896 and 1901. She continued to write and died in 1932.

Education

Folger attended the Wheaton Female Seminary in Massachusetts when she was 16 years old and began teaching there in 1842 at the age of 20. Lydia Folger and Lorenzo Fowler would attend conferences and lecture tours together. Lydia Folger would generally address female audiences. This time also marked the beginning of her writing career, as she published her first two books in 1847: Familiar Lessons on Physiology and Familiar Lessons on Phrenology. Lydia Folger Fowler wrote her two-volume work as a way to teach other women how to teach phrenology to children. Lydia gave many presentations where she would direct teachers and parents on how to teach their children to know themselves, as she believed children could work towards self-improvement with guidance. After establishing a lecturing and writing career, she began medical school and earned an M.D. from Central Medical College in Syracuse, New York in 1850, one of eight women entering the first coed medical school in the country. Fellow students included Myra King Merrick and Sarah Adamson Dolley. At the time, the eclectic medical school was the only school to offer admission to women.

Eclectic medicine Eclectic medicine was a branch of American medicine that made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. The term was coined by ...

became popular with those seeking to avoid the harsher methods of then-current professional medicine, such as

bloodletting Bloodletting (or blood-letting) was the deliberate withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and othe ...

.Ruth Clifford Engs, ''Clean Living Movements: American Cycles of Health Reform'', p.71, "The Fowlers" in "Inherited Realities, Phrenology, and Eugenic Undercurrents". Greenwood (2001). She became an appointed professor of obstetrics and diseases of women and children at Central Medical College. Central Medical College then dissolved in 1852. Lydia Folger Fowler graduated as only the second woman in America to earn a medical degree, following

in 1849. Fowler was, in fact, the first American-born woman to earn a medical degree, and also the first woman to appear before a male medical society.Elizabeth Silverthorne and Geneva Fulgham, ''Women Pioneers in Texas Medicine'', "Introduction", p.xxii.

Career and professional involvement

She then went on to practice medicine in New York from 1852 to 1860, and later joined the faculty of Rochester Eclectic Medical College, becoming the first woman professor in a professional American medical school. During her time practicing, she conducted many gynecological exams and held her own surgery practice geared towards homeopathic practices. In 1862, Fowler taught midwifery at the New York Hygeio-Therapeutic College. Lydia practiced medicine with the outlook that science could improve female roles as children's caretakers. She used the knowledge gained through her medical education to help others overcome the obstacles women faced when working in the medical field. Folger was active in women's rights organizations, and participated in the

Seneca Falls Convention The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. Its organizers advertised it as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman". Held in the Wesleyan Chapel of the town of Seneca ...

and presided over the Women's Grand Temperance Demonstration in Metropolitan Hall.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton ( Cady; November 12, 1815 – October 26, 1902) was an American writer and activist who was a leader of the women's rights movement in the U.S. during the mid- to late-19th century. She was the main force behind the 1848 ...

later dedicated '' The History of Woman Suffrage'' (1881) to Folger. Fowler also frequently lectured to audiences, primarily women, on matters of hygiene and health. The ''

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' (from 1914: ''New York Tribune'') was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s ...

'' in 1855 described one of Fowler's lectures, to a

P.T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He w ...

-sponsored program on motherhood: : She was dressed in a very broadly striped silk, which was anything but a bloomer. Her hair was done up in a French twist with curls in front. Her face is pleasant, she has sunny blue eyes and a sweet mouth. She waved an elegantly embroidered handkerchief as she read her lecture. Quite a number of the little exhibited

abies Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

were present and contributed their full share to the festivities, at times almost drowning her voice, which is scarcely strong enough for a lecturer. The Fowlers moved to London in 1863, and Fowler became active in the

, as well as continuing her work practicing medicine and teaching women about health, education, and parenting. Fowler became ill in late 1878 and died on January 26, 1879. Fowler is buried on the eastern side of

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...

in London (Plot 23071).

Publications

Young adult audience

* ''Familiar Lessons on Physiology'' (1847, Fowler and Wells) * ''Familiar Lessons on Phrenology'' (1847, Fowler and Wells) * ''Familiar Lessons on Astronomy'' (1848)

Treatises and lectures on health

* ''The Pet of the Household and How to Save It: Twelve Lectures on Physiology'' (1865) (a childrearing manual comprising a dozen of Fowler's lectures on childcare) * ''Woman, Her Destiny and Maternal Relations; Or, Hints to the Single and Married'' (1864) (a feminist treatise) * ''How to talk – the Tongue and the Language of Nature'' (1864) * ''How to Preserve the Skin and Increase Personal Beauty'' (1864) * ''How, When, and Where to Sleep'' (186?) * ''The Brain and Nervous System: How to Secure their Healthy Action'' (186?) * ''The Eye and Ear, and How to Preserve Them'' (186?) * ''How to Secure a Healthy Spine and Vigorous Muscles'' (1864).

Fiction and poetry

* '' Nora: The Lost and Redeemed'' (1863 temperance novel) * ''Heart-Melodies'' (1870 book of poetry)

Remembrance

Grave of Lydia Fowler in Highgate Cemetery

Fowler is buried on the eastern side of

in London (Plot 23071). The first volume of ''

History of Woman Suffrage ''History of Woman Suffrage'' is a book that was produced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage and Ida Husted Harper. Published in six volumes from 1881 to 1922, it is a history of the women's suffrage movement, ...

'', published in 1881, states, “THESE VOLUMES ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED TO THE Memory of

Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft ( , ; 27 April 175910 September 1797) was an English writer and philosopher best known for her advocacy of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional ...

Frances Wright Frances Wright (September 6, 1795 – December 13, 1852), widely known as Fanny Wright, was a Scottish-born lecturer, writer, freethinker, feminist, utopian socialist, abolitionist, social reformer, and Epicurean philosopher, who became ...

Lucretia Mott Lucretia Mott (née Coffin; January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quakers, Quaker, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, women's rights activist, and social reformer. She had formed the idea of reforming the position ...

Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau (12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist.Hill, Michael R. (2002''Harriet Martineau: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives'' Routledge. She wrote from a sociological, holism, holistic, religious and ...

Lydia Maria Child Lydia Maria Child ( Francis; February 11, 1802October 20, 1880) was an American Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, women's rights activist, Native Americans in the United States, Native American rights activist, novelist, journalis ...

Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movemen ...

Sarah Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch, prophet, and major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pious woma ...

and

Angelina Grimké Angelina Emily Grimké Weld (February 20, 1805 – October 26, 1879) was an American abolitionist, political activist, women's rights advocate, and supporter of the women's suffrage movement. At one point she was the best known, or "most ...

, Josephine S. Griffing, Martha C. Wright, Harriot K. Hunt, M.D., Mariana W. Johnson,

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

and Phebe Carey, Ann Preston, M.D., Lydia Mott,

Eliza W. Farnham Eliza Wood Burns Farnham (November 17, 1815 – December 15, 1864) was a 19th-century American novelist, feminist, abolitionist, and activist for prison reform. Biography She was born in Rensselaerville, New York. She moved to Illinois in 1835, ...

, Lydia F. Fowler, M.D.,

Paulina Wright Davis Paulina Wright Davis ( Kellogg; August 7, 1813 – August 24, 1876) was an American abolitionist, suffragist, and educator. She was one of the founders of the New England Woman Suffrage Association. Early life Davis was born in Bloomfield, New ...

, Whose Earnest Lives and Fearless Words, in Demanding Political Rights for Women, have been, in the Preparation of these Pages, a Constant Inspiration TO The Editors”.