Doctor Was a Woman: Stories of the First Female Physicians on the Frontier

by Chris Enss

A New York Times Bestseller! "No women need apply." Western towns looking for a local doctor during the frontier era often concluded their advertisements in just that manner. Yet apply they did. And in small towns all over the West, highly trained women from medical colleges in the East took on the post of local doctor to great acclaim. In this new book, author Chris Enss offers a glimpse into the fascinating lives of fourteen of these amazing women. This edition includes 4 new chapters on pioneering female physicians.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medicine, Womens, Biography, Medical, American History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Cynda reads little. Welcomes prayers for health. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. Good Beginning Place to start dialogue about women medical practitioners in US West.
Women born in the 19th-century were expected to marry, to stay home, and to have babies. Not become to go west to practice medicine. While others wondered at them, the women practitioners headed west, often without men and sometimes with young children in tow. These women had a need to practice medicine and figured the best opportunities to do so were in the West where there were few men doctors to serve communities.
This is how histories and sociological studies begin. We start with small biographical sketches. We gather enough information and some themes and ideas and theories start to synthesize. So we are just at the gathering place in this collection published in 2006. I will look forward to more generalized commentary.
The only generalization of why these women were successful that I can come up with at this time based on only 11 bios: The professional women as all professionals benefit from community support. Here I have seen doctor husbands, church leaders, and Amerindian medicine men provide support, and one dad who ordered his daughter to chose "lawyer or doctor" degree.
I look forward to more short bios and eventual synthesis.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: The frontier of the wild West resisted attempts to tame it by adventurous pioneers who were hell-bent on making a life for themselves and their families on the open range. The terrain was rough and unyielding, not unlike its new inhabitants. Most of these inhabitants were as stubborn about accepting female doctors as the land was about accepting them.

Premise/plot: This is a nonfiction book sharing biographical sketches of twelve women doctors (ten doctors and two dentists, if you want to get specific). Chris Enss highlights these women: Bethenia Owens-Adair, Georgia Arbuckle Fix, Susan La Flesche Picotte, Susan Anderson, Nellie Mattie MacKnight, Patty Bartlett Sessions, Nellie Pooler Chapman, Lucy Hobbs Taylor, Mary Canaga Rowland, Ellis Reynolds Shipp, Franc Johnson Newcomb, and Flora Hayward Stanford.

My thoughts: I love, love, love this one. I found it fascinating--compelling. I loved how many chapters includes quotes from primary source materials. Readers often get the opportunity to learn about the lives of each individual in her own words. These quotes may be brief--sprinkled here and there throughout the sketch--but they are there. Also each chapter includes a photograph of the subject. It was just a joy to meet each of these women. Their stories are unique--these are not copy-cat cases. Each woman's journey was her own.

I bought this book at a charity shop in town. I probably picked it up because of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman if I'm being honest. But it was a million times better than any fictional story set in the "old West." It was so worth the $2 I spent on it.

[Alice Gallo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved to read the stories about pioneer women in medicine.

[Donna Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book opens with the story of Bethenia Owens-Adair, a northwest physician in 1872. To say that women were not well received in the medical profession at that time would be a gross understatement. Bethenia proved stronger than the resistance to her by male physicians.

A good example is of the time she was invited, as a prank, by six local male doctors to an autopsy of a dead man. She accepted the invitation, much to their surprise and dismay. Upon arrival, she was asked, “Do you know the autopsy is on the genital organs?”

“No,” she replied, “but one part of the human body should be as sacred to the physician as another.”

When one of the doctors objected to her presence, she reminded him that she was there by invitation, and said further, “I will leave it to a vote whether I go or stay; but first I would like to ask Doctor Palmer what is the difference between the attendance of a woman at a male autopsy and the attendance of a man at a female autopsy?”

She was allowed to stay, and furthermore, to perform the procedure.

Skipping back in time to the fall of 1861, Bethenia worked her way through high school. She wanted to go on to medical school against the wishes of her friends and family, and moved to Philadelphia where she graduated from medical school. Afterward, she opened a successful medical practice back in Portland, Oregon, but yearned for further education.

She attended the University of Michigan and received a second degree in medicine. Afterward, she and her son visited Europe for a time, and then settled in San Francisco. At some point she moved back to Portland where she married for the second time. Three years later she had a daughter who died within three days of her birth.

Bethenia threw herself into her medical practice until 1889 when she enrolled in a Chicago medical school seeking a post-graduate degree. When finished there, she returned to her husband and the teenage son they had adopted. Eventually she chose her profession over family life, bringing her marriage to an end in 1903.

She retired from medicine at age sixty-five and worked hard as a lobbyist for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. She remained a staunch social and political activist until 1926 when she died of natural causes at the age of eighty-six.

The stories of eleven more women are told in this book, all but one a gripping tale of challenges fighting for acceptance in a man’s profession. The exception is Patty Bartlett Sessions who received encouragement and support from the leaders of the Mormon Church who wholeheartedly approved of and encouraged her and other females to enter the medical profession.

The back of the book contains a section on frontier remedies good for a laugh or a gasp at what was believed to be helpful medicine in the 1800’s. Another section contains advertisements of women physicians and news articles about them. That section opens with a quote from Doctor Harriet Hunt, the first woman to practice medicine successfully in the United States in 1835. She said, “If I had had cholera, hydrophobia, smallpox, or any malignant disease, I could not have been more avoided than I was.”

[Jeannie Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I lover of Pioneer history, especially in terms of the women of the times, I found The Doctor Wore Petticoats a nice introductory to not only early medicine on the frontier, but to the bravery and fortitude a certain group of tenacious women showed in order to make their way in a man's world. Chris Enss details the lives of 12 different women who won against the odds and became qualified and sought after physicians in the Wild West. Accompanying these short vignettes are some wonderful black and white photos of each woman written about, and some interesting quotes taken from their own diaries and journals. At 125 pages this is just a short glimpse into the world of female doctors in the mid to late 1800s, and my only wish was that the book was a bit longer and offered more stories about each woman presented. Other than that I found this book very enjoyable and eye opening into a world most of us are unknown to.

[Teri Reck · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content of this book was excellent, but the writing was a little dry. Still a fascinating book about the lives of some women who were pioneers in the West while also being pioneers in their fields of medicine and dentistry. We like to think that we are the first at everything, but these women were making their marks in the 1800s. Some were divorced, some single parents, most had suffered tragedies in their personal lives that inspired them to practice healing. Some were Native American, both born and adopted, some were Mormon, some suffering from consumption, but all of them were students of the complexity of the human body and its response to disease. The freedoms allowed women in the West permitted them to practice medicine when it was highly frowned upon by most of society. Yet another reason to love the individualism of the West.

[Sue Ready · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Enns is a prolific writer who is passionate about sharing stories about daring women who moved West to embrace a non-traditional lifestyle. She has authored over 50 books, and her newest book, "The Doctor Was A Woman," is about the first female physicians on the frontier. It was a vocation frowned upon by men as well as women. As a result, these aspiring doctors often suffered discrimination and little acceptance. The book is written straightforwardly, profiling 10 women who defied all odds to become doctors and do extraordinary things during a time period where few women chose this career path, Each of the 10 vignettes or mini-biographies, in no particular chronological order, covers groundbreaking women, who received their training in schools out East to become qualified as doctors choosing to live frontier life despite many hardships. Many of these women shared common characteristics, one of which was determination with the relentless pursuit to become a female woman doctor in a male-oriented field. Some of these women had suffered personal tragedies in their lives that ultimately inspired them to practice healing in the rugged West, a place where their talents were needed. They exemplified bravery in struggling against prejudice and societal norms.

I enjoyed the inclusion of informative pieces on medical coverage that pertained to this time period at the end of each vignette. These informative pieces covered subjects such as how to treat tuberculosis, gunshot wounds, typhoid fever, and smallpox. Some of these doctors made groundbreaking strides in the areas of plastic surgery, dental care, and sterilization.

Enns's meticulous research was quite impressive. She used primary sources from original diaries, journals, newspaper and office records, and medical documents to create this book. An extensive bibliography can be found at the end of the book.

One profile that stood out to me was Dr. Sophie Herzog, a headstrong, spunky, and accomplished surgeon. She worked for the railroad for twenty years while maintaining a private practice in the Wild West town of Brazoria, Texas. She was an expert on the treatment of gunshot wounds. At the end of Dr.Herzog's biography, she wrote a description of her unusual technique for extracting a bullet from a gunshot wound by putting patients in a hanging position to remove the bullets from victims. Despite the unusual, it did make sense to me. Dr. Herzog proudly wore a necklace made from bullets she had extracted from gunfighters.

I enjoyed learning about these brave frontier doctors who were dedicated to the art of healing. This book was well-written and included a lot of interesting information.

[David Crawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Entertaining and Educational Read Featuring Pioneer Women Doctors ... This wonderful little book is a historical account of the lives of ten brave pioneer women physicians. Each account is a fascinating story, and together they fill gaps in the history of medicine during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of these doctors suffered terrible discrimination due simply to being female, but they all proved their worth as lives were saved by their knowledge, dedication, compassion, and expertise. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Dr. Sophie Herzog, a rather colorful character, who became an expert on the treatment of gunshot wounds in the wild west town of Brazoria, Texas, where she practiced and was also employed as the railroad doctor. Appended to the chapter about Dr. Herzog is an article she wrote describing her techniques for removing bullets from the victims. She invited fellow physicians to come for a visit to her clinic, saying “If you come to Brazoria, I will show you my seventeen men who are well and ready to shoot as well as to be shot (again) at any time.” The book is well written and is an entertaining and educational read. - David B. Crawley, M.D. – Author of “Steep Turn: A Physician's Journey From Clinic to Cockpit” and “A Mile of String: A Boy's Recollection of His Midwest Childhood.”

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Enss ,The Doctor Was a Woman Stories of the First Female Physicians on the Frontier, Globe Pequot, Two Dot, February 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Chris Enss’ commitment to giving women their place in history is apparent from the way in which she tells the stories of ten female doctors who made their way through the obstacles presented to them because they wanted to work in an area designated as male, the general difficulties associated with early medicine and their work on the frontier. It is gratifying that this book not only seeks to show the particular difficulties that women doctors faced but puts them in an historical context.

There are amazing stories of repairing the damage done in suicide attempts that failed – but left their instigators with the need for plastic surgery; the work that required not only education but particular skill – sometimes not apparent in the male doctors who were deemed more acceptable; and the range of work the women accomplished. Together with these stories are illuminating details of the medicines that were used, the way in which babies should be fed and then introduced to solid food; recipes for what now would be considered home cures – sometimes of a questionable nature, but part of the history of medical practice.

The endnotes are informative, and there is a good index. In addition, the text is liberally furnished with photographs of the marvellous women whose stories are a remarkable read.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The role of physician was considered that of a man for many, but that didn't stop women from taking up the title. Because of the suffering they witnessed and the desire to keep others from suffering in the same way, many women bravely faced the censure and derision of teachers, male colleagues, and even their neighbors to care for those in need. These are a few of their stories.

Having read two other books by this author, I was not surprised that this book starts with a familiar name: Bethenia Owens-Adair. She was a teacher and mail-order bride before she went on to become a doctor. I think this author could write an entire biography about this woman, and I would probably read it.

The prevailing theme I saw with most of these doctors was hat they did not compromise. Even when it came to their marriages, they put the needs of their career and patients ahead of everything. Few of them found a balance between work and home, and the amount of dissolved marriages made these stores a little sad for me.

Still, this was a small, enjoyable read. The twelve doctors it shares had interesting experiences from patching up gunfighters to tending members of the Navajo nation.

I would recommend this one to those interested in true stories and the fight women took to be doctors.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this short work was refreshing and empowering. I felt that reading about the individual stories of these frontier women physicians was just what I needed to get my dose of girl power to reboot my zest for being a strong, professional woman in the healing profession. I loved seeing how so many of these women fought, and fought HARD, to practice in their intended professions, showing up the men that often attempted to laugh them out of the OR. What was even more amazing is that these women often did not actively look to show up these men most of the time; in fact, they healed them with kindness (bad pun intended) and won them over through demonstration of superior skill. The sad part of these stories is the lack of cognition they have received in the annals of history. Chris Enss did a beautiful job in describing their individual stories; not only do I hope to read more of her works with their narrative style of storytelling, but also find more historians and authors willing to tell these true stories and do justice to the importance of the impact of these women in American history.

[Susan Kasza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited about this book, as I’m a woman physician in the no-longer-so-wild west. However, there were several things that disappointed me. First, not all of the women were actually doctors. Also, the vignettes on the women lacked detail. Finally, and I realize this is a criticism perhaps more of the publisher than the book itself, but it the margins were big and there was way too much space between lines. The same information could have been condensed into much less space and been easier to read. My mom loaned it to me, so my cost was 0, but I would have been disgusted to pay $15 for such little content.

[Bhavana · Rating 2 out of 5]

summary: stories of different women in the 1800s who became doctors

opinion: no this was actually on me for picking a book a expecting it to be about groundbreaking cases/ ceiling-shattering encounters of women. this was not that. this was like an elementary/middle school project book that looks at ordinary women who became doctors. for its genre and intent it is a fine book, but because i rate 75% based on enjoyability it gets a 2. a fast read, but incredibly boring, and very flat. of course women in the 1800s were barely becoming physicians, much less women of color, but its so hard to read a book thats only about white christian women.

[Lori Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating. Each of these women sacrificed so much to help others. Each chapter of the book focuses on one or two women who struggled against prejudice, society, and mother nature to provide care to people in the most rugged and difficult places in our country. All of these ladies were pioneers in their field. Their tragedies, triumphs and perseverance allowed modern women to more easily enter the field of medicine.

[Kysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book was good. I want to look some of the women up and dive deeper into their stories. Each story was concise enough to not bore but detailed enough to give a good picture of the woman’s life.

My only dislike was the way the narrator says Colorado in the audiobook but I know that’s personal preference.

[Bells Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice compilation of the stories of real life female doctors that worked on the frontier. Very well researched and I enjoyed the stories that were included. They were strong women that survived during a time when women weren’t supposed to be doctors. I listened to it and the narrator was good (I think the author).

[Suzann Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about the role women have played in medical history. The women were truly dedicated to their communities. They overcame many obstacles and hardships to train as doctors, and then to serve in the community. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history.

[Molly]

these stories, the ones that I read, were very interesting but over all it was not enough to keep my attention. Perhaps if I had this book lnger and read one every day or so then I might have been able to stick with it.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting book. After hearing Chris speak, which was a seriously entertaining history lesson, I bought this book. This lady knows how to make history come alive. Well done! I will be looking into reading more of her books.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, some of the stuff, if you Google it is directly quoted so not super original.
I own this book.

[India · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some interesting information about women doctors who settled the West. It is easy to read and could lead to further research if a person were so inclined.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories with no frills writing.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reads like a high schooler's report. didn't finish

[Anna Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, full of short stories about various women doctors in the old west. Can’t believe some of the treatments that were used before medicine came west!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Chris Enss. She gave a gives a great short bio on each of the women that were brave enough to be a physician in these old west towns.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough western women are tough.

[Elsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the short bios of women ahead of their time. I particularly appreciate these women’s challenges and determination.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun short read

[Stefani Hastings-Osowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read/listen. Great info about the women to helped shape medical history

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

True stories of various women who studied to become doctors and their struggles in the late 1880s and early 1900s.