Sophia Jex-Blake and the Battle for Women Doctors

While studying medicine in Edinburgh, Sophia Jex-Blake became both the public face and the secret architect of the 1870s campaign for women doctors in Britain. As her opponents conspired to remove women students and halt the rise of “lady doctors,” Jex-Blake turned to the press, using anonymous journalism to shape public opinion. Drawing on the author’s recent archival discovery that Jex-Blake secretly worked as a paid journalist for the Scotsman newspaper throughout her campaign, this book offers the first comprehensive account of her previously unknown anonymous writing strategies. Jex-Blake encouraged readers to assume her articles were written by men, a belief that endured for over 150 years, and anonymously cited her own articles in signed publications to bolster her authority. Until now this history has been locked away in obscure newspapers, periodicals, and archives. This book brings that material to light, providing a new look at an important and often misunderstood character.