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Women physicians participate in professional dialogue when they publish their research. Discover a selection of books and articles from the NLM Digital Collections about both their scientific research and their experiences in a male-dominated field.
The Question of Rest for Women During Menstruation, Mary Putnam Jacobi, 1877
In 1876, Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi (1842–1906) wrote The Question of Rest for Women During Menstruation. The essay won the prestigious Boylston Prize at Harvard University. In this influential paper she refuted the supposed physical limitations of women, in response to Dr. Edward H. Clarke’s publication Sex in Education; or, A Fair Chance for the Girls (1873), which questioned the expanded role of women in society and the professions. Dr. Jacobi provided tables, statistics, and sphygmographic tracings of pulse rate, force, and variations to illustrate the stability of a woman’s health, strength, and agility throughout her monthly cycle. Jacobi’s paper and example proved the accuracy of her position.
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