Agnes McLaren
Encyclopedia
Agnes McLaren was a respected Scottish doctor who was the first to give medical assistance to women in India
who, because of custom, were unable to get medical help from male doctors.
, a Presbyterian businessman and politician, she entered the school of medicine at the University of Montpellier
in 1876, eventually becoming only the tenth woman in Britain to graduate as a doctor. By 1882, she was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
, and set up a practice in Cannes
around 1879.
, and went to India with a Catholic mission
, where she learned of the tremendous health needs of women in India. Because of India’s custom of seclusion for women (purdah
), they could not be seen by men other than their immediate family, a custom which meant they also could not receive medical care from male physicians. With so few women doctors in the early 1900s, literally thousands of women died in illness or in childbirth each year and many babies also died in infancy. McLaren responded to this problem by establishing the Medical Mission Committee in London
, which financed the opening of a small hospital, St. Catherine’s Hospital, in Rawalpindi
, a particularly needy area.
During her search for women who could help run the hospital, McLaren discovered that Catholic Canon Law
prohibited Religious Sisters from giving this level of medical care. She petitioned the Holy See
to lift the restriction and, while waiting for a response, continued looking for women interested in health care abroad. Anna Maria Dengel
, an Austrian, responded to McLaren’s request, but was never able to meet McLaren, who died shortly after their correspondence began. However, before her death, McLaren encouraged Dengel to study medicine at the Cork University, setting into motion Dengel’s becoming a physician and, years later, her starting a new religious congregation, the Medical Mission Sisters
. They are a Catholic congregation of Sisters who are trained as doctors and nurses and other forms of healthcare professionals, dedicated to providing healthcare to women and children around the world.
McLaren died in 1913 and was buried in Antibes
, France.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
who, because of custom, were unable to get medical help from male doctors.
Background
McLaren was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. The daughter of Duncan McLarenDuncan McLaren
Duncan McLaren was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament for Edinburgh.Born in Renton, Scotland, Duncan McLaren was the youngest of ten children of John McLaren and Catherine McLellan. Apart from two years of schooling, was self taught. After school, he was apprenticed to a merchant in Dunbar...
, a Presbyterian businessman and politician, she entered the school of medicine at the University of Montpellier
University of Montpellier
The University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
in 1876, eventually becoming only the tenth woman in Britain to graduate as a doctor. By 1882, she was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland , was founded in 1654 and is a postgraduate medical organisation comprising Members and Fellows...
, and set up a practice in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
around 1879.
India
In 1899 she converted to the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, and went to India with a Catholic mission
Catholic missions
As the church normally organizes itself along territorial lines, and because they had the human and material resources, religious orders—some even specializing in it—undertook most missionary work, especially in the early phases...
, where she learned of the tremendous health needs of women in India. Because of India’s custom of seclusion for women (purdah
Purdah
Purdah or pardeh is the practice of concealing women from men. According to one definition:This takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes, and the requirement for women to cover their bodies and conceal their form....
), they could not be seen by men other than their immediate family, a custom which meant they also could not receive medical care from male physicians. With so few women doctors in the early 1900s, literally thousands of women died in illness or in childbirth each year and many babies also died in infancy. McLaren responded to this problem by establishing the Medical Mission Committee in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which financed the opening of a small hospital, St. Catherine’s Hospital, in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, a particularly needy area.
During her search for women who could help run the hospital, McLaren discovered that Catholic Canon Law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
prohibited Religious Sisters from giving this level of medical care. She petitioned the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
to lift the restriction and, while waiting for a response, continued looking for women interested in health care abroad. Anna Maria Dengel
Anna Maria Dengel
Mother Anna Maria Dengel, S.C.M.M., was an Austrian physician, Religious Sister and missionary. She was the founder of the Medical Mission Sisters, which was among the first congregations of Religious Sisters authorized by the Roman Catholic Church to provide full medical care to the poor and...
, an Austrian, responded to McLaren’s request, but was never able to meet McLaren, who died shortly after their correspondence began. However, before her death, McLaren encouraged Dengel to study medicine at the Cork University, setting into motion Dengel’s becoming a physician and, years later, her starting a new religious congregation, the Medical Mission Sisters
Medical Mission Sisters
The Medical Mission Sisters are a religious congregation of women in the Roman Catholic Church founded in 1925 and dedicated to providing the poor of the world better access to health care. They were formerly officially known as the "Society of the Catholic Medical Missions".-History:The...
. They are a Catholic congregation of Sisters who are trained as doctors and nurses and other forms of healthcare professionals, dedicated to providing healthcare to women and children around the world.
McLaren died in 1913 and was buried in Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
, France.