Arabella Kenealy (11 April 1859 – 18 November 1938) was a British writer, physician, anti-feminist and eugenicist. Kenealy became active in the fight against early feminism, coining the term "feminism is Masculism."[1] As a scientist, she believed sex differences were vital to the continuation of the species and that feminism would lead to abolition of sex differences and dangerous competition between men and women harmful to both women and the long-term viability of the species, an argument she advanced in her book Feminism and Sex-Extinction.[2]
Kenealy was born in Portslade in 1859. She was the second of the eleven children of Elizabeth and Edward Kenealy.[3] Her siblings included Alexander who became the editor of the Daily Mirror and her sister Annesley who was also a writer.[4] Her father became a notorious Queen's Counsel barrister after his unusual behaviour in the Tichborne Case.[3] She became a doctor at the London School of Medicine for Women after a home education. Kenealy started to practise medicine in 1888 but diphtheria obliged her to give up medicine in 1894.[5]
In 1893 she wrote Dr Janet of Harley Street[6] which was successful. Its lead character is a female physician who adopts a younger woman who is escaping from an unhappy marriage.[3] During 1896-1897 Kenealy wrote a series of stories about Lord Syfret. Syfret was an aristocrat who becomes involved in horrifying, and sometimes supernatural, situations.[7] One of the Syfret tales was a short Gothic story called "A Beautiful Vampire".[8][9]
Arabella Kenealy in Punch magazine on 21 November 1891
1895 saw her letter to the British Medical Journal published. In the letter she reported that she had refused treatment to a pregnant woman with syphilis after seeing that she already had a child with congenital syphilis. Kenealy, like other doctors, found the effects of syphilis troubling. This was the first account of a woman doctor advising on the treatment of a sexually transmitted disease. Kenealy was a eugenicist and she asks BMJ readers to advise on whether failing to assist the "birth of such a child as laid its dull misshapen head against my knee that morning" was a good course of action.[10] Her question drew mixed responses and some medical men attacked her approach.
Her book Feminism and Sex Extinction (1920) focused on what she perceived as the harmful effects of the women's rights movement.
Kenealy was intrigued by the effect that the Earth's rotation might have on evolution. Her 1934 book explained "the phenomenon of sex: its origin and development and its significance in the evolutionary process."[11] She believed that people from the northern hemisphere were more male. Moreover, she wrote that every part of the cosmos had male and female aspects; this included people who had more maleness on the right side of their bodies.[12] Women were told to take exercise but they were warned that too much exercise could make women's bodies to lose their natural abilities to be the "mother of men".[13]
Men were also criticised by Kenealy for spending too much time dancing. She considered that they should spend more time thinking about marriage. This view was parodied in the magazine Punch.[14][15]
Kenealy was one of the people chosen by Martin Gardner in his book Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science.[12]
Selected publicationsedit
Woman and the Shadow: A Novel (1898)
The Failure of Vivisection and the Future of Medical Research (1909)
The Whips of Time (1909)
Feminism and Sex-Extinction (1920)
Referencesedit
^Kenealy, Arabella (2019). Feminism and Sex-Extinction. Good Press. p. 7.
^Kenealy, Arabella (2019). Feminism and Sex-Extinction. Good Press.
^ abcAngelique Richardson, 'Kenealy, Arabella Madonna (1859–1938)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2015 accessed 15 April 2017
^Arabella Kenally, Goodreads, Retrieved 15 April 2017
^ abArabella Kenealy 6 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Nipissingu.ca, Retrieved 15 April 2017
^Kenealy, Arabella (1894). Dr Janet of Harley Street (2nd ed.). London: Digby, Long & Co.
^Paul Green (2019). Encyclopedia of Weird Detectives. McFarland. p. 106. ISBN9781476678009.
^Swenson, Kristine (1 March 2003). "The menopausal vampire: arabella kenealy and the boundaries of true womanhood". Women's Writing. 10 (1): 27–46. doi:10.1080/09699080300200257. ISSN 0969-9082.
^Tomaiuolo, Saverio (2010). In Lady Audley's Shadow: Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Victorian Literary Genres. Edinburgh University Press. p. 207. ISBN9780748686940.
^Meehan, Dr Ciara (1 September 2014). "'Such mental suffering and such misery': Reproductive complications resulting from syphilis and gonorrhoea, 1880-1914". Perceptions of Pregnancy. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
^Kenealy, Arabella (1 January 1934). The human gyroscope: a consideration of the gyroscopic rotation of earth as mechanism of the evolution of terrestrial living forms: explaining the phenomenon of sex: its origin and development and its significance in the evolutionary process. J. Bale, Sons & Danielsson, ltd.
^ abMartin Gardner (4 May 2012). Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science. Courier Corporation. pp. 243–. ISBN978-0-486-13162-7.
^Kathleen McCrone (24 April 2014). Sport and the Physical Emancipation of English Women (RLE Sports Studies): 1870-1914. Routledge. p. 259. ISBN978-1-317-67964-6.
^Punch, or The London Charivari, 21 November 1891, Punch, volume 101, Retrieved 15 April 2017
^Kenealy, Arabella (1891). "A New View of the Surplus of Women". The Westminster Review. 136: 465–475.
^Heilmann, Ann. (2004). Anti-Feminism in the Victorian Novel. Thoemmes Continuum. p. 19. ISBN978-1843710127
External linksedit
Media related to Arabella Kenealy at Wikimedia Commons
arabella, kenealy, april, 1859, november, 1938, british, writer, physician, anti, feminist, eugenicist, kenealy, became, active, fight, against, early, feminism, coining, term, feminism, masculism, scientist, believed, differences, were, vital, continuation, s. Arabella Kenealy 11 April 1859 18 November 1938 was a British writer physician anti feminist and eugenicist Kenealy became active in the fight against early feminism coining the term feminism is Masculism 1 As a scientist she believed sex differences were vital to the continuation of the species and that feminism would lead to abolition of sex differences and dangerous competition between men and women harmful to both women and the long term viability of the species an argument she advanced in her book Feminism and Sex Extinction 2 Arabella KenealyDr KenealyBorn11 April 1859PortsladeDied18 November 1938 1938 11 19 aged 79 MaryleboneNationalityBritishSubjectrace improvement Contents 1 Life 2 Death and legacy 3 Selected publications 4 References 5 External linksLife editKenealy was born in Portslade in 1859 She was the second of the eleven children of Elizabeth and Edward Kenealy 3 Her siblings included Alexander who became the editor of the Daily Mirror and her sister Annesley who was also a writer 4 Her father became a notorious Queen s Counsel barrister after his unusual behaviour in the Tichborne Case 3 She became a doctor at the London School of Medicine for Women after a home education Kenealy started to practise medicine in 1888 but diphtheria obliged her to give up medicine in 1894 5 In 1893 she wrote Dr Janet of Harley Street 6 which was successful Its lead character is a female physician who adopts a younger woman who is escaping from an unhappy marriage 3 During 1896 1897 Kenealy wrote a series of stories about Lord Syfret Syfret was an aristocrat who becomes involved in horrifying and sometimes supernatural situations 7 One of the Syfret tales was a short Gothic story called A Beautiful Vampire 8 9 nbsp Arabella Kenealy in Punch magazine on 21 November 18911895 saw her letter to the British Medical Journal published In the letter she reported that she had refused treatment to a pregnant woman with syphilis after seeing that she already had a child with congenital syphilis Kenealy like other doctors found the effects of syphilis troubling This was the first account of a woman doctor advising on the treatment of a sexually transmitted disease Kenealy was a eugenicist and she asks BMJ readers to advise on whether failing to assist the birth of such a child as laid its dull misshapen head against my knee that morning was a good course of action 10 Her question drew mixed responses and some medical men attacked her approach Her book Feminism and Sex Extinction 1920 focused on what she perceived as the harmful effects of the women s rights movement Kenealy was intrigued by the effect that the Earth s rotation might have on evolution Her 1934 book explained the phenomenon of sex its origin and development and its significance in the evolutionary process 11 She believed that people from the northern hemisphere were more male Moreover she wrote that every part of the cosmos had male and female aspects this included people who had more maleness on the right side of their bodies 12 Women were told to take exercise but they were warned that too much exercise could make women s bodies to lose their natural abilities to be the mother of men 13 Men were also criticised by Kenealy for spending too much time dancing She considered that they should spend more time thinking about marriage This view was parodied in the magazine Punch 14 15 Kenealy was an anti vivisectionist 16 Death and legacy editShe died in Marylebone in 1938 and was buried at St Helen s Church Hangleton 5 Kenealy was one of the people chosen by Martin Gardner in his book Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science 12 Selected publications editWoman and the Shadow A Novel 1898 The Failure of Vivisection and the Future of Medical Research 1909 The Whips of Time 1909 Feminism and Sex Extinction 1920 References edit Kenealy Arabella 2019 Feminism and Sex Extinction Good Press p 7 Kenealy Arabella 2019 Feminism and Sex Extinction Good Press a b c Angelique Richardson Kenealy Arabella Madonna 1859 1938 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 online edn May 2015 accessed 15 April 2017 Arabella Kenally Goodreads Retrieved 15 April 2017 a b Arabella Kenealy Archived 6 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Nipissingu ca Retrieved 15 April 2017 Kenealy Arabella 1894 Dr Janet of Harley Street 2nd ed London Digby Long amp Co Paul Green 2019 Encyclopedia of Weird Detectives McFarland p 106 ISBN 9781476678009 Swenson Kristine 1 March 2003 The menopausal vampire arabella kenealy and the boundaries of true womanhood Women s Writing 10 1 27 46 doi 10 1080 09699080300200257 ISSN 0969 9082 Tomaiuolo Saverio 2010 In Lady Audley s Shadow Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Victorian Literary Genres Edinburgh University Press p 207 ISBN 9780748686940 Meehan Dr Ciara 1 September 2014 Such mental suffering and such misery Reproductive complications resulting from syphilis and gonorrhoea 1880 1914 Perceptions of Pregnancy Retrieved 17 April 2017 Kenealy Arabella 1 January 1934 The human gyroscope a consideration of the gyroscopic rotation of earth as mechanism of the evolution of terrestrial living forms explaining the phenomenon of sex its origin and development and its significance in the evolutionary process J Bale Sons amp Danielsson ltd a b Martin Gardner 4 May 2012 Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science Courier Corporation pp 243 ISBN 978 0 486 13162 7 Kathleen McCrone 24 April 2014 Sport and the Physical Emancipation of English Women RLE Sports Studies 1870 1914 Routledge p 259 ISBN 978 1 317 67964 6 Punch or The London Charivari 21 November 1891 Punch volume 101 Retrieved 15 April 2017 Kenealy Arabella 1891 A New View of the Surplus of Women The Westminster Review 136 465 475 Heilmann Ann 2004 Anti Feminism in the Victorian Novel Thoemmes Continuum p 19 ISBN 978 1843710127External links edit nbsp Media related to Arabella Kenealy at Wikimedia Commons Works by Arabella Kenealy at Project Gutenberg Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arabella Kenealy amp oldid 1193367453, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
