Gertrude Marian Amalia Herzfeld (1 June 1890 – 12 May 1981) was an English surgeon, one of the first female surgeons to work in Scotland and the first woman paediatric surgeon.[1][2] The second female fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, and the first practicing female fellow, Herzfeld chaired the Edinburgh city branch of the British Medical Association from 1960 to 1962, and was National President of the Medical Women's Federation from 1948 to 1950.[1][3]
Herzfeld was born in Hampstead, London, in 1890; her parents were Jewish immigrants from Austria.[4] After being educated in London, she studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying in 1914 with an MB ChB degree.[5] She was to spend much of her professional career in Edinburgh. Herzfeld's early career was marked by her appointment as house surgeon to Sir Harold Stiles at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children and the Chalmers Hospital shortly after qualifying, making her the first woman to hold the post.[5]
Careeredit
Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children, where Herzfeld worked from 1920 to 1945
After the House Surgeon post at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Herzfeld left Edinburgh to become a surgeon attached to the RAMC Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot in 1917. From 1917 to 1919, she was senior house surgeon at Bolton Royal Infirmary, before returning to Edinburgh in 1920.[1][6] That year also saw Herzfeld take up several concurrent appointments. She became a consultant surgeon at the woman-run Bruntsfield Hospital for Women and Children, a position that she held until 1955.[6] She was appointed as the first female honorary assistant surgeon at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children, where she would serve until 1945 after becoming a full surgeon there in 1925.[5][6] 1920 was also the year that Herzfeld took her seat as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, the second woman to be admitted two months after Alice Mabel Headwards Hunter who did not take her seat[7][8][9] and the first female fellow to practise.[1][5]
Throughout her career, Herzfeld was also a surgeon to the Edinburgh Orthopaedic Clinic (1925–1955) and a lecturer on childhood surgery at the University of Edinburgh.[6] She helped found the Edinburgh School of Chiropody, where she was also a lecturer, and served as a medical advisor to the Edinburgh Cripple Aid Society and to the Trefoil School for Physically Handicapped Children.[1][5] Having joined the British Medical Association in 1915, Herzfeld became the chair of the Edinburgh city branch from 1960 to 1962. She also sat as the National President of the Medical Women's Federation from 1948 to 1950.[1] Her surgical career was marked by her contributions to the emerging field of paediatric surgery, which at the time encompassed plastic, orthopaedic, and abdominal procedures, as well as neonatal work.[5] She was a particularly welcome presence at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, where she was affectionately known by the nickname 'Gertie'.[4]
Outpatient surgeryedit
Early in her career, Herzfeld worked as house surgeon to Harold Stiles, who had developed the first modern treatment for infants with inguinal hernia in 1910. This procedure was one which Herzfeld was to become a great advocate for, and was to put her amongst a small group of surgeons who were at the forefront of outpatient surgery long before it became routine. Due to a lack of hospital beds, Stiles' procedure was frequently performed in the outpatient department, which also allowed infants to continue breastfeeding after the surgery. Due to the simplicity of the procedure it was performed quickly, and Herzfeld was said to have performed 6 such operations in 50 minutes.[2]
Death and legacyedit
Herzfeld died in May 1981, at the age of 91; her obituary in the British Medical Journal contained a tribute in which she was lauded as being "a large woman in heart [and] mind" who had "always longed to be a doctor":
"None of her housemen could forget her great figure bending over a tiny neonate, opening and semi-constructing a blind cystic duct, easing a pyloric stenosis, or, later, apposing two raw edges of a minute cleft palate. Her wards attracted patients with conditions that we had never seen as students. Before the days of chromosome determination, sex was mysteriously undefined in more children than we expected, and from all over Scotland they came for cosmetic repair and the difficult assessment of what course they were to follow. This was done by a great deal more than surgery: infinite thought, getting to know the child, the mother, the surroundings—a psychosomatic exercise in which Gertrude Herzfeld's warmth and wisdom combined with her skill."[6]
In recognition of Herzfeld's contributions to the history of women in medicine as well as to the fields of paediatric and gynaecological surgery, Edinburgh council has included 'Herzfeld' in its street name bank for future developments in the South Central area of the city.[10]
Referencesedit
^ abcdef"Great Scotswomen #44: Gertrude Marian Amalia Herzfeld". Scotsman.com. The Scotsman. 26 February 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
^ abRaffensperger, John (2012). Children's Surgery: A Worldwide History. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co. pp. 114–5. ISBN9780786490486. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
^"Past Presidents of MWF". medicalwomensfederation.org.uk. Medical Women's Federation. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
^ ab"Sick Kids hospital: At the forefront of child medicine for last 150 years". FifeToday.co.uk. FifeToday. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
^ abcdef"Gertrude Herzfeld FRCSEd: Album" (PDF). Library.rcsed.ac.uk. Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
^ abcde"Obituary: Gertrude M A Herzfeld, MB, ChB, FRCSEd". British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.). 282 (6279). British Medical Journal: 1882–1883. 1981. doi:10.1136/bmj.282.6279.1882. PMC1506452.
^(PDF). British Medical Journal. 29 September 1973. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2015.
^. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. October 2009. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015.
^"Street name bank - Herzfeld". Edinburgh.gov.uk. City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
External linksedit
William Oliphant Hutchison's oil portrait of Herzfeld, 1955, from the Royal College of Surgeons' collection
1996 David Foggie's sketch of Herzfeld, 1933, from the National Gallery of Scotland collection
April 13, 2024
gertrude, herzfeld, gertrude, marian, amalia, herzfeld, june, 1890, 1981, english, surgeon, first, female, surgeons, work, scotland, first, woman, paediatric, surgeon, second, female, fellow, royal, college, surgeons, edinburgh, first, practicing, female, fell. Gertrude Marian Amalia Herzfeld 1 June 1890 12 May 1981 was an English surgeon one of the first female surgeons to work in Scotland and the first woman paediatric surgeon 1 2 The second female fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and the first practicing female fellow Herzfeld chaired the Edinburgh city branch of the British Medical Association from 1960 to 1962 and was National President of the Medical Women s Federation from 1948 to 1950 1 3 Gertrude HerzfeldBorn1 June 1890Died12 May 1981 1981 05 12 aged 90 EducationUniversity of EdinburghKnown forPaediatric and Gynaecological Surgeon Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Outpatient surgery 3 Death and legacy 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editHerzfeld was born in Hampstead London in 1890 her parents were Jewish immigrants from Austria 4 After being educated in London she studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh qualifying in 1914 with an MB ChB degree 5 She was to spend much of her professional career in Edinburgh Herzfeld s early career was marked by her appointment as house surgeon to Sir Harold Stiles at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children and the Chalmers Hospital shortly after qualifying making her the first woman to hold the post 5 Career edit nbsp Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children where Herzfeld worked from 1920 to 1945After the House Surgeon post at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children Herzfeld left Edinburgh to become a surgeon attached to the RAMC Cambridge Hospital Aldershot in 1917 From 1917 to 1919 she was senior house surgeon at Bolton Royal Infirmary before returning to Edinburgh in 1920 1 6 That year also saw Herzfeld take up several concurrent appointments She became a consultant surgeon at the woman run Bruntsfield Hospital for Women and Children a position that she held until 1955 6 She was appointed as the first female honorary assistant surgeon at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children where she would serve until 1945 after becoming a full surgeon there in 1925 5 6 1920 was also the year that Herzfeld took her seat as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh the second woman to be admitted two months after Alice Mabel Headwards Hunter who did not take her seat 7 8 9 and the first female fellow to practise 1 5 Throughout her career Herzfeld was also a surgeon to the Edinburgh Orthopaedic Clinic 1925 1955 and a lecturer on childhood surgery at the University of Edinburgh 6 She helped found the Edinburgh School of Chiropody where she was also a lecturer and served as a medical advisor to the Edinburgh Cripple Aid Society and to the Trefoil School for Physically Handicapped Children 1 5 Having joined the British Medical Association in 1915 Herzfeld became the chair of the Edinburgh city branch from 1960 to 1962 She also sat as the National President of the Medical Women s Federation from 1948 to 1950 1 Her surgical career was marked by her contributions to the emerging field of paediatric surgery which at the time encompassed plastic orthopaedic and abdominal procedures as well as neonatal work 5 She was a particularly welcome presence at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children Edinburgh where she was affectionately known by the nickname Gertie 4 Outpatient surgery edit Early in her career Herzfeld worked as house surgeon to Harold Stiles who had developed the first modern treatment for infants with inguinal hernia in 1910 This procedure was one which Herzfeld was to become a great advocate for and was to put her amongst a small group of surgeons who were at the forefront of outpatient surgery long before it became routine Due to a lack of hospital beds Stiles procedure was frequently performed in the outpatient department which also allowed infants to continue breastfeeding after the surgery Due to the simplicity of the procedure it was performed quickly and Herzfeld was said to have performed 6 such operations in 50 minutes 2 Death and legacy editHerzfeld died in May 1981 at the age of 91 her obituary in the British Medical Journal contained a tribute in which she was lauded as being a large woman in heart and mind who had always longed to be a doctor None of her housemen could forget her great figure bending over a tiny neonate opening and semi constructing a blind cystic duct easing a pyloric stenosis or later apposing two raw edges of a minute cleft palate Her wards attracted patients with conditions that we had never seen as students Before the days of chromosome determination sex was mysteriously undefined in more children than we expected and from all over Scotland they came for cosmetic repair and the difficult assessment of what course they were to follow This was done by a great deal more than surgery infinite thought getting to know the child the mother the surroundings a psychosomatic exercise in which Gertrude Herzfeld s warmth and wisdom combined with her skill 6 In recognition of Herzfeld s contributions to the history of women in medicine as well as to the fields of paediatric and gynaecological surgery Edinburgh council has included Herzfeld in its street name bank for future developments in the South Central area of the city 10 References edit a b c d e f Great Scotswomen 44 Gertrude Marian Amalia Herzfeld Scotsman com The Scotsman 26 February 2007 Retrieved 17 February 2015 a b Raffensperger John 2012 Children s Surgery A Worldwide History Jefferson N C McFarland amp Co pp 114 5 ISBN 9780786490486 Retrieved 17 February 2015 Past Presidents of MWF medicalwomensfederation org uk Medical Women s Federation Retrieved 17 February 2015 a b Sick Kids hospital At the forefront of child medicine for last 150 years FifeToday co uk FifeToday 12 February 2010 Retrieved 17 February 2015 a b c d e f Gertrude Herzfeld FRCSEd Album PDF Library rcsed ac uk Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh Retrieved 17 February 2015 a b c d e Obituary Gertrude M A Herzfeld MB ChB FRCSEd British Medical Journal Clinical Research Ed 282 6279 British Medical Journal 1882 1883 1981 doi 10 1136 bmj 282 6279 1882 PMC 1506452 Obituary Notices Alice M H Hunter PDF British Medical Journal 29 September 1973 Archived from the original PDF on 20 June 2015 Surgeons Hall Edinburgh records THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH Regulations relating to the Joint Specialty Fellowship Examination in General Surgery FRCSEd Gen The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh October 2009 Archived from the original on 20 June 2015 Street name bank Herzfeld Edinburgh gov uk City of Edinburgh Council Retrieved 17 February 2015 External links editWilliam Oliphant Hutchison s oil portrait of Herzfeld 1955 from the Royal College of Surgeons collection 1996 David Foggie s sketch of Herzfeld 1933 from the National Gallery of Scotland collection Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gertrude Herzfeld amp oldid 1191431242, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
