Sunday Favorites: Dr. Jennie Trout

Jennie (Jenny) Kidd Trout (1841 – 1921) was born in Scotland but immigrated to Ontario with her parents at age six. She excelled in school, and was accepted the Normal School for Upper Canada in Toronto at the age of 19. It was the only collage that taught women at the time. The Toronto Normal School educated future teachers and was known as the ”cradle of Ontario’s education system,“ according to an article ”From Cradle to Computer: A history of St. James Square, the birthplace of Ontario education.“

Upon graduation, Jennie began her first career teaching children. From 1861 – 1865 she taught public school. On 25 August 1865, she married businessman Edward Trout in Stratford. They settled in Toronto.

In 1867, Edward Trout founded a weekly financial journal called the Monetary Times, along with his brother, John Malcolm. The Trouts financially prospered. However, soon after marriage, Jennie began to suffer from nervous disorders. She became housebound and was at times immobile. She sought help from doctors and found some relief from her condition in the new field of electrotherapy. Jennie’s illness and treatment inspired her to pursue medicine as a career.

Jennie’s husband was her biggest supporter, encouraging her to pursue her dream. In 1869, Jennie moved in with another hopeful female physician Emily Stowe and her family. Together, they advocated to attend the Toronto School of Medicine, which was only open to men. Both Trout and Stowe were accepted to the school in 1871, making history as the first two women to attend the university. While they faced opposition by male colleagues, they passed their qualifying courses in 1872, according to the 2008 article ”Jennie Kid Trout“ by Katrine Raymond.

The next step in Jennie’s plight was medical school, but as a woman, she was not accepted to any schools in Canada so she moved to the U.S. to attend the Woman’s College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She wrote her thesis on the use of opium in medicine and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine Degree in 1875. She returned to Canada and passed the examinations of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ontario, becoming the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Canada. She remained the first licensed female doctor in Canada for five years until her friend Emily Stowe received her license in 1880, according to Raymond.

Jennie opened a practice in downtown Toronto with a fellow WCP classmate, Dr. Emily Amelia Tefft, of Philadelphia, which specialized in treatments for women, including electrotherapy. In addition, they offered a free dispensary for patients who didn’t have the means to afford treatment. In 1877, they expanded their practice, opening the Medical and Electro-Therapeutic Institution where they used electricity and galvanic baths. The clinic was located in six neighboring houses on Jarvis Street in Toronto.

Approximately 40 women per day would visit the establishment, setting in warm baths while mild electrical current was sent through their bodies. The process was used to treat a range of ailments including inflammation, arthritis and joint issues, according to the study ”A shocking business, the technology and practice of electrotherapeutics in Canada from the 1840s – 1940s.“

The Medical and Electro-Therapeutic Institute was so popular, Jennie and Emily opened two more branches in Hamilton and Brantford, employing an all-female staff. However, the business took a toll on Jennie’s health. In 1882, she retired as a physician at the age of 41, moving to Palma Sola, Bradenton.

Jennie routinely made trips from Florida to Canada as she remained an advocate for women’s education. In 1883, she offered a group of doctors $10,000 to put toward new medical school for women on the condition that women must make up the majority of the board of trustees. Her offer was denied, according to Raymond.

Jennie continued to be an advocate for the rest of her days, splitting her time between her Florida home and Christian missionary work overseas. She was also involved in the Temperance Movement, serving as the vice president of Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the vice president for the Association for the Advancement of Women.

In the early 1900s Jennie and her husband adopted their great niece and nephew who had become orphaned. In 1908 the family moved from Florida to Hollywood, Ca.

Jennie and her friends are historical icons (at one point her face was on a stamp)! It’s amazing that of all the places she could have lived in the world, she chose to live in Bradenton for part of her life. Next week, we’ll explore another woman who made history in celebration of Women’s History Month!