Eliza Cook (physician)
Dr. Eliza Cook (February 5, 1856 – October 2, 1947) was Nevada's first state-licensed woman doctor.[1]
Eliza Cook | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 5, 1856 Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Died | October 2, 1947 (aged 91) Nevada |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Cooper Medical College |
| Occupation | Physician, Activist for women's suffrage |
| Known for | Nevada's first licensed woman doctor |
Early Life
Cook was born on February 5, 1856, in Salt Lake City, Utah to John and Margaretta Gratrix Cook. Her mother, Margaretta, left her father due to his stinginess and his belief in polygamy. In 1870, Eliza, her mother, and Eliza’s sister Rebecca moved to Sheridan, Nevada. Without a school to attend, Eliza was educated by her mother and whatever books she could find. One book, the title of which is unknown, was about home remedies and got her interested in medicine.[1]
Medical Career
A doctor, H. W. Smith, hired Cook to help nurse his wife when she had puerperal fever. Cook’s skills impressed him so much that he hired her as his assistant. This gave her access to his medical library, where she read everything she could.[1]
Cook received her Medical Degree in 1884 from Cooper Medical College in San Francisco, and her Nevada medical license in April 1899, the first year that they were issued by the state.
As a doctor, she performed surgeries, set broken limbs, and delivered many babies. She also worked as a pharmacist and wrote articles about health issues for magazines and medical journals.[2]
Women's Suffrage
Cook was a member of the American Woman Suffrage Association and the Women's Christian Temperance Union.[3] She served as Vice President of the Nevada Equal Suffrage Association.[4]
Never married, she resided in Mottsville, Carson Valley, and Douglas County. Cook died on October 2, 1947.[3]
References
- Cleere, Jan (2015). Nevada's Remarkable Women: Daughters, Wives, Sisters, and Mothers Who Shaped History. TwoDot. pp. 84–92. ISBN 9781493015849.
- Enss, Chris (2006). The Doctor Wore Petticoats: Women Physicians of the Old West. TwoDot. pp. xiii. ISBN 9780762751877.
- Jones, Cherry; Janet E. White. "Dr. Eliza Cook". Nevada Women's History Project. University of Nevada, Reno.
- Watson, Anita Ernst; Nevada Humanities Committee (June 2000). Into their own: Nevada women emerging into public life. University of Nevada Press. pp. 151–. ISBN 978-1-890591-06-9. OCLC 44879162.