Jean Dow

Dr. Jean Isabelle Dow (25 June 1870 – 16 January 1927) was a Canadian medical missionary, who was regarded as a pioneer in women's health care for her work as a member of, and one of the only women in, the Canadian Presbyterian Church Mission in the Honan (currently referred to as Henan) province of China. She played an important role in treating visceral leishmaniasis (kala azar) disease and in creating female specific hospitals where women could be treated as first-class citizens. Early life and education Dow was born in the town of Fergus in Ontario, Canada. She was the fifth of eight children. Her father, Peter Dow (married to Agnes Wilson), was the superintendent of his own school, named the Dow’s School. The family was progressive and valued education. They were members of the Melville Presbyterian Church in Fergus. Dow graduated from high school at the age of thirteen and went on to study at the Model School in Mount Forest to become a teacher. From 1885 to 1891, Dow taught at her father's school in Fergus. In 1891, no longer wanting to be a teacher, Dow enrolled in the University of Toronto’s Trinity College where she studied medicine. In 1895, she graduated from college as a licensed physician. Career and research