Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 188
•
Trim: 8¾ x 11⅜
978-1-4422-4741-3 • Hardback • March 2015 • $166.00 • (£129.00)
978-1-4422-4742-0 • eBook • March 2015 • $157.50 • (£121.00)
Mary R.S. Creese is a former research chemist and has written numerous publications about the history of women scientists. She is the author of Ladies in the Laboratory: American and British Women in Science, 1800-1900 (Scarecrow, 1998), Ladies in the Laboratory II: West European Women in Science, 1800-1900 (Scarecrow, 2003), and Ladies in the Laboratory III: South African, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian Women in Science (Scarecrow, 2010).
List of Figures
Periodical Abbreviations
Introduction
Acknowledgments
1. Russia’s Early Medical Women
2. Opening Laboratory Doors: Chemists and Biochemists
3. Life Sciences: Botanists, Zoologists, and Entomologists
4. Mathematicians and Astronomers
5. Earth Sciences and Other Explorers in Prehistory
6. Contributors from Imperial Russia’s Western Lands: Polish Women
Appendix: Supplemental Biographies and Further Notes
Bibliography of Papers by Women of Imperial Russia in Scientific Periodicals, 1800–1900
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Author and Contributor
This well-documented book, the fourth in a series describing the life and scientific accomplishments of 19th-century women, focuses on Russia. A former research chemist, Creese describes how women used science to advance themselves as independent thinkers. The interesting stories in the book show the variety of paths taken to achieve mastery of science. Politics in 19th-century Imperial Russia were different from politics in Europe or America, and this was reflected in the societal position of women. For some, science was seen as a means to advance gender equality using nihilist, communist ideals; others were born to Russian parents but had European family ties that influenced their scientific pursuits. Creese notes that at the end of the 19th century, over 50 percent of scientific articles published by Russian women were in medicine, followed by chemistry. Medical studies were carried out mainly in Switzerland, and many women on their return to Russia cared for the poor, women, and children in rural areas. However, some remained in Europe or immigrated to the United States, where they promoted women’s higher medical education. All in all, this book provides readers with a good blend of life stories and quantitative information. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals and practitioners.
— Choice Reviews