Frances Charlotte Naish

Frances Charlotte Naish (17 January 1908 - 24 March 1959) was a British General practitioner who pioneered aspects of infant health research.[1][2]

Frances Charlotte Naish
Born(1908-01-17)17 January 1908
Died24 March 1959(1959-03-24) (aged 51)
Newcastle, England
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)GP
Infant health researcher
EmployerRoyal Free Hospital

Biography

Naish was born in Sheffield. Her parents were both medics: her mother Dr. Lucy Naish was a lecturer in osteology and her father, A.E. Naish was Professor of medicine, both at the University of Sheffield. Like her parents, she was a practising Quaker her whole life.[2]

She was educated at Sheffield High School, Girton College, Cambridge, and the Royal Free Hospital. She worked as the house-surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital, and then house-physician at the Devon and East Cornwall Hospital before returning to the Royal Free as an obstetrician. She started her own general practice in Islington in 1936. During the Second World War she worked in South Wales, Leicestershire and, eventually, York.[2]

Her primary research interest was in infant health. Her 1947 book Breast feeding : a guide to the natural feeding of infants was awarded the Sir Charles Hastings Clinical Essay Prize for 'the promotion of systematic observation, research and record in general practice'.[3] In 1948 she held weekly clinics at her surgery for mothers and babies only, combining the idea of preventative and curative medicine in infants - she described this clinic as her "experiment in family practice".[2]

From 1954 to 1957 she was a member of the first council of the College of General Practitioners. While in York she a member of several local medical committees and acted as chairperson of the advisory panel on child health to the Leeds Regional Hospital Board.[2]

In 1954 Naish retired from general practice and opened, with her husband, a special school for children.

Naish was second driver and mechanic to Dr. Janet Vaughan during their winning attempt at the 1932 Monte Carlo Rally Ladies' Cup. They won the race in spite of losing an hour’s time when they stopped to attend to the victims of a road accident.[4]

Select publications
  • Naish, F. C. 1947. Breast feeding : a guide to the natural feeding of infants.
  • Naish, F. C. 1949. "Morbidity and feeding in infancy", The Lancet 256, 146.
  • Craig, W.G., Naish, F.C., Buchanan, M.F.G. 1950. "Instruction of the Medical Student in Pediatrics: An Insight Into Family Practice", Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 25 (2), 117-121.
  • Naish, F.C. 1953. "Breast-feeing difficulties", British Medical Journal" 4825, 1442-1444.
  • Naish, F.C. and Weston Edwards, P. 1952. "Initial Weight-Loss: A Preliminary Enquiry", Archives of Diseases in Childhood 27, 445-448.
  • Naish, F.C. 1954. "An experiment in family practice within the National Health Service", The Lancet 266, 1342-1343.

References
  1. "Frances Charlotte Naish, Pioneering medic". HerStory.York. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  2. "OBITUARY: F. CHARLOTTE NAISH. M.D.". British Medical Journal (5127): 977–978. 11 April 1959.
  3. "Reviews:Breast Feeding. By F. CHARLOTTE NAISH, B.A.,M.B., B.Ch. (Cantab.). 1948. London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford University Press. Pp. 151. (Price lOs. 6d.)". Archives of Disease in Childhood (23): 212. 1 September 1948.
  4. Carol Dyhouse (1998). "Driving ambitions: women in pursuit of a medical education, 1890-1939". Women's History Review. 7 (3): 321–343. doi:10.1080/09612029800200176.
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