Mélanie Lipinska (1865–1933) was a Polish-French physician and historian of women in medicine. She held a laureate from the Académie de médecine de Paris. She was best known for her contributions as a historian of women physicians. She received recognition for her thesis "Histore des Femmes Medicins," which she submitted in 1900.
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Early life and education
Mélanie Lipinska was born in Warsaw, Poland. Lipinska was blind during her time of scientific contribution. Although she was born in Poland, she spent much of her adult life in France. She attended the University of Paris medical school. Her initial training as a physician was in Polish hospitals. Her later training was in Parisian hospitals. During Lipinska's training, she worked closely with Josephine Joteyko, a physician and physiologist, one of the first females to become a physician in Poland.
Scientific contributions
Lipinska wrote her thesis titled "Histore des Femmes Medicins" in 1900 to receive her doctorate in medicine. Her thesis included commentary on the medical writings of Saint Hildegarde. Saint Hildegarde's work was considered to cover most known diagnostic techniques available for physicians in her lifetime. Her techniques were holistic, based on ideas of spiritual healing effect on physical healing. Lipinska considered the writing of Abbes Hildegard to be the most notable of her time. Lipinska's largest contribution to the scientific community was her writings of women physicians, she is considered a historian of women doctors.
Lipinska later traveled to the United States on September 29. She arrived in New York, and traveled to California where she did research on the Blind, for the American Society of the Blind.
Scientific recognition
While at the University of Paris, Mélanie Lipinska received the Victor Hugo Award. The Victor Hugo award was given to the best quinquennial writing of the medical nature. The award was given for her thesis "Histore des Femmes Medicines" which can be translated to "History of Female Physicians from Ancient Times to the Present Day". With this award, she was given 100 francs.