A Book of Medical Discourses

book by Crumpler

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July 23, 2026

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A Book of Medical Discourses was written by Rebecca Lee Crumpler and published in 1883. Crumpler was the first Black woman to become a medical doctor in the United States and one of the first African Americans to write a medical book. Her work was specifically aimed at women and the care of their children, focusing on illnesses affecting poor women and children. Crumpler's achievements were extraordinary, especially considering that most medical schools did not admit African Americans, and fewer than 300 doctors in the U.S. were women at the time.1

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Rebecca Lee Crumpler
She published A Book of Medical Discourses in 1883. At a time when most medical schools did not admit African Americans, and fewer than 300 doctors among the 54,500 in the United States were women, Crumpler’s achievements were extraordinary.
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She published A Book of Medical Discourses in 1883. At a time when most medical schools did not admit African Americans, and fewer than 300 doctors among the 54,500 in the United States were women, Crumpler’s achievements were extraordinary.
Read More