Nora Wattie

Nora Wattie (1900–1994) OBE MBChB (Aberdeen), DPH (Cambs) was a pioneer of social medicine setting up Glasgow’s internationally renowned ante-natal care service (both before and after the creation of the NHS).

Nora Wattie

OBE
Born1900
Died1994
EducationMBChB (Aberdeen); PTH (Cambs)
OccupationVeneral Diseases Officer then Principal Medical Officer (Maternity and Child Welfare) Glasgow
Known forimproving maternity and child health in Glasgow slums

Throughout her career, Dr. Wattie was modernising and innovating; initially treating the suffering of women and their babies who were infected with sexually transmitted diseases by husbands returning home after the Second World War,[1] later eliminating diphtheria through a city-wide chain of clinics.[2] [3] For thirty years, Wattie worked on improving women's and children's physical and mental health in the slums of Glasgow, influencing the medical profession and advising government.[3] After her retirement, Dr Wattie offered health education to future parents at schools and colleges.[4] In 1964, Dr. Wattie was awarded the Order of the British Empire for services to public health,[5] and declared Scotswoman of the Year by the Glasgow Evening Times.[2]

Early life and education

Born Nora Isabel Wattie on 30 May 1899 at 12 Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh,[6] she was one of the four daughters of Catherine Carne Wattie née Diack and James Macpherson Wattie (1862–1943), an H.M.Inspector of Schools, member of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society and previously a lecturer in English. [7]

Wattie herself attended Aberdeen Girls High School, and in 1916 attained her School Leaving Certificates.[8] She went on to study medicine at Aberdeen University, graduating MBChB on 14 July 1921.[9] Wattie went on to qualify in Public Health at Cambridge University in 1923.[10]

Wattie and her sisters ( Mary, Katherine and Patricia) established the Wattie Prize in Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Aberdeen in honour of their father on his death in 1943:

... to commemorate the name of James Macpherson Wattie, their father, the prize is awarded annually to the best candidate in English Language in the English Honours examination, provided that his or her work shows distinction.[7]

Career

Wattie's first senior role was as Venereal Diseases Officer in Glasgow from 1929.[10] Wattie's approach was to encourage contact tracing and volunteering for treatment, rather than the prevailing more judgemental view taken about those suffering from sexually transmitted diseases,[11] and published her own research on improving sex education and maternity care.[12] Wattie put her proposals out to non-medical forums as well; for example, addressing 700 delegates of the National Council of Women in Portsmouth in 1930 about the substantial Seamen's Welfare Agencies supported in Glasgow; the Council passed a resolution 'for improved medical and recreational facilities for the welfare of seamen'.[13]

Wattie went on to develop her primary interest in improving the health of women and children in the poorest slums of Glasgow, and, in 1934, she was appointed Principal Medical Officer (Maternity and Child Welfare).[14] The conditions of poverty and poor hygiene made it difficult to eradicate infections, but Dr. Wattie and her assistant, Dr. Margaret Barron (who later succeeded her), convinced the Glasgow City Corporation [15] to invest in clinics and health education; thus improving maternal care and the take-up of immunisation, which together effectively eliminated diphtheria in the city within a few years.[2]

Wattie supported Mary Barbour in setting up, in 1926, the Women's Welfare and Advisory Clinic, i.e. the first family planning clinic for married women, staffed by women (nurses and doctors), and also backed Barbour's campaigning for people affected by tuberculosis.[16] Wattie spoke about social and public health steps in preventing such a deadly disease e.g. in 1939 at the Conference of National Girls' Clubs;[17] even back in 1913 Wattie led on tuberculosis risks at a public meeting in Motherwell, sponsored by the Scottish Council for Health Education.[18]

In 1936, Dr Wattie spoke to the Glasgow District Nursing Association on the danger of the common cold and that ' children brought up in overcrowded dwellings, and unsuitably fed and clothed, were especially liable to catarrhal infections.[19] In 1941, Wattie was advocating school feeding in a paper 'The Child Under War Conditions' saying the supply of a balanced meal to make up deficiencies in a child's home diet should continue:

"Was it too much to hope that within the near future such schemes would be universal and apply to all children?"[20]

Dr. Wattie also spoke out in disagreement with complaints from rural families that dirty and uneducated evacuated children from Glasgow were from 'inefficient mothers' or due to the inadequate management of the evacuation programme, arguing instead for the eradication of city slums 'Today the special need is for active service to improve the conditions of the children living in the 'black spots' '.[21]

Wattie had introduced maternity home helps (known as the Green Ladies, from the colour of their uniform) who supported new mothers and also established temporary accommodation in children's homes if mothers required hospitalisation (e.g. for the birth of subsequent children), all of which was intended to improve the 'psychology of the pre-school child and of the conditions favourable to health mental growth' as described in a speech Wattie made to the Public Health Section of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow.[22]

Dr. Wattie was co-opted as being 'eminently qualified' [23] to participate in the British Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality, reporting to the House of Commons in February 1944 on how to reduce infant deaths and on plans for health improvement.[24]

In the Scottish Council for Health Education summer school at St. Andrews' University in 1945, Dr. Wattie was advocating that teachers should be trained in hygiene[25] and that 'every school should have at least hot & cold water and indoor lavatories' and noting that

"If every child could be trained to wash its hands after using the toilet and before meals it would revolutionise the health of the country."[26]

Dr. Wattie also spoke out on behalf of providing adequate facilities in schools for girls in puberty,[27] researching in 1949 the lack of availability of period products (sanitary towels), changing facilities and safe disposal in 53 schools, for the Menstrual Hygiene Subcommittee of the Medical Women's Federation.[28] It was not until 24 November 2020, that the Scottish Parliament (after four years of debates) unanimously passed The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act making it a statutory duty on local authorities,[29] and becoming the first country in the world to provide free facilities for menstruation.[30] In 1956 the local press reported Dr. Wattie's Presidential Address to the Montrose conference of the Royal Sanitary Association of Scotland, summing up the need for collaboration in changing times:

"The whole history of the child welfare movement has shown the enormous benefits we have reaped from the partnership of health and education working towards the creation of happy, healthy childhood and happy family life."[31]

In 1956-59, Wattie served on the Maternity Services in Scotland Committee advising on the NHS requirements and improving administration for ante-natal services and links to General Practices.[32] [33] In 1961-2, Wattie was elected President of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, as the second woman to hold the post, and first Scottish woman elected.[34]

Nora Wattie offers chair of health board some cod liver oil 1990

In her retirement, Wattie developed heath education for schools and colleges for the 'mothers and fathers of the future'.[4] In 1990, at Greater Glasgow Health Board's exhibition to mark the City of Culture, (entitled Cod Liver Oil and Orange Juice and featuring 'graphic displays of medical advances'), its guest of honour, Dr. Nora Wattie, offered a spoonful of cod liver oil to the Board’s chair Sir Thomas Thomson.[35]

Nora Wattie died on 14 July 1994.[3]

References
  1. Forgan, Robert. "History of the Medical Society for the Study of V.D. Scottish Branch of the MSSVD". Brit J. Vener. Dis. (1961) 37, 2: 15.
  2. "Meet the unsung health pioneer whose work helped wipe out deadly infection in Glasgow". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  3. Mackie, Elizabeth M; Scott Wilson, T. (12 November 1994). "Obituary N.I.Wattie". British Medical Journal. 309: 1297.
  4. Glasgow (Scotland) n 81039926 (1964). [Report 1963]. Wellcome Library.
  5. "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE" (PDF). London Gazette: 4951. 13 June 1964.
  6. "WATTIE, NORA ISABEL (Statutory Register of Births 685/2/ 672". National Records of Scotland. 1899. p. 224. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  7. "James Wattie - Biography". Maths History. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  8. "School Leaving Certificate Exams". Genealogy and Family History in Scotland. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  9. Group, British Medical Journal Publishing (1921-07-30). "The Services". Br Med J. 2 (3161): 175. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.3161.175. ISSN 0007-1447. S2CID 220176637.
  10. "The Society of Public Health 1957–1997 - PDF Free Download". coek.info. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  11. Davidson, Roger (2000). Dangerous Liaisons: A Social History of Venereal Disease in Twentieth-century Scotland. Clio Medica (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 57. Rodopi. pp. i–vii, 1–383. ISBN 978-90-420-0628-7. PMID 11027064.
  12. Wattie, Nora I. (1 June 1944). "Prevention of Congenital Syphilis" (PDF). British Journal of Venereal Disease. 20 (2): 61–5. doi:10.1136/sti.20.2.61. PMC 1053352. PMID 21773395.
  13. "Scotswomen At Portsmouth - Women Police". The Scotsman. 17 October 1930.
  14. "Discussion on the Prevention of Chronic Lung Diseases in Childhood". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. 35 (10): 689–692. August 1942. doi:10.1177/003591574203501016. ISSN 0035-9157. PMC 1998433. PMID 19992553.
  15. "Margaret Barron". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  16. Ewan, Elizabeth L.; Innes, Sue; Reynolds, Sian; Pipes, Rose (2007-06-27). Biographical Dictionary of ScottishWomen. Edinburgh University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7486-2660-1.
  17. "SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF ADOLESCENCE Conference of National Council of GIrls' Clubs GROWTH OF NERVOUS DISEASES". The Scotsman. 10 July 1939. p. 13.
  18. "Watch Your Health". Motherwell Times. 26 November 1913. p. 3.
  19. "DANGER OF COMMON COLD Share in Infantile Death-Rate GLASGOW DOCTOR'S VIEWS". The Scotman. 28 November 1936. p. 11.
  20. "COMMUNAL FEEDING Local Authorities' Opportunity POST-WAR SERVICE". The Scotsman. 18 September 1941.
  21. Turnbull, Mattie (2016-04-21). Days of Apprehension and Adventure: Experiences of Scottish Child Evacuees During World War II. Dorrance Publishing. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-4809-2695-0.
  22. "THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILD Importance of Welfare Work". The Scotsman. 18 January 1934.
  23. "In any case the Government's...: 16 Feb 1944: House of Commons debates". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  24. "INFANT MORTALITY, SCOTLAND (Hansard, 16 February 1944)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  25. "CHILD WELFARE". The Scotsman. 5 February 1945.
  26. "Teaching of Hygiene, School Buildings a Handicap FORMATION of HABIT". The Scotsman. 3 September 1945.
  27. Macrae, Eilidh (2016-07-09). Exercise in the Female Life-Cycle in Britain, 1930-1970. Springer. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-137-58319-2.
  28. Freeman, Mark (2016-04-14). Sport, Health and the Body in the History of Education. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-57601-3.
  29. "Scotland becomes first nation to provide free period products for all". the Guardian. 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  30. Specia, Megan (2020-11-24). "Tackling 'Period Poverty,' Scotland Is 1st Nation to Make Sanitary Products Free". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  31. "More Young Women are Marrying Early for Economic Reasons". Montrose Standard and Angus and Mearns Register. 20 September 1956.
  32. "Supplement to the BMJ". British Medical Journal: 74. 28 February 1959.
  33. Wattie, Nora I; Royal Sanitary Association of Scotland; Congress (1945). "Maternal and child health services: in the future". Transactions of the Royal Sanitary Association of Scotland. OCLC 30103479.
  34. Egan, Dorothy F. (25 September 1964). "Whither Child Care?": 1 – via Science Direct. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  35. Greater Glasgow Health Board Annual Report Statement of Accounts & Directory. Great Glasgow Health Board. 1990. p. 20.
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