Wanda Marie Szczawińska (June 13, 1866 – April 21, 1955)[1] was a Polish biologist, pediatrician, lecturer, social activist, journalist, and member of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Wanda Szczawińska | |
|---|---|
 Wanda and Jadwiga Szczawińska | |
| Born | 13 June 1866 Warsaw |
| Died | 21 April 1955 (aged 88) Krakow |
Biography
editSzczawińska was born in Warsaw, Congress Poland, Russian Empire on 13 June 1866 to Wojciech Szczawiński and Bronisława née Gumbrychty.[1] She had two siblings, Gustaw Szczawiński and Jadwiga Szczawińska-Dawidowa. She would marry Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński.
From 1888 to 1891 she studied at the University of Geneva in the college of life sciences.[2][3] As a student of Carl Vogt she completed her dissertation in 1891 and obtained a doctorate in natural sciences.[3] After her graduation, she became a lecturer at the underground Flying University in Warsaw. In 1894 she moved to Paris to pursue medical studies,[2] working at the Sorbonne in the biological laboratory of Yves Delage.[3] In 1902, she obtained her second doctorate, this time in medicine.[3] She then worked at the Pasteur Institute before becoming a doctor at the Fondation Zola à Médan, a facility for convalescent infants, in 1907.
Szczawińska again returned to Warsaw in 1910, where she organized a medical clinic for infants.[3] In 1914, she organized a program to promote children's hygiene.[2][3] Hygiene became one of her main focuses, and she gave lectures on the subject at the Warsaw Scientific Society from 1911 to 1918.[4]
In addition to lecturing, during World War I Szczawińska worked as a doctor at the St. Stanisław Kostka and the Holy Spirit Hospital in Warsaw as well as in the Sanitary Section of the Citizens' Committee of Warsaw.[2][3] In 1924, she became a member of the International Association of Doctors.[2] In 1925 she gave a presentation on modern infant nutrition for the Congress of Polish Doctors and Naturalists at the Warsaw University of Technology for which she earned first prize and a gold medal.[5] Thanks to her efforts in raising awareness about infant nutrition and hygiene, a health pavilion for infants was established in the Saski Garden in 1926.[2] In the following years she regularly lectured at the State Farm Teachers' Seminary and the University of Economics in Chyliczki.[3] Additionally, she collaborated with the French Bulletin de l'Institut Pasteur and wrote around eighty studies and scientific articles in the fields of life science, pediatrics, and hygiene.[3]
In 1954, Szczawińska was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta for her work.[6] Shortly after, in 1955, she died and was buried in the Rakowicki Cemetery in Krakow.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Minakowski, Marek Jerzy. "Wanda Maria Szczawińska ze Szczawina Małego h. Prawdzic". sejm-wielki.pl. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Wanda Szczawińska". Wirtualne Muzeum Konstancina.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Online Polish Biographical Dictionary. "Wanda Szczawińska". www.ipsb.nina.gov.pl. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
- ^ Błędowski, Ryszard; Orłowski, Stanisław; Mościcki, Henryk (1917). "Dziesięciolecie Wolna Wszechnica Polska TKN: report on the activities of the Society for Scientific Courses, 1906-1916". Podkarpacka BC: 97.
- ^ Bruziewicz-Mikłaszewska, Barbara (2007). Żeby ślad pozostał i pamięć. Archived from the original on 2018-02-12.
- ^ "M.P. z 1954 r. nr 98, poz. 1210".