Suitable for the Wilds: Letters from Northern Alberta, 1929-1931

The plea was advertised in the British Medical Journal in February 1929: seeking "strong energetic Medical Women with post-graduate experience in Midwifery" for "country work" in western Canada. A young Dr. Mary Percy was intrigued. After graduating with degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Birmingham in 1927, she had been searching for the kind of opportunity which would offer both adventure and practical experience. She answered the advertisement and set off for the Peace River region of Northern Alberta in June of 1929. Little did she know that her "adventure" in the Canadian north was to last more than 70 years. Suitable for the Wilds is a collection of Dr. Mary Percy Jackson's letters written to family and friends in the early years of her practice, from 1929-1931. The letters offer a fascinating glimpse at life in northern Alberta at the beginning of the Depression, when the area was being farmed and settled by new European immigrants. These homesteaders, along with the area's Aboriginal and Metis population, were Dr. Percy's patients, scattered throughout a territory covering nearly 400 square miles. Vigilant about vaccination, nutrition, and preventive medicine, she quickly proved to be a talented physician who was truly ahead of her time, particularly in the area of tuberculosis treatment and prevention. Dr. Percy's dedication, good nature and unfailing sense of humour shine through in her letters. This delightful and captivating collection is a tribute to her indomitable spirit.