Dorothy Christian Hare

Dorothy Christian Hare, CBE (14 September 1876 – 19 January 1967) was an English physician. She joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and Women's Royal Naval Service during the First World War where she became concerned about the treatment of venereal disease in women. She practised general medicine at Cambridge until 1916.

First World War

Hare joined the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War and in 1916 was posted to Malta.

In the course of the war she encountered many cases of venereal disease. To improve treatment Hare established, with her friend Berenice d'Avigdor, two hostels to treat women – one for general cases and one for pregnant women. These women would often be unable to find alternative lodgings due to the disease. Sir Thomas Barlow, 1st Baronet served as president of the hostels, Hare as chairman and d'Avigdor as secretary until they closed during the Second World War, by which point the discovery of penicillin had rendered treatment much more effective and quick. During this period Hare published a book on the treatment of diabetes (1933, 2nd edition 1935) and papers on colitis in the British Medical Journal, The Lancet and The Practitioner. In 1935 and 1936 she delivered addresses to the Royal Society of Medicine on colitis and chronic rheumatic conditions. Hare was a keen amateur artist who worked in oils, water colours and scratchboard. She organised Arts Council exhibitions in Falmouth and worked to revive the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society to train artists. Hare died on 19 January 1967.