In 1887, despite having practiced medicine for years without a license, Charlotte applied to the Manitoba Legislature for registration as a physician, and upon her refusal she instructed a Winnipeg legal firm to file an application for a private act that would authorize her to practice medicine.Kinnear, Mary (1995). In Subordination: Professional Women, 1879-1970. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. p. 55 The license itself was somewhat contentious, as there had been a recent border dispute between Manitoba and Ontario, with Whitemouth being near the border.Hacker, Carlotta (1974). The Indomitable Lady Doctors. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin and Company Limited. p. 86. The act was brought forward in the Legislative Assembly by way of a Private Members Bill in 1888, and was opposed by William Fisher Luxton, arguing on the grounds that women doctors should only treat women and children, that Charlotte ought to be grouped with midwives in terms of her profession and that the matter ought to ultimately be decided by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The bill was withdrawn before second reading, but Charlotte continued to practice medicine in Whitemouth for decades despite it.Kinnear, Mary (1995). In Subordination: Professional Women, 1879-1970. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. p. 55.
