Henry E. Sigerist

Henry Ernest Sigerist (7 April 1891 – 17 March 1957) was a Swiss medical historian and proponent of universal health care.

Under his influence, Saskatchewan, a Canadian province, introduced state-funded medical and hospital care for pensioners, people on welfare and cancer patients after being hired to write a report in 1944 by Tommy Douglas, the Premier of the province representing the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.

[4] Sigerist died in 1957, and his passing was mourned among many in the medical community, although his views on socialized medicine were often glossed over in obituaries in national newspapers.

Although Sigerist's influence waned during the mid-20th century, he has slowly become an important figure again in medical history.

[6] He was a mentor to Ilza Veith and Genevieve Miller, who were pioneering women as medical historians.