Chase, Lillian (ca. 1894-1987)

Lillian Alice Chase, a pioneer in treating diabetes, practiced in Regina from 1925 to 1942. Born in Nova Scotia about 1894, she received her BA from Acadia University in 1916. In 1922 she graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School, where she witnessed the first human trial of insulin, which had just been discovered there. While interning at Toronto General Hospital, she participated in the newly founded diabetic clinic. She also interned in Philadelphia. Dr. Chase established a general practice in Regina, where she lectured nursing students and gave talks to women in the area. Active in local and provincial medical organizations, she was elected president of the Regina General Hospital medical staff in 1932, likely the first woman to hold that position in Canada. In 1937 she published a benchmark study on the prevalence of diabetes in Saskatchewan. In 1942 Dr. Chase joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. After World War II she held appointments at Toronto Hospitals, and in 1948 became a specialist in internal medicine. She was a founding member of the Canadian Diabetes Association, and in 1967 was named a Senior Member of the Canadian Medical Association. Dr. Chase died in Ottawa on August 28, 1987. Chase Crescent in Regina is named after her.

Fay Hutchinson