Margaret Caro (17 December 1848 – 19 May 1938) was a New Zealand dentist, social reformer, lecturer, vegetarian and writer. In 1881 she was the first woman to be listed on the Dentists' Register of New Zealand.[1]

Margaret Caro
Born17 December 1848
Died19 May 1938
OccupationDentist

Biography

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Caro was born in Richmond, Nelson. In 1864 she married Dr J.S. Caro and they lived in the South Island.[1] They moved to Napier in 1878 where she practiced dentistry for 25 years.[2]

Caro joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1888 after going to evangelistic meetings held by A. G. Daniells.[1] She was converted to vegetarianism by Daniells who had preached food reform and the advantages of a vegetarian diet at Hawke's Bay Region.[3] Caro was a former slaughterhouse inspector but became a vegetarianism activist. After 1899, she joined the Christchurch Vegetarian Society, even though she still lived in Napier.[3]

Caro put together weekly vegetarian dinner recipes for the average working man that were published in the White Ribbon temperance magazine.[3] In 1902, she advocated vegetarianism at the conference of the National Council of Women. Caro's son Edgar was also a vegetarian and was the editor of the New Zealand Health Journal.[3]

Caro died in Wellington in 1938.[2]

Selected publications

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  • “Man’s Natural Diet” in National Council of the Women of New Zealand, 7th session (May 5–15, 1902)
  • “Wholesome Food” in White Ribbon (September, 1902)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ormsby, Mary Louise. "Margaret Caro". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Death in Wanganui". Poverty Bay Herald. 21 June 1938. Retrieved 7 December 2021 – via PapersPast.
  3. ^ a b c d Amey, Catherine. (2014). The Compassionate Contrarians: A History of Vegetarians in Aotearoa New Zealand. Rebel Press. p. 34, 42, 50. ISBN 978-0-473-27440-5