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The first woman appointed to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Eva Ekeblad, also known as De la Gardie (1724–1786), discovered several pioneering uses of the potato. Her work helped to greatly reduce famine across the country.

The lady of the house

Eva De la Gardie was born into a high ranking family. Her mother, Hedvig Catharina Lillie, was influential and politically active, running salons attended by politicians. In 1741, at the age of sixteen, Eva married Clas Ekeblad, a nobleman and privy councillor. Though she is known today as Eva Ekeblad, she continued to use her birth name after her marriage, as was customary for women of the time. She gave birth to her only son at eighteen and then went on to have seven daughters, all but one surviving into adulthood.

When she married, Eva received two castles as part of her dowry. Since her husband was often away due to his political duties, Eva administered their vast estates. She proved to be a firm and capable administrator, even if sometimes temperamental. She was fair and kind to the servants as long as they showed her due respect.

Experiments and discoveries

At the time, the potato was still a rare and exotic crop in Sweden. Eva carried out extensive experiments, finding new ways to use potatoes to fight malnutrition. She developed a method to make bread using oat flour mixed with cooked and mashed potatoes. She also created a process for making starch from potatoes. Eva is often credited with the discovery of a way to make alcohol from potatoes. This is not entirely accurate, as the theory was already known in Sweden before her experiments, but her work may have been the first practical attempt to put it into use.

In recognition of her discoveries, Eva was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1748. She later published a paper summarizing her experiments. Her work helped to greatly reduce famine across the country. Her membership of the Academy was, however, largely symbolic, as she did not attend its sessions.

She continued her practical research and in 1751 developed a process to bleach cloth and cotton yarn. The following year, she demonstrated how potatoes could replace the dangerous arsenic trioxide used in cosmetics. Her pioneering work in identifying the nutritional value and many uses of the potato predates the efforts of Antoine Auguste Parmentier (1737–1813), who is known for introducing potatoes into the French diet.

Eva was widowed in 1771 and lived for almost fifteen more years.

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Further reading: 

André João Paulo,  Sisters of Prometheus, Unmasking Women's Achievements in Chemistry

Freedman Jeri, Women of the scientific revolution

Kim Man-Deok (1739–1812) was a successful businesswoman who saved her people from famine.

An uphill battle

Kim Man-Deok was born on the island of Jeju and was the youngest of three children in a commoner family. At the age of twelve, she was orphaned and taken in by a female entertainer to become a kisaeng, a trained courtesan known for her artistic skills.

After her training, she made her debut as a kisaeng at the age of twenty. Although she had entered a disenfranchised social class, Kim Man-Deok managed to buy back her freedom and regain her former status at the age of twenty-four.

Building her kingdom

With her independence secured, Kim Man-Deok quickly set out to build her personal wealth. She began by opening an inn for merchants and traders. She soon developed an effective business model, selling goods at low prices to increase volume. She notably sold clothing, cosmetics, and jewelry to kisaeng and other women.

As a result, Kim Man-Deok became a wealthy and influential woman and accumulated many properties.

Saving Jeju from famine

Jeju was often affected by food shortages and natural disasters. While the government was theoretically responsible for the distribution of goods, it did not function effectively in practice. In 1795, the island was struck by a particularly severe famine.

Kim Man-Deok purchased large quantities of rice, which she distributed to those in need. In doing so, she saved many lives. The islanders regarded her as their savior, and her actions attracted royal attention.

King Jeongjo granted her an honorary position at court and offered to reward her with anything she wished. She chose to travel to Mount Kumgang, even though women from Jeju were not normally allowed to leave the island.

Kim Man-Deok died in 1812 at the age of seventy-three. Today, she is celebrated as a benefactor in Jeju, and many communities preserve her memory. Her life was adapted into a historical drama titled The Great Merchant.

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Further reading: 

Chong-Dae Choe, “Kim Man-deok, remarkable female philanthropist”

Hilty Ann,  Jeju Island, Reaching to the Core of Beauty

Kim Man-Duk, merciful light - Man-Duk museum

Kim Na-Young, “Reconsideration on Jeju Society and Kim Mandeok’s Life in the 18․19th Century”

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