The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-12 00:00:00

FEMALE DOCTORS.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)

-_~%

A college for the medical education of women has
just been founded by the Legislature of Pennsylva-
nia—the Act by which it is founder], conferring upon
it all the privileges enjoyed by any other medical
school in the State. We perceive that a Miss Eliza-
beth Blackwell, who received the degree of Doctor of
Medicine at the Geneva College, and has since pur-
sued her medical studies at Paris, is a candidate for
the professorship of surgery, and other ladies offer
themselves to fill the other chairs. At first sight this
seems an extraordinary proceeding, and quite a start-
ling novelty. But there are really sufficient grounds
for the movement, and we hope it will succeed. For
one thing it opens up a new field for the employment
of women profitably and usefully ; and any enlarge-
ment of the field of honourable occupation for the sex
tends to her own social advancement, as well as that
of human kind. Then, looking at the profession of
" Female Doctor," there is nothing unreasonable in
it, but the contrary, however much it may be at
variance with existing usages. In many of the diseases
to which women are subject, the care of their own
sex seems perfectly consistent with all notions of deli-
cacy and modesty. Not half a century ago, women
were very extensively, indeed almost exclusively em-
ployed to attend the sex under certain circumstances ;
and we remember well, that William Cobbet indig-
nantly inveighed against the substitution of medical
men in such cases, as a mark of our declining manners
and m orals. But the women were displaced because
of their want of scientific culture, and the men took
their place. Give to women the same degree of culture,
and they would be equally competent to officiate in
such cases as our surgeons are. There are now in
Paris several ladies in extensive practice, who are, even
in difficult cases, called in by medical men themselves,
in consultations. These ladies command a high de-
gree of respect, and maintain a high social status.
We observe that M. Legouv6, in his excellent new
work on "The Moral History of Women," contends
for a wider sphere of operations for women in France.
He asks—" Why should not certain specialities of the
medical art be accessible to women ? Operative sur-
gery, a science positive and material, requires a bold-
ness of execution, a firmness of hand, a certain force
of insensibility, which naturally excludes women
from it ; but medicine is a theoretical science, de-
pending on observation ; and who will contest the
superiority of women as observers ? As a practical
science it depends upon the knowledge of individuals,
and who understands so well as a woman the pecu-
liarities of individual character? An illustrious
physician said—' There are no 'diseases—there are dis-
eased people;' and this expression explains the claim of
women to the rank of doctor. If, in fact, as expe-
rience demonstrates every day, the same malady as-
sumes with different people farms so different, that
the remedy that cures the one would kill the other;
if one of the duties of the physician be to study the
temperament of his patient, his age, and his character,
women, with their marvellous perceptions of indi-
viduality would bring to the treatment of the sick a
subtle divination—a tact in management of the pa-
tient's mind, to which we could never attain.
Nervous disorders especially, those scourges so diffi-
cult to seize, which civilisation multiplies from day to
day, would find in feminine genius the adversary
most fit to cope with them." These remarks are
worthy of attention, and we are not without hope
that some practical results may proceed from them.

THE COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT

OLDHAM.

We regret to state that the loss of life occasioned
by the late colliery explosion at Oldham is even
greater than we stated yesterday. It has been ascer-
tained that at least fifteen have been killed and six
injured. The following is a list of the sufferers :--
KILLED.-1. Bartholomew Bambling, aged 13,
killed by a fall.
2. Edmund Butterwortb, aged 48, leaving a wife
and five children. (This man's body has not yet been
recovered.)

3. John Scott, 47 years old, leaving a wife and six
aildren. Burnt about the back, but death is sup-
posed to have been caused by his being what the
colliers term " blown," that is, destroyed by being
thrown violently against the sides or projections of
the workings by the force of the explosion, or fire-
blast.

4. Daniel Dunkerley, aged 31, leasing a wife and
child. _ Burnt to death.

5. James Jackson, aged 55, leaving a widow.
Blown.

6. Robert Fi,liagm, aged 25, leaving a wife and
two children. Burnt to death. This unfortunate
youth was a posthumous child, his father being killed
three months before his birth by a similar accident at
the Dryclough Colliery.
7. Ralph Mytton, 42 years of age, a man from
Wigan, Rho had only been employed here a mouth.
Blown.

8. Edward Geary, aged 30, leaving a wife and
three children. This man was got out alive, but was
so badly burnt that he died soon afterwards.
9. John Newton, aged 20, burns tend suffocation.
10. Benjamin Fox, aged 34, leaving a widow. Got
out at 12 o'clock on she night of the accident. Suf-
focated.

11. George Newton, single man, aged 20. Burnt
;o death.

12. James Butterworth, aged 21, a single man.
Blowr.

13. William Lees, aged 30, leaving a widow and
children. Blown.

14. James Fox (brother to Benjamin), aged 16.
Suffocated.

15. Thomas Bramwell, aged 20, a single man
Blown.

INJuRED.-1. John Lane, slightly hurt.
2. Robert Lane, burnt, but not badly.
3. George Clough, aged 25, slightly hurt. This
man was rescued many hours after he had been
given up for dead ; he says he heard the men in
search of him calling his name, but was too exhausted
to reply.
4. W. Greenhalgh, aged 22, back slightly burned.
5. James Holker, aged 22, burnt, but likely to re-
cover.

6. John Jones, aged 23, not much burnt.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
CALEDONIAN HUNT AND PERTH RACES.

THURSDAY.

The Caledonian Cup of 105 soya., for three yrs old, Tat;
four, Bst 21b; five, Bst 91b; six and aged, Sst 121 b;
mares, &c., allowed 31b. Three miles.
Mr. J. Brown's Hal icot, 3 yrs... ... (G. Oates) 1
Mr. Currit's Eglantine, aged ... 2
W( n Easy.
The Members' Plate of 507. Twice round.

Mr Jolly's Swaledale, 4 yrs ...
Mr. I'. Brown na Luxury, 3 yrs
Mr. Romane's Aspasia, 5 yrs...
Won by a length.
The Perth Hunt Plate of 50/.; three yrs old, 7st 71b;
four, 8:t 71b; five, 9st lib; six and aged, 9st 61b;
mares and geldings allowed 31b. Heats, one mile and
a half.
Mr. Thrift's John Dory, 4 yrs ... (Owner) 2 1 1
Mr. Anderson's Sir Astir). Cooper, 3 yrs ... 1 0 2
Captain Holdan's Woodland, 4 yrs 3 2 3
Won cleverly.

(G. Odteb) I

RANGE OF THE HUMAN VOICE.—In answer to a
correspondent, the editor of the Medical Times saye—There
are about nine perfect tones, but 17,592,1E6,044,415 different
sounds; thus 14 direct muscles, alone or together, produce
16,383; 30 indirect muscles, ditto, 173,741,623; and all is
co-operation produce the number we hare named; and these
inch pendently of different degrees of intensity.

The Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord President of
.he Council, arrived in town yesterday, from Brighton.

The JudgE-Advocate-General had an interview
with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his
official residence in Downing-street.

Dispatches from the Governor of Malta were re-
ceived yesterday at the Colonial-office.

Dispatches were sent off last evening for the Go-
vernor of Canada, from the Colonial-office.

FIRE AT ISLlNGTON.—Yesterday morning, between
four and five o'clock, considerable alarm was excited in the
neighbourhood of Gibson-square, Islington, by the discovery
of a fire on the premises of a gentleman named Lee, residing
at No. 10, Milner-street. Mr. Lee was aroused by the smcke
and crackling of burning timber. He hastened up stairs
and alarmed the family, and they fortunately, but with
great difficulty, escaped over the roof of the house. The
brigade engines from Watling-street and Jeffrey-square
were promptly on the spot, under the direction of Mr. Braid-
wood. Although there was a good supply of water obtained.
the fire could not be extinguished until the premises were
burnt out, and considerable damage was done to the adjoining
houses,

The screw-steamer Astrologer, John Milburn
master, has arrived from Smyrna in fifteen days, bringing
the first direct importation of Eleme figs.

ROBBERY AT MANSFIED.—On Sunday evening
last, the residence of the Rev. Robert Weaver, West Hill,
Mansfield, was entered by thieves and plundered.

BRITANNIA BRIDGE.—The opening of the second
line of tubes is to take place on the 19th inst., when the
thvernment inspector is expected to come down and review
the works. The men have been working night and day
during the week, and with the exception of one, the entire
number of rivets necessary were clenched yesterday (Fri-
day). The last rivet will not be secured until the grand
opening of this gig..ntic viaduct. The scaffolding that sup-
ported the tubes on the Anglesey side during their erection
is now being taken to pieces, but although great care is used
in separating the different portions of these immense stages,
several accidents have occurred, one of which terminated
tatally. Curnurvon Herald.
laxsri HONEY.—The present arrivals from Ireland
include some very large supplies of honey. One vessel just
arrived from Cork has brought 70 packages of honey as part
of her cargo, and several other arrivals of upwards of 50
nharawl nsi
rdiadsneasiv3ndd,
winning by
packages of this esteemed article have recently taken place
l
SCUDDER'S WAGER.—TWO ywamhponaeasitligdnhseet
from that country which have not before been usual to any-
,ghridteof,monl
DtrawetulTntovOeh-r/natu.
any-
thing approaching this extent.
ed
distance,
iorassol
fromtt
after-
noon.
nn.andEdwardsrcauenE:lneoddrewyiEdwards
nearlydarsnid goroouseoowtkti
btoghugaeteHwds leadcaa
sfumul
nlmtenahreny'ersis
five or SIX, lengths.