New-York daily tribune., 1859-02-05
A DEFENSE OF FEMALE MEDICAL Srg-
DENTS
r, N. ESi,o, Of TIE ~ y. Tri1vsa

To hs Edi,ov Of TIE ". y. Trt1Uss
SIR: Haviug seen notice in The ~ Y. Tsnss sf
Wednesday. Feb. 8, under the hssd of "Goverosn Of
"the Aims. House. Lunatic Asyum, Female Ply.
sioians," &C., TO the effect thst resolution hes
been submitted to the Committee on Bsilevne Hospi-
tai resdng thus: Resolved, Ths, the admission Of
female physicians at the hours OF prescription aad
Operation at Bellevue Hospital be, and is, hereby
stolshed;" and being one of the psty in qussios.
hsve felt called upon to write communication tor
the press stating briefly how we first gained admission
TO Bellevue Hospital, and why.
/ have chosen Your Journal because, having been
one If its many readers for years feel better sc'
qusirted with lis general tone and character, and DO
leve il to be devoted Ia the interests OF the people.
We not a. yet " female physicians, bat we are
female medical Students and belong to school where
the principle is both taught and prscced Of educating
the together. | will not stop here 10 moralse
upon this peculiar feature of our school, az am veil
aware that is question which is being sgitated and
discussed throughout the country by sblcr peps thaa
mine but will merely say that at works well here"
ard feel confident that il would elsewhere, wherever
it might be tried. This being one Of our principles
and wishing To be whit behind our brethren in
qualification for profession, we felt that in or der to
Thus qualify ourselves, we should have equal sd-
vantsges and some six or seven OF US resolved that
possible, would accompany them To the Hospital,
where We were assured by them, the fscilities for
quirirg information were very great Two OF our
gentlemen kindly volunteered to ascertain for rs II
We could be admitted, ard upon what terms. They
made the necessary inquiries Of the Warden, and were
told by him that they had no rules which would ex-
clude females and that if they chose 10 come there -
medical students. they could do so. lie said, further
more, that the Professors could make no chspge IN
their arrangements or operations on our account;
that II we 5ame there all fiiie notiens of delicscy
females must he laid asIde-we must come on the
common ground Of medical students. lie also said
that they could not answer for the conduct OF stu
derts from other Colleges but that within the walls OF
tha ftal and hv -
treated with respect.
After duly considering the subject, as presented by
the gentlemen, we decided to go-not bhndly as not
knowing what we must encounter nor with mere
idle curiosity but with will and determination 70
gain all the information could, and 30 to conduct
ourselves as 20 silence all opposition and thus to rec
ommerd onr principle Of equal rights and privileges
We accordingly went for the first time IN Saturday,
Dee. II, 1853, purchased our tickets, which read
Coed for ore year. and entered the theaer as mod
cal students and have continued to 90 twice week
10 the present time Ii is hardly necessary, in the ex-
s'ire state Of society to soy th,t have felt oar
selves 10 be unweccme guests for not only have the
Professors taken occasion in the of their opera
tions to make loose and trhlng remarks, which were
entirely urcaed for but those remarks have been re-
c.iyed by the msiory Of students present with storms
of cheers and applause entrance and exit has sso
bee marked by cheers and hisses l assure y0u, Mr..
Editor il has not been without great effort that We
have submitted TO these things and kept ourselves up
to the point of cohtisung to go, but we have Perse
yereo feeling q cohscious purity and integrity OIL puf.
pose within, ndknowmg Chat those who were opposed
10 Us were juriDg themselves vastly more than they
were u.s. exercising charity also toward them, teel
ing tbst with many of them false education, united
To bad organization would account for their conduct.
will ssy in this connection, that the Professors have
quite ~ gently requested the students to discontinue
their cheers curing the operations and one remarked
to them that their object in coming there was TO ac-
qure kI owledge not to make Jun For 80 much oon'
SIC GRAFTON we thank them.
would also say that from few OF the students,
| members Of opposing schools whom we have met
there from time to time have received words Of
encouragement ard cheer for which, from our inmost
hearts, we thank them.
When the subject of visiting the Hospital was first
agi,a.ed in our school, found that many Of our
number were decidedly opposed, thinking we're 60
ing step too far; not greatly surprised at
this as all cannot think alike, but have "agreed
to disagree and thus get along very ancaby TO-
geiher.
Our party now numbers seven ladies, and Eve gen.
tlemen, who have nobly stood by us and helped US,
not only by words of encouragement but by identifying
the mseves with us.
We feel that thus far visits 10 the Hospital have
been Of great benefit to us and we appeal tn you Sir
and to the people cay if there be any justice in tho
efTort to EXCLUDE us from those benefits.
FEMALE MEDICAL STUDENT.
Nte- Yo,k, Friday, FEB. 4, lass.