The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-09-23

New ENGLAND FEMALE MEDICAL COLLEGE |
The nineteenth annual report of this insti- |
tuition has been published. 1t is most inter- |
esting document, setting forth very fully the |
progress which has been made in the medical |
education of women, and their introduction in-
to the medical profession. 1t is now about
twenty years since this educational movemen6
began. Commencing among little knot OF
devoted philanthropists and men OF science in
Boston, it has extended over our own country
and made considerable progress in Europe par
tcularly in England. The London Spectator
of a recent date says: l4-s4.-s-=
1--WE have heard the opinion of one of the
most eminent of our living physicians that one
of the new lady physicians IS dong, IN an adj
mirable manner, q work which medical men
would never even have had the chance of do
inc. Mothers bring their children to her in
hundreds to consult her on really important
points, on which they freely admit that they
v oud never have thought of taking advice
had she not been accessible to them." p
From the report before us we learn that the
number OF graduated doctresses in our own
country is now over three hundred The cap
ability and success of women as medical prac-
titioners has been amply demonstrated, and
they are everywhere joyfully welcomed by the
1
to women of delicacy and refinement to be
able to eonfide their peculiar ailments to an
| educated practitioner of their own sex, is such
| as to have from the first insured the success of
the movement. Thus its pioneer work has
been done, and the way is now prepared for
| more rapid increase of the number of female
| co-laborers in the beneficent art of healing
In addition to the sixty-seven graduates the
| college has sent out, about two hundred other
| women have attended the lectures for a longer
or shorter period, many of them TO improve
| their qualifications as nurses, and others for
| their own benefit and the good they may do
with the knowledge acquired Thus the in
stitution is not only accomplishing its primary
object of qualifying women as physicians but
is educating nurses and diffusing knowledge
| of the greatest value among the female portion
of the community. Its usefulness and impor-
ance in this direction alone entitle it to the es-
TEEN and the liberal support of all classes.
The College has an excellent Faculty of in
structors, well qualified, both by education
and experience, for their several departmen
of instruction, of whom five are men, and two
are women. Stephen Tracy, M. D., is Dean of
the Faculty, and Professor of the Theory and
Practice of Medicine; and Anna Monroe, NJ.
/ D., is Demonstration of Anatomy. At present
| the friends of this institution are engaged in
the labor of providing more suitable college
| building. 1t now occupies a hired house, but
| needs better accommodations and facilities. A
suitable lot for the building is already purchas-
ed and paid for, and it is estimated that for the
sum of $3O, 900 there may be erected a building
which will be amply sufficient for some years,
and will eventually constitute one of the wings
of the main building, to be hereafter erected
| To furnish this moderate sum for this very i'm
| portant object the Trustees of the institution
present their appeal to the public The sub
scriptions to the fund will not be payable, nor
will the building be commenced till the entire
sum of $4,000 has been secured. This modest
amount ought to be easily aud promptly
| raised. We feel sure that it is on
ily necessary for the benefits and the value OF
the college to be known to secure for it the
hearty cooperation of the humane and the
liberal everywhere. Mr.. E. p. Howard, an
| agent of the institution, is now in this city
aud we commend him and the object he repre-
| sents TO the consideration of every friend OF
humanity and of progre IS.
I'll