Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-05-13


The question Of the admission Of womcr
to clinical instruction in the Pennsylvania
Hospital has been settled by a compromise
1t will be remembered the point at issue wa:
whether the students of the Female Medical
College should be permitted to attend the
clinics at the hospital, which are very numer
ously attended by the male students Of the
other medical colleges. The managers OF
hospital, contrary to the wish Of the at
tending physicians, had previously decided
that the young women should be admitted
On aviiling themselves of the permission
they were met with strong indications of dis
approval Of their presence on the part Of the
young men, discerning to actual insult, and
bringing upon the young rowlies the de
served rebuke Of the public and the Press.
Affairs quoted after that, and went on
smoothly enough, to all outward seeming.
As, however there was still considerable ob
lection made to the arrangement, the man
ayers concluded that the question whether
tickets shall OF shall not be issued to female
students to attend the clinical lectures. should
be referred to the contributors to the hospital,
at their annual meeting, for their instruction
in the case.
The meeting took place on the p and was
numerously attended, some 400 contributors
being present Mr. William Welsh. repre-
senting the managers. presented the following
resolutions
Where1s, The Managers Of the PENNSYLVANIA
Hospital have sskei the contributors to inform
the incoming ard Of their wishes in regard to
clinical instruction to women and whereas
such Instruction, when given TO large bodies Of
men and women collectively, is at present, In
the minds Of many, Of questionable expeliency
therefore.
Resoire9, That the Managers, after confer
ring with their medical aud surgical staff. shall
if practicable, arrange tor appropriate, thorough
clinical instruction IN the Peuusylyania Hospi-
tai to the st ldents Of the Nonqn's Medical Col
lege Of this city.
A somewhat extended debate followed.
Dr. Agnew, one Of the lecturers, stated that
he had found his duty exceedingly embarrass-
ing, since the admission OF the ladies'. When
cases were to be operated on involving expo
sures of the person, he has been Obliged to
ask the female students 10 retire, making
confusion, and sometimes occasi0ning painful
suspense to the patient and he had been en-
barrassed by the necessity for avoiding the
use of certain terms, compelling him TO mo-
dity the customary phraseology of his lee
lures. He believed also that the admission |
OF the female students had interfered with I
the usefulness Of the hospital. The number
OF cases of recent accident, to be operated |
on IN the clinics, had diminished fully 50 per
cent. since female students had been in at
tendance, which he attributed to the obiec
tons OF male patients to submit to exposures
before them
On the other hand it was urged that elm
zeal instruction being necessitv in a medi-
cal course, to deny the ladies the nriv;lece
would be almost to shut the ,roc.ss;e,,
against them. The exposures involved were
seldom gross, and cases involving such eouId
be attended to on the days when the lsdios
were not present.
A Mrs Brown, who is described ,s