The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-05
LADY PHYSICIANS.
Fycn, the v. Y. Times.

From the v. Y. Times.
Edinburgh has not generally been reckoned
the most progressive" place in the world.
unless, perhaps, in metaphysics and moral
philosophy. Nevertheless, there are seven
young ladies regularly enrolled at the medical
school there, who have had granted to them
the privileges of study, and of matricula-
ton, in due course, as cjCeS of the Univer-
sity. "Mrs. DIR. will consequently become
as common a title in North Britain, at no
distant day, as it is fast getting to be iu the
United States In spite of this surprising
concession, however, the conservative spirit
of Scotch faculty has displayed itself in
the exclusion of the seven ladies from the
wards of the Infirmary. The inconvenience
to the clinical lecturers of treating certain
subjects before mixed assembly of both
sexes is the reason assigned for shutting
the hospital doors against the female stu
dents: and five hundred OF their male asso-
ciates, in the most ungallant manner have
petitioned the authorities to persist in en-
forcing their rule of exclusion. The petit
TONERS assert that had they foreseen being
called upon to walk the wards in company
with young ladies they would have sought
another school. The ladies' say that the
medical school has no right, having taken
their fees and accepted them as students, to
refuse them any of the ordinary rights or
privileges of students. Represented as they
are by one of the ablest of living women,
Miss Sophia Jex Blake, and having an srgu-
ment in itself by no means easy to answer,
the ladies certainly occupy strong position,
and one which it will be very hard to turn
The difficulty must sooner or later have
been fairly met and disposed of, and it is we'll
that test case has thus arisen wherein all
that can be said on both sides of the coutro-
versy is pretty sure to be logically and elo-
quently set forth. Most reasonable and deli
cate-minded persons will admit on first
thoughts the force of the adverse argument
of the managers of the Infirmary and the
petitioning students. IL would seem, in
truth, that only differently constituted peo
pie would wish to override SO rational an OBJ
lection. Yet, as commonly occurs, the argu-
ment Of one side looks conclusive only until
the other is heard. Miss Jex Blake urges
that
"a large proportion OF the patients in the Indrm-
ary being women, and women being present in all
the wards as nurses, there can be nothing eXcep-
toDal in our presence there as students. In our
opinion, no objection can be raised to attending
clinical teaching, even in the male wards which
does not apply with at least equal force to the pre-
sent instruction OF male students in the female
wards"
She further points out that among the sub.
scribers and donors to the Inlirmary there
are as many women as men; that the wishes
of majority of the whole are in favor of
the unrestricted admission of both sexes
upon common platform, and that three Of
the chief clinical lecturers, Drs. Balfour,
Watson, and Bennett, are willing to admit
the ladies, with male Students to all their
classes. These considerations are plainly
entitled to be carefully weighed, and the re-
suit bids fair to be satisfactory to Miss Blake
and her enterprising companions.
1t is clear that, if women are to be allowed
| by law and public opinion to practice msdi-
cine at all, it is highly irrational to exclude
them from any means open to the other sex
for obtaining professional knowledge. The
reasoning of those who maintain the inca
pacity of women to become good doctors,
may or may not be sound but its practical
! force must obviously bo increased by the ex-
clusion of female students from any privi-
leges enjoyed by the males. The less the
ability, the greater the need of culture, and
the greater the relative value of experience.
From the general drift and conduct of the
Edinburgh discussion, it seems probable that
the nice question touching the ''delicacy" oi
women going through the usual clinical
course will be left ere long to the taste and
discretion of the candidates themselves
Women who feel strongly drawn to the
medical profession are not likely to bt
squeamish, and the most simple and con
venient method of settling this controversy
will be apt in the sequel to prove the one
adopted.