The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-12
THE wOMAN'S MEDICAL COLLEGE.

committee Will DC received.
THE WOMAN'S MEDICAL COLLEGE.
The Eishteenth Annnni COMMENCEMENT. at
len, ~. .D:-A sensible view OF WOman's
The Womans Medical College is an institu-
tion to which time has given permanency and
professional energy success. The num0er of
students in attendance during the year just
closed was SO, against 43 the previous year; the
graduates this year numbering Ia, while at the
last commencement the number was Is. The
Eighteenth Annual Commencement was held at
the Musical Fund Hall at noon to-day, in pre-
sence of large and attentive audience Pre-
vious to the exercises of the occasion Carl
Sentz' Orchestra gave some attractive musical
selections, with others interspersed through the
remainder of the programme. The exercises
were opened with prayer by the Rev; Bishop
Simpson who Is well known as O decided cham
plon of the woman cause in all its different
phases. The degree of Doctor of Medicine was
then conferred by 7. Morris Perot, Esq, the
President of the Board of Corporators, upon
the following young ladies, ID in NUMBER
sibelia I. Baker, Mimi. Martha Z. Hutchins Ind.
Julia W. Carpenter, Ohio Phebe A. oliver, NY.
Hanna Il. Croasdale, Pa Mary T. Seeye, Ohio.
Sarah G. Hall, Ind. Jean s. Stevenson, N. Y.
snne HeSaFa On 1s y
The valedctory address to the graduating
class was then delivered by Ann Preston, NJ. D.,
Professor of Physiology and Hygiene in the col
lege and Dean of the Faculty She spoke
follows:-
"Ladies, Graduates:-It ia not n erely in formal
compliance with custom that give you to-day on
behalf % Of the Faculty few parting words;
1--WE have watched your progress in study with in
terest and with pride. Our hopes and sympathies
go with you into the future and feel your welfare
and success henceforth linked with our own
'There are many to-day who look upon you with
something indeed Of sympathy, but with mere of
pity, believing that you have chosen hard path
way, and that care and sorrow above the common
measure must fall to your lot. We do not share In
this feeling IL the care and anxiety be great, the
compensatlons yet greater; II the toll be heavy,
we believe, with kuskin, that whenever the arts
and abors OF life fulfilled in this spirit OF strv
ing against misrule, and doing whatever we have to
do honorably and perfectly they invariably bring
happiness as much ss seems possible to the nature
OF man.
''At present nervous maladies, womanhood en-
feebled and diseased are the fashion OF society and
m osS nracav w, h vTSs VIII h
done for our suffering women2" There is deep
conviction that these headaches, neuragias, and
weak backs are neither necessary nor destined to be
the permanent condition or womanhood and ladies',
the philanthropist and scientist who are seeking
the remedy, look hopefully to the result Of your
knowledge and experience In its bearing upon this
point -.
their beautiful daughters, from whose young faces
and steps the bloom and elasticity are departing,
and ask your advice, what shall you do2 You look
long at school and strained with many lessons at
time OF life when the conditions of healthful growth
habits and severe mental tasks; their bodies so
bound with clothing that by no possibility have the
eysr.moying vital organs been able fully to perform
Clad and the weight OF their clothing supported not
by the shoulders made by God to bear burdens, but
by parts totally united to sustain them Released
from school, they have bent long in the
same posture over piano, fancy work,
in the open air in active muscular exercises their
homes, luxurious 1t may be, have yet been grudg-
ingy supplied with pure air and quickenlng sun
aht tnp fha IN draQ haah han
fostered until these have become the staples rather
than the stimulants OF their lives while late hours
artificial lights, and continuous excitements have
interlered with the nutrition OF nerve tissue, and
perverted the distribution OF nerve force. You know
that quiet, interesting, imperative work-work for
hands and for mindis essential to their health; and
you sigh over their perverted, suffering, unsatis
fed lives, you cannot be content with the mockery
| OF merely prescribing drugs needfu and beneficial
'Iadies, society halls your advent into the field OF
medicine as among the heralds OF higher ciyillza-
| tlon-the civilization which is harmonious with
Christianity-and you wv prescribe Tor those who
| fession, with all tenderness, but with ali truth
Scorning make-belieVes and pretensions, with the
| authority OF knowledge you wll say, rhese things
will you speak In vain When an evil is once fully
seen and admitted, and its cause understood, the
remedy win surely be devised"
After giving some wholesome advice to the
Young lady doctors about the details of their
| practice and the ethics of the profession, Dr.
Preston continued
"The progress which our cause ia making through
ont the world il truly marvellous In free Swtzer-
land the Medical University OF Zurich has for years
| admitted women to all its advantages; the great
Inyersty of cosmopolitan Paris has now dispensed
to them its fullest privileges and highest honors
| the University OF Edinburgh has opened its DOORS
creaking with the rlme OF ages. wide enough for
their entrance; the University OF Stockholm Ia swe-
medicsl education; and the Swedish Government it
is stated, is about to establish complete medical
| coiIege al Gothenburg for women exclusively. In
GnstTa the candidates for the degree OF Doctor OF
| Obstetrics consist both OF men and women; while in
| our own country, not only the great University OF
Wichigan but n number OF smaller institutions also
| have removed the barriers which forbade them to
| enter. A. =, L..
cal missionary In India, sent out by the Womans
| Rranch of the Methodist Episcopal Church With
the angels song Of Peace S9 on S Earth Good WIN 70
thatmedicai knowledge SO priced In the East, which
| will open to her the harems and homes which men
nhyslcians cannot enter. In recent report OF the
| Phadelph,a Branch OF the Woman's Union Mis-
1 sionary Society are these woEds:-From all hea-
| thenisin comes the call, send us the educated
doctrsss to teach our women how 20 take the msdi.