The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-09-11
Female Physicians.

In the Belgian Academy of Sciences q discussion
took place not long since on the question of female
medical training, which possesses interest on this
side of the world equal to that it excited in
Europe. The disputation in Belgium had its origin
in a note sent by the Minister of Public instruction
to the Academy, requesting its opinion upon the
proposition that women be admitted to practice
certain branches Of medicine, namely, diseases Of
women and children, and that q special jury be
appointed to examine them in these branches, and to
give them diplomas IF competence. A committee of
the Academy was named to consider this proposition,
and its report was discussed with much animation
in the learned assembly. AS is usual in questions of
this order, some sense and much nonsense was
talked on both sides. To US, perhaps the most sin
gular feature Of the debate was the unquestioued
sumption that the women who wished to have the
legal privilege Of attending upon the sick would
never be willing to go through the long curriculum
of studies required of men physicians, and, there
fore, to admit them 10 the profession of healing, it
was necessary to create q special and more facile de-
partment suited to their capacities, On this account
the 4" Friends of Women - urged in favor of the
measure " that a knowledge of all the humanities,
of Egyptian d~ynasties, and of Greek declensions
was not really necessary in order to enable Il person
to intelligently prescribe q foot BATH and that
women might be good enough doctors without a
University degree. The measure was, however, eff
fectively opposed, On the ground that the creation Of
such a special department in medicine, feminine and
inferior, would merely revive the recently abolished
institution of officers de Sante. That this order of
physicians had been suppressed as illogical. absurd
and dangerous, since it was impossible to classify
diseases rs " easy to be entrusted to inferior prac-
titioners, and 8 difficult requiring for their man
agement, superior education and skill; that if any
woman felt an exceptional vocation for medicine she
must be willing to submit to all the conditions of
preparation now deemed necessary for men; that
although she was not at present admitted to existing
medical schools in Belgium, she might study else
wherein France, Switzerland or GermaDy-and,
once qualified, present herself for the official exami-
nations, at which no jury could refuse TO receive her.
Passing over the sentimentalisms with which the
main argument was rather weakened than supported,
We cannot but applaud the practical decision of the
Academy. The claim of women to enter the learned
professions must be based upon the desire for equal
education, privileges and responsibilities, and sus-
tanned, if at all, by the demonstration of an average
capacity equal TO that Of men. The formal or prac-
teal adoption Of a lower standard retrogrades the
status Of women towards that Of the middle ages.
The association for the advancement Of TIE medical
education of women recognizes that in America,
where SD equal standard has been theoretically
claimed. an inferior one has too often been practi-
cally adopted. The evil is greater for being con-
cealed, and must be overcome if the five hundred
and twenty-five women now practising medicine in
the United States Census 1870 would acquire the
that should accrue to the numbers. At the
medical school for women, recently founded in Lon
don, 4 diploma t~estifying TO q successful examination
in arts is required of all students at admission.