Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-18
WOMEN AS DOCTORS.
Fhe English Medical Council Favor
Giving Them q Chance.


Giving Them 3 Chance.
II London correspondence New York World.
L In the year lSjS an act of Parliament
Il created what may be called the Medical
/. Trades Union Of Great Britain. The Of
! fetal title of this body is the General
II Medical Council of Education and Regis
ItratiOn." 1t consists, in the first place, Of
Isix individuals named by the Government,
iand, in the second place, Of a certain num-
Der Of representatives Of all the medical
colleges, licensing bodies and universities
| Of England, Ireland and Scotland. --
/ A body thus constituted should be able
Ito execute important functions, and those
of this General Council are extremely im-
portant. They have house Of their own
| in Oxford street, aud there they sit to tran
sact their business. Il is one Of the duties
TO make and keep a'register OF all legally
| qualilied practitioners in fnedielnei 20 see
| that the examination tests provided by the
colleges are sufficient, ami 70 fHFnish- a
/ standard Of drugs and medicines for tie
| guidance and control of chemists. -Hany
| one whose name is not on the register Cf
/ shat council practices medicine, he cannot
recover debts at law from his patients, nor
! can such a person be admitted into any Of
the public services.
The importance of this council is great,
its power is extensive, and there can be but
little doubt, / suppose, that 1t uses its an
thOrity with the wisdom and to the adj
VANTAGE OF public. So quietly, how
ever, does the council conduct its business
that the fact of Its existence is scarcely
known outside Of the ranks Of the medical
profession, and some surprise has been
caused by the announcement that Govern
ment had appealed to the council for advice
tpon a question now pending before Parlis-
ment. This question related to the admis-
sion Of women as members OF the
medical profession, and to the regist-a.
ton of foreign degrees obtained by
women from certain eminent Universities.
The Government asked the council to give
It's opinion upon The whole Of this matter,
and intimated that the action of Parliament
would be very materially determined by
the answer Of the council. The question
was in the first place referred to commit
Tee Of the council, including Professor TuT-
Der, of Edinburgh University; Sir. VIM.
Gull, Sir Dominic COrrigan, Prof. ROLES
tOn, Of Oxford University; Prof. Humphry,
Of Cambridge University, and DIR. Ben
netr. of ljOudOu This COMMITTEES made
report, which, after undergoing
4 weeks discussion, was adopted oy
the council. II is % the effect that there
Sre special hiudrances 10 the practice Of
| medicine by women which cannot safely be
/ Aisregarded. but that, nevertheless, Ahe
| council are not willing to say that women
Should be shut out from the profession. If
/ any Of the nineteen licensing bodies in the
/ kingdom chose TO admit women to an eX-
animation, the council viii register a
| license thus obtained. If none Of these
/ bodies will 10 this, then a special examina-
| ton Of women candidates might be insti-
/ tuted.
| The opinion Of the council, when re
| duced TO its essential elements, appears 10
| Be this: Women had better give up the idea
| Of becoming doctors; to be successful Ia the
| medical profession requires qualities foreign
/ 10 the female charaCter-such as strengt N
| endurance and power to witness unmoyed
I scenes of suffering and blood; but that -
! In spite Of this, women insisted on enteimS
/ lhe profession, and could pass the requisite
| examination, they should not be excluded.
| 1 suspect tIiaC this~ IS not an unWise de-
| 9isiof: and Tco5abty The GUveinment will
| dct upon 10.
| AZ present there is only one woman in
/ England WHO has-thc' legal status IA
| rt,istsred practitioner. J his Is Ms. kil'sr
Bet.h Garrett Anderson, who passed Der
| examination before the Society OF APothe-
/ daries BY means Of instruction obtained
| hom outside sources. Immediately after
] her admission the society resolved to admit