The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-09-04

The British Medical Association Denies
Them Membership.
london Standard.


london Standard.
At the general meeting of the British
medical association. at Bath yesterday, the
subject of admitting duly qualified women
to mem bership brought on q heated discus-
sion. Hitherto the articles of association
have permitted the election by branches of
''all duly qualified medical practitioners
who were recommended by a certain num-
Der OF members, and two lady practitioners,
Mrs. att-Anderson and Mrs. Hogan,
have been so elected. DIR. Wade, of Bir-
mingham, moved as q new article of the
association that no female should be eligible
for election. He urged that if women became
members of the profession of medicine or sur
gerry it did not necessarily follow that they
should become members of the association,
which, though an incorporated society, was
In fact movable scientific and social club,
the members of which might not be dis
posed to discuss medical or surgical cases in
the presence of women. DIR. A. P. Stewart,
OF London, seconded the adoption of the
proposed new bylaw, on the ground that
medical men should not have forced upon
them the presence of ladies at scientific
meetings. DR. Norman Kerr, of London, op-
posed the motion and, maintaining the equal
rights of members he considered that hold
ing this opinion, he should be doing an IN
manly and unjust act if be remained silent.
There was no sex in art or science. Medical
cClCuCc III IcopCCt ulu uOl ulutI lIOLu
other branches. In reply to the suggestions
that some medical men objected TO discuss
questions with medical women, ne urged that
such men were inconsistent inssmuch as
they treated patients In the presence of a
nurse and made no scruple of modesty in
other respects. DIR. Sissons supported the
motio1,, on the ground that the admission
of women to the association would seem to
imply that the association was DESTROYS of
encouraging the women practitioner Ques-
ton. Mrs. ,Garratt-Anderson expressed her
intention of dealing with the question from
an impersonal point Of view and as a ques-
ton of public medical policy. In the arti-
cles of association the object OF the British
medical association was stated 10 be two
fold-the promotion of medical science and
the promotion of the interests of the profess
sion. No one could say that medical science
would be promoted by excluding from the
association body of honest and palnstaking
workers, who would bring to the
study of many important problems
some experience essentially differ
emit from that of male practitioners
For example, in that large and difficult class
of ailments the functional nervous diseases
of women, reaching up to extreme hysteria,
was ii not likely that medical women would
see great deal of this group of ailments,
and could form an opinion as 10 the origin
and treatment which it would be more for
the advantage of medical science should be
heard and discussed rather than suppressed?
If the association existed to promote science
1t should be promoted generally and not
partially II women were bona fde mem
bers of the profession and really pursuing,
not merely the trade, but the cultus of med
icine, they had a right to claim that medical
men should be no less solicitous about the
advance of medical women than about their
own. Every fresh wave of progress which
resulted from the impulse of mind upon
mind from discussion and contrasted expert
ence should carry women practitionersss well
as men forward. 1t could not help forward
medical science to hinder any one pursuing
it from advancing as far as they might adj
vance, if allowed the stimulus of profes-
sional or corporate life. In regard to the
promotion of professional interests point
eddy interpreting this to mean that the asso-
citation was to be a point of professional
union and an articulate voice TO guard its
lnterests) she urged that these purposes ap-
piled to women practitioners as well as to
men, and that surely men practitioners
would not want women to be placed so that
they would want women to do the largest
amount of work for the smallest price. Yet
how could men look for q spirit of comrade-
ship or regard for the common professional
veal and regard for the eourtesies of medi-
cal etiquette in women, If the men refused
ton, and created in them the spirit of an
tagonism and self-assertion? OF tho strength
and vitality of the movement for the educa-
ton OF medical women she spoke at length,
and she urged the association not to break
off all its own best traditions by refusing
fellowship TO members of the profession not
IN themselves unworthy of it. Ultimately
the motion was earned for the adoption of
the bylaw.