Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-08-06
ABOUT WOMEN.

! latures has shown that the dominant
sex is not prepared to give women the
equality of suffrage, the equal extension
of women's prerogatives and employ
ments during the last thirty years is
enough to make the departed advocates
of old-time conservatism turn In their
graves. The change is specially marked
in medical circles. Not very long ago
female physician was only heard of in
the ranks of quackery and jugglery,
classed with fortune-tellers and other
humbugs. The address of DR.. Rachel
Bodley, Cincinnatian by birth, at the
twenty-ninth commencement of the
Women's Medical College of Pennsyl-
vania, of which she is dean, has unusual
interest. The institution has 244 liv-
ing graduates, from 189 of whom letters
have been received in answer to in
quiries. OF those replying, all but
twenty-three are in active practice; $50
report that they are accorded due social
and professional recognition, and only
seven the contrary. Seventy-six tell
how much they are making: twenty.four
between 81, 900 and $1,000 per annum;
twenty between 80, 900 and $4,000; ten
between SO, 900 and 81, 900; five between
$4,000 and $4,000; three between
IS, 900 and $4,000; four from $4,000
to 500, 900; and ten less than 1000.
The average is $2,907.30. Sixty-one
answer the question, "What influence
has the study and practice of medicine
upon your domestic relation as wife
and mother ?" Fifty-two are married,
and of these forty-fve report "favor-
able," six "not entirely favorable" and
one unfavorable The author adds:
Returning to the answers of married
women, because these possess the
greater general interest, I remark that
the song of domestic life, as have lis
tened with ear aitent, has been sung in
no minor key. In the melody are few
discordant notes. For example, thor
oughly conscientious mother writes
from her nursery, where three quite
young children claim the mothers min
istry: "The study of medicine is of
great benefit, but the practice often in
terferes with my duty to my family" The
clear, pure quality of the replies, as
whole, is truly exhilarating, for exam
Pile: Purifying and ennobling. Mar
ried physician since 1 began practice.
Am the mother of boy eight years OF
age" Another: "I keep house and
care for husband and three children as
l would if not in practice" Another:
I have not been less wife or mother.
My duties as such have never been neg
ected. At times l may have been more
taxed than if 1 had not these duties to
attend to-" Another wife and mother,
whose successful training of three
children, now in adult life, entities her
to IN opinion: 81 think if the history
of the families Of woman phi. slcians
were written it would - found that
their children are we'll cared for, well
trained we'll educated; all this and
household duties not neglected. y
Women who study medicine are watch
ful and CAREFUL Another: GAS a wife
my duties have never been interferod
with; as mother have been incalcul-
ably benefited. y My husband
is also physician. am often enabled
to assist him with his cases, both in
diagnosis and treatment, and often
find his advice Of great value to me.
We are, mutually, help to each
other"
On the whole DR.. Bodley is highly
encouraged. She calls attention to the
small number of deaths among the
graduates-thirty- out of 276 in
thirty yeals-as a refuiation of the idea
that the female constitution cannot sus-
tain the wear and tear Of medical prac-
tice, and dilat,s upon the usefulness OF
the graduates among their sex at home
and in foreign mission fields, and sum-
up by declaring that the inherent vi.
tality of the cause is in no manner more
thoroughly demonstrated than in the
fact that as workers fall or sleep new
toilers arise, the ranks close solidly up,
and the work with accelerated strength
moves on. She has certainly made a
good showing for the institution with
which she is connected Cincinnati
Gazette.