The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-06-02
Woman,s Success as a Physician.

From the Cincinnati Star-Times.l
Miss Rachel L. Bodley, Professor of
Chemistry and Toxicology in the
Woman's Medical College of Pennsyl-
vania, at Philadelphia, of which all
officers and Professors are women, in
recent address gave some interesting
statistics showing the efficiency and sue
cess Of woman as practicing physician.
In order to ascertain the work accom-
plished by the 276 graduates of the Col
lege, Miss Bodley, prepared a list of
questions, which were mailed to all
the alumne, who were requested TO re-
spond.
There were eight questions, designed
to cover the whole ground of hfe-work
as to its professional character, its pecu
MARY rewards, social status, teaching
work, membership in medical societies,
and the influence OF the study and prac
tice OF medicine upon woman's relations
as wife and mother. OF the 276 grad
yates, I89 responded; 81 were dead.
OF the 1S9, 166 stated that they were
now engaged in active medical practice.
Of the twenty-three who were not,
eight stated that they had retired there
from on account Of domestic duties, one
to engage in philanthrop.c work, and
six because Of i'll health
The responses to the question as to
the pred0minating character OF the med
zeal practice Of those actively engaged
was genealogical practice, 30 ; OBJ
stetrical, 10; medical, 10; surgical, 3;
general practice, without discrimination,
81 genealogical and obstetrical, %;
genealogical and surgical, 8; gyneco-
logical and medical, % obstetrical and
medical, 9 +; surgical and medical, T.
The large percentage engaged in gym
geological practice would seem to indi
dictate that many ladies preferred to be
treated for strictly female diseases by a
woman rather than 4 man.
In answering the question as to the
compensation for their services twenty
four reported receiving as much as ST.
900 and less than - 600 wear. Tw-n-
ty as much as 81 900 and less than So
900; ten as much "a IS, 600 and less
than $4,000; five as much as 81, 900 and
less than $4,000; three as much as So
600 and less than SO, 600; four between
S15, 900 and $40, 900; of the seventy-six
reporting only ten had received less than
81 900. The average income of those
reporting was 81, 907. 80. Do male ply
sicians average as well? The four who
are reported SO, 600 or over are estab
Gshed practitioners. Three of the alum
me reported having accumulated sums
sufficient to permit them to retire from
active practice.
SiXty-eight of these lady physicians
~ Il
local medical societies the most de
cisive recognition Of their professional
standing. OF these, four are in Cali
fornia, one in Connecticut, one in Della
ware, four in Illinois, one in Indiana,
three in Kansas, two in Massachusetts,
five in Michigan, two in Minnesota, one
in Missouri, one in New Hampshire,
fifteen in New York, seven in Ohio,
fifteen in Pennsylvania, three in Rhode
Island, one in Tennessee and two in
Wisconsin.
AS to the influence of Il medical edu-
cation upon the physicians domestic
relations, as wife and mother, of the
fitty-two married ladies responding,
forty-fve reported favorable, six not
entirely so, and one untavorable.
a number Of these ladies have been
employed as physicians in hospitals, as
visiting physicians to girls schools, as
city physicians, and as professors and
lecturers in medical colleges. One has
been invited by the Dean Of the medi-
cal department of the Iowa State Uni
versity to accept the position OF member
of the Medical Examining Committee
Of the medical department of the Iowa
State University.
Miss Bodley has done a good service
for the cause of woman in preparing
these statistics. They show that when
properly educated women are not less
efficient as physicians than men, and
that there is field ready for them to
occupy, not only at home but especially
in foreign lands, where in most coun-
tries male physicians are debarred by
practices centuries old from treating
women. There are eight of the gradu-
ates Of this college practicing medicine
in Asia. To one of them DIR. Clara
Swain. an Indian prince of Rampore,
presented 4 property worth $4,000
rupees for establishment Of Il woman's
hospital aRd dispeasaay 81 Rarailly,
India The outlook Of woman as ply
stefan is manifestly bright, and a few
years hence it will be a matter of sur
prise that her education for that pro-
fession could have been so antagonized.