The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-07-28
Female Druggists.

street meets Dryades, IA white sign has.
painfed in bold letters: Rudolf, Drug
gist," and two steps up takes the passer-
by into as fresh, trim a little shop as the
city can boast. The floor does not cover
any vast space, but the boards shine with
cleanliness. On every side n observes
the intimate relations that exist between
the shop and the soap water. With mar
tial precision the stout jars stand shoul-
der to shoulder along the shelves, each
one wearing it, Latin name with grave
dignity. seeming to recognize the power
for life or death they hold in their ca
pacious bodies. An alcoholized ceres
stands in the clear glass counter, but the
most attractive article in the establish
ment is the plucky, sweet-faced woman
who can look proudly around and cali it
all her own.
Eight wears ago yellow fever made Mrs.
Rudolf Il widow, with two babies, and no
ready capital but a stout heart and free
dom from debt. The creed Of Il defunct
responsibility and the advice Of conserya-
tive friends strove TO drive her into
teaching, sewing or the dependence of
forlorn womanhood- Against this her
brave spirit rebelled. She would fill her
husbands place, well and h~onorably.
To this end she made application for a
pharmaceutical course at the Tulane Med
zeal College. This was denied Nothing
daunted, she began a system of private
lessons under the Professor Of Pharmacy,
and in two years graduated with vast
credit TO herself and with the hearty in
dorsement of the Examining Board.
Then came the bitter struggle in the
face of an overwhelming u~nreasoning
prejudice against her sex, protesting
against the folly of allowing ones SIENNA,
camphor or blue mass to be mixed by fe-
male hands. This wave of injustice
might have proven too high for her fai-
tering courage 10 surnount. had not half
a dozen liberal-minded physicians
stretched out helping hands and tided
her, by their sympathy and patronage,
into the quiet haven of prosperity, where
her taut little trade rests al anchor.
And now" shesays, :" scarcely know
what trouble is in my business. Neyeris
a word spoken unfit for a lady's ear. !
am treated with exceeding fairness and
courtesy by all those who come. l am
indebted TO ever 81 many doctors in the
city for advice and advancement IN the
way of trade. OF course, this is a busi-
ness where one is never free from anxi-
ETY.. Not a package of medicine leaves
this counter, but | feel il carries Il force
to work health or the reverse"
Just here the question was advancedas
TO the ACCESSIBILITY of woman adopting
pharmacy as a profession.
Mrs. Rudolf advocated ii warmly. She
spoke with enthusiasm Of her w sue
cess. She said that any young woman
who had the groundwork of a sound ed
ucation to begin on, and went into the
study Of drugs with honesty of purpose
and the sincere determination to rise su-
perior to the difficulties in her way,
would find an honorable, lucrative career
opened up to her. OF course, she Will
meet with numerous discouragements.
She nus understand Latin, be Il fine
chemist. and, above all else, he a clear
headed, cautious, conscientious
Mn. Lndolf is the only lady druggist in
Louisiana, hut she tells of two feminine
graduates from the college in New York
who took papers from the head of their
class. One of these has since established
herself in Savannah, GA.
Pharmaceutical colleges, open TO both
sexes, can be attended in most of the
large Northern and Western cities. In
deed, a free scholarship WAS offered one
young lady in Louisville, Ky. New Or
leans is vet far behind other towns in
this particular. No course is open To
women. They must 90 elsewhere or take
private lessons. Atthe recent State phar-
m~aceutical meeting held AT New Orleans
great efforts were made to establish a
school OF pharmacy, II recognized, with
a chair properly endowed. Then it
would seem probable that an effort to
open the course TO women would prove
successful.
At this same State meeting n of the
ablest representatives of the profession
was a Miss Lucy King, of Chattanooga,
Tenn. She is the managing editor of the
Dragma,, a paper Endorsed and adopted
by the State Pharmaceutical Conventions
Of Georgia and Louisiana as their repre-
sentative journal. Miss King is a young
lady Of great ability, who takes a deep
scientific interest in everything relating
10 the calling she has chosen.
When 50 infall;ble an authority as
Huxley says the study ofchemistry is Pc
culiarly adapted To the feminine mind,
the point passes out of the line Of dispu-
tstion. The quality which would seem
TO make female genius especially yalua-
bile in the druggist business is the rare
caution most women exercise where once
warned of possible danger. They never
think the time wasted in examining a
prescription twice, and a constant fearful
ness is with them of the horror an error
would produce Hosaaa's Work.