Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-17
Medical Women.

From London Life.
One OF the burning social questions of this last
quarter OF the nineteenth century is that OF the
proper sphere for women. obviously, the fact that
women exceed men numerically, In the proportion
OF eleven to ten, apart from a variety OF other
considerations, put marriage out OF the question
for many OF the dear creatures. Being thus with
out prospect OF an alliance with a bread winner,
and so finding more or less employment In house
hold duties, are they TO seek honorable indepen-
dence for themselves, or subsist II possible on the
bounty Of relatives and friends? No rational man
will hesitate in his choice. IT'S better to labor
than beg.
AS for The problem what to do with our girls,
that is already practically, II somewhat roughly,
solved for the lower and lower-middio classes
servants and seUpStreSses, shop women and
female clerks, these and many other handwo rkers
who I'LL an important place In our social scheme
are drawn from those ranks. But for women OF
the upper middle class who have some pretensions
10 social and Intellectual culture, such employ
ments are generally dlstastefuL Many, II is true,
prefer the comparative freedom OF the "young
lady" or our great west end shops the ceaseleSS
drudgery ana constant snghts which are TOO often
'EOOd" families.
In women's search, then, for field in which
adequately to employ their mental powers, MANY
nave Oh late years, turned 10 the practice OF med-
cine, and have slowly wrung from tardy corpora
lions the recognition OF their right to compete
Win the other sex at the bedsides OF the sick and
dying. There is indeed an Institution devoted
specially 10 carrying out this ldea-uo other than
the London School OF Medicine Tor Women, STU
sttOu a. Slltel, III the parish Vi ST.
Pancras, where more than seventy women studied
during The last medical year. Lately the annual
prlze-glving took place Wien Mrs. Garrett Andcr-
son gave highly favorable report Of the progress
Vi the movement, and the medical women were
very much In evidence. AL these fair creatures
are not necessarily or the mental caliber
OF Hypatia, or even OF the late Mrs. Somer-
Viile, although, Tor the most part, like
the latter, they are somewhat staid-looking
and apparently deeply impressed by the seri-
BUSINESS OF their mission. How often In the car
rlages OF the underground railway has not the eye
Oh lhe wondering male gazed on these tender vota-
RES OF science as they sat deeply Immersed In the
open pages OF 'Quain's Anatomy" handled on
tnelr Knee! Adventurous aids TO the gifts OF form
or feature with which nature mas endowed them
they, Tor the most part, ScOrn. Not for them is
the "improver" or the bloom OF Ninon. With them
the en- toui cas- Is anathema and the powder-pun
an unclean thing. In their dissecting room there
Is ltlie OF the DosterOuS hilarty OF Guy Barts
and the initial Qualms, which the practical study
o. human anatomy usually gives the first years
student, seems TO have more lasting effect on
these CENTER creatures than their more callOus
brethren. Their ages vary from eighteen years
the acknowledgement to an unStated maximum,
into which "the red and raging eye or Imagination
Is forbidden TO pry."