The Portland daily press., 1890-05-10
WOMEN AS PHYSICIANS.
Troublesome Clogs In the Way Of
their Progress.
New York Herald.l

Troublesome Clogs In the way or
their Progress.
New York Herald.l
"No, l do not think there has been
very rapid change in public sentiment in
favor of women physicians" said DIR.
Emily Blackwell, as she talked with me
about the difficulties which she and her
sister, DR.. Elizabeth Blackwell, had to
contend with when they established
themselves in New York nearly forty
years ago.
"The change has not been a rapid one;
it has been very slow, very reluctant,
and it is yet far from complete.
eyes, we did have trouble, much of it,
in establishing ourselves here. My sis
ter, DIR. Elizabeth Blackwell, preceded
me by several years. She spent two or
three years reading under the direction
of physicians and then applied for adj
mission to the medical colleges in New
York, Boston and Philadelphia. But her
application was denied in every instance
on the ground that there was no prece-
dent for such an action and that it would
be an improper innovation upon estab.
lished custom. But at last medical
school at Geneva, in this state, admitted
her, and she took her degree there in
1S49-the first degree in medicine grant
ed to any woman in the United States
She continued her studies in Paris and
London, and after had received my de-
gree from the school in Cleveland we
came here to New York.
SOCIAL osTRACIsM.
Ibid we meet with much opposition?
Well, we found it impossible to rent an
office, so strong was the opposition to the
idea of women practicing medicine. We
had to buy house in order to get any
place in which to open an Office.
''But there was never any unpleasant
ostracism, of course, and that was very
unpleasant, and for long time none but
a few men physicians would hold con-
situations with us. From the beginning
a few eminent men, foremost among
whom was DR.. Willard Parker, rose
above the prevailing prejudice and con-
suited with us and advised us Just as
with any young physician. For the most
part, however, the men physicians re-
fused to recognize us, fought against us,
and a large number of the medical So
cieties threatened to expel any member
who consulted with woman physician"
Sand yet you say, DIR. Blackwell, that
all the change which has come about
since public sentiment was like that has
not been rapid one? Rather is it not
wonderful that it has been SO great?"
"No," and Dr. Blackwell's strong, kind
ly face, framed in its soft, white hair,
took a more positive expression; mo.
there is so much more that ought to come
about that what has been seems almost
small in comparison. What women have
gained has been not by grace of popular
favor, but by virtue of hard work, per-
sistent effort and proved ability. And
they have not yet received nearly all that
their work ought to have gained for
them. The popular prejudice against wo-
men physicians is still very strong. You
know that yourself"
eyes," admitted, ST know numbers
of people whose aversion to the idea of
a woman doctor is SO strong that they
would always prefer any young and I'M
tried man physician 70 successful wo-
man of recognized ability and reputa-
ton.
PUBLIC OPINION.
"And as long as that is the case," said
DR.. Blackwell, eve can't feel very COM
placent about the change in public opin-
ion. The admission of women to med
ical societies has come about so slowly,
too. l think the first was when I was
admitted to the old Journal association,
then the County Medical society, twenty
five years ago or more, when DIR. Isaac
Taylor was president. Now women are
admitted, think, into nearly if not
quite all the county associations and to
most of the medical societies. But it is
only very recently that the doors have
been opened for them in those of Boston
and Philadelphia.
Public hospitals are not open to wo
men physicians. They cannot hold pc
sitions in them, they cannot study as in
terms, they cannot attend the clinics helt
in connection with them, they are de
barred from all of the many and import
ant benefits that men physicians gain
from these large public institutions. In
private hospitals, particularly those
founded or supported partly or entirely
by women, they have all of these adj
vantages, but their exclusion from the
others is not only a handicap upon the
advanced work which they might &C.
complish if they had the opportunity, but
1t is the result and the proof of that large
body Of hostile public sentiment which
still exists against them.
"This opportunity for advanced work
in medicine is the thing which l would
most like to see women gain. They have
done little, it is true-written few
books and articles which have attracted
attention, done little original work in
extending the bounds of medical knowl-
edge. But they could and would do much
more if they had the necessary opportu-
mites for such work. What they most
need now is to be able to prosecute post
graduate studies in medicine. There are
many who have the ability and the desire
to do this, and when larger opportunities
have been granted them they will be able
to help in the work of extending the
boundaries of medical science and throw
ing light upon its dark corners"
"But do you not think all this will
come about in timer
Eyes, certainly, all in good time. We
cannot expect the world to change very
rapidly, after all, 1t is going on more
rapidly now, since SO many avenues have
been opened for the higher education of
women. These movements are all linked
together, of course, and each shares in
whatever advance another makes. The
change has been as rapid and as general
as could be expected, although it has
been so slow, and all the rest that we
wish for will come in time"
VOICES AND TINTS OF NATURE.
How they Differ In the Cold and