Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-09-13
WOMEN AS PHYSICIANS MAN-wITH-MANY HERDS
oublic Prejudice and Professional Opposi- .ion- Kept Out of Hospitals and Denied she Advantages of Clinics-Advances Not Satisfactory.

Satisfactory.
 No I do not think there las been very rapid change in public sentiment in favor of women physicians said Dr. 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 rapid one; it has been very slow, very reluctant, and it is vet far from complete.
 ''Yes. we did have trouble, much of it, in establishing ourselves here. My sis ter, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, preceded me by several years. She spent two or three years reading under the direction of physicians and then applied for ad- 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- deIt for such an action and that it would be an improper innovation upon estab- iished custom. But at last a medical school at Geneva, in this state, admitted her, and she took her degree there in lS49-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
 Did we meet with much opposition2 XNclI ,,-a if rr rop& 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 personal experience. There was social ostraciSm, of course, and that was very unpleasant, and for long time none but a few men physicians would hold con sultations with us. From the beginning 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 large number of the medical so- cietieS threatened to expel any member who consulted with a woman physician. 7"
 And yet you say, Dr. Blackwell, that all the change which has come about since public sentiment was like that has not been rapid one? Rather is it not i wonderful that it has been so great?"
 .:No, and Dr. Blackwells strong. kind ly face, framed in its soft, white hair, took a more positive expressions; 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"
 ''Yes. l admitted, II know numbers of people whose aversion to the idea of 8 woman doctor is so strong that they would always prefer any young and un- tried man physician to a successful wo- man of recognized ability and reputa- ton.
 PUBLIC OPINION.
 "And as long as that is the case" said Dr. Blackwell. ''we can't feel very com placent about the change in public opin-
 ion. The admission of women to med
 ical socieEies has come about so slowly
 too. think the first was when was admitted to the old Journal association
 then the County Medical society, twenty five years ago or more, when pr. Isaac Taylor was president. Now women are
 admitted, l think, into nearly if noi
 quite all the county associations and tc
 most of the medical societies. But it i: only very recently that the doors have
 been opened for them in those of BostoI
 and Philadelphia.
 Public hospitals are not open to wo men physicians. They cannot hold pc itions in them, they cannot study as in serns, they cannot attend the clinics hei, rn connection with them, they are de
 barred from all of the many and import { ant benefits that men physicians gail [ from these large public institutions. Il
 private hospitals, particularly thos : founded or supported partly CT entirel, by women, they have all of these ad vantages. but their exclusion from tn ] OtnerS IS nor only handicap upon th
 advanced work which they might az compli8h if they had the opportunity, bu it is the result and the proof of that laEg |. body Of hostile public sentiment whicl
 still exists against them.
 This opportunity for advanced worl
 in medicine is the thing which 1 woul . most like to see women gain. They hay
 done little, it is true-written fey
 books and articles which have attracts
 attention, done little original work i
 extending the bounds of medical knowl
 edge. BlE they could and would do muc n more If they had the necessary opportu : mites for such work. What they mos ? need now is to be able to prosecute post : graduate studies in medicine. There ar D many who have the ability and the desir t to do this, and when larger opportunitie t have been granted them they will be abl U to help in the work Of extending tn 7 boundaries of medical science and throw . Ing light upon its dark corners" Y "But do you not think all this wi come about in time?"
 ! "Yes, certainly, all in good time. w cannot expect the world to change yer rapidly, after all. It Is going on rnoI $ rapidly now since so many avenues hay Il been opened for the higher education ( Il women. These movements are all linke J. together, of course, and each shares O whatever advance another makes I'll g change has been as rapid and as geners '- as could be expected, although it hs # been so slow, and all the rest that " e wish for will come .n time. New Tor + Herald.
 .s ----------- d Uses of the Telephone. Q I foIl him that he was a lViU