Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-04-23
From the N. Y. Herald.
WOMEN AS DOCTORS.

1sOln6u ~ OVOEVuOs
e Public Prejudice and Professional Op-
] position Clog the Progress of
3 an Ambitious Glass.
EUROPE MORE LIBERAL
, THEY ARE KEPT OUT OF THE HOSPITALS
, DENIED THE ADVANTAGES OF CLINICS
AND COMPELLED TO GO ABROAD FOR
KNOWLEDGE.
s'No, do not think there has been very
| rapid change in public sentiment in favor of
women physicians" said DR.. Emily Black
| we'll, as she talked with me about the Diff
! fculties which she aud her sister, DR.. Eliza
} beth Blackwell, had to contend with when
they established themselves n New York
nearly forty years ago
''Thechange has not been rapid one;
it has been very slow, very reluctant, and it
J is yet far from complete.
Eyes, we did have trouble, much of it, in
establishing ourselves here. My sister, DR..
Elizabeth Blackwell. preceded me by sew
eral years. She spent two or three years
reading under the direction of physicians
and then applied for admission to the medi'
cal colleges in New York, Boston and Phil
adelphia. But her application was denied
in every instance on the ground that there
was no precedent for such an action and
| that it would be an improper innovation up
on este blished custom. But at last medi-
cal school at Geneva, in this State, admitted
her, and she took her degree there in 1849
the first degree in medicine granted to
any woman in the United States. She con.
tinued her studies in Paris and London, and
after ] had received my degree from the
school in Cleveland We came here to New
York.
/ SOCIAL osTRAcIsM.
tDid we meet with much opposition?
Well, we found it impossible to rent an Of
fee, so strong was the opposition to the idea
of women practising medicine We had to
buy house in order to get any place in
which to open an office.
! t'But there was never any unpleasant per-
sonal experience. There was social ostra-
clsm, of course, and that was very unpleas-
ant, and for long time none but few men
physicians would hold consultations with
with US. From the beginning few emf
nent men, foremost among whom was DR..
Willard Parker, rose above the prevailing
prejudice and consulted with us and advis-
ed US just as with any young physician.
For the most part, however, the men physi-
clans refused to recognize US, fought against
US, and large number of the medical So
cieties threatened to expel any member who
consulted with woman physician"
"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 ia jt not wonderful that
it has been so greatf"
"No," and DIR. Black Wells strong, kind
| ly face, framed in its soft, white hair, took
more positive expression, ono, there is
50 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, persistent effort and
proved ability. And they have not vet ye-
eeivvsd nearly All that t6eir work ought to
have gained for them. The popular preju-
dice against women physicians is still very
strong. You know that yourself
eyes" admitted II know numbers of
people whose aversion to the idea of wo-
man doctor is so strong that they would al
ways prefer any young and untried man
physician to successful woman Of recog-
nized ability and reputation"
PUBLIC OPINION.
ttAnd IS long as that is the case" said |
DR.. Blackwell, 1--WE can'J feel very COM
placent about the change in public opinion. |
Tue admission of women to medical socie- |
ties has come about so slowly, too. l think |
the first was when 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 ell the county associations
and to most of the edcal 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 women
physicians. They cannot hold positions in
them, they cannot study as interns, they
cannot attend the clinics held in connection
with them, they are debarred from from ell
of the many and important benefits that
men physicians gain from these large pub
lie institutions. In private hospitals, par
ticularly those founded or supported partly
or entirely by women, they have all of these
advantages, but their exclusion from the
others is not only handicap upon the ad-
vanced work which they might accomplish
if they had the opportunity. but it is the re-
suit 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 would most
like to soc 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 or medical knowledge. But they
could aud would do much more if they had
the necessary opportunities 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 oppor-
tunities have been granted them they will |
be able to help in the work of extending the
boundaries of medical science and throwing
light upon ite dark corners"
GOOD TIME COMING.
"But do you not think all this will come
about in time?"
Eyes, certainly, all 10 good time. We
cannot expect the world to change very
rapidly, after ALL II is going on more rapid
| ly now, since 80 many avenues have been
opened for the higher education of women.
| These movements are all linked together,
| of course, and each shares in whatever ad-
vance another makes. The change has been
as rapid and as general as could be expect
ed, although it has been oslow, and all the
rest that we wish for will come in time"
"What is the thing that Is most needed
| Just now by women physicians?" l asked
DR.. Mary Putnam jacob.
"UnqualiGedly, admission to public hos
pitals. 1t is an absurdity and crying in.
Justice that they are excluded from these
institutions that are supported by public
fuuds.''
RELIC OF PREJUDICE.
! "Why are they excluded"
"Simply as q relic of the old prejudice
against admitting them to the study and
practice of medicine at all. Prejudces die
] hard, and this one has kept its life to the
very point where now it is of the utmost
| importance that it should pass away. 1t is
| impossible to keep women out of the medi
cal profession. There is demand for their