The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-06
WHERE WOMEN STUDY.
THE TRYING LIFE OF HOSPITAL AND
MEDICAL SCHOOLS.

Young Women Suceeed-Corioas Ac-
tions of the Men At the Bellevue Clinics.
The story of the persistent efforts made
by the sisters Elizabeth and Emily Black.
well in their search for a medical educa-
ton is familiar to all newspaper readers.
Their success and the recognized high
standing of the college which they founded
give to women in New York opportunity
for thorough medical training. although
they are still refused admission to the
mems colleges A woman who recently
applied for permission TO study at the Col
lege of Physicians and Surgeons was told
that she might visit the college, but could
not be recognized as student. This is the
attitude of all the mems colleges in the
cities of New York and Brooklyn, except
ing those devoted to post graduate work,
where women already possessed of a raedi-
cal degree can work alongside men of the
same requirements.
1t does not follow because women are
shut out from the mems colleges they have
less thorough professional training. The
woman's college of the New York Infirm-
airy was established in 1853 and has kept
its requirements for admission and gradu-
alton on a level with those of the best
mems colleges.
More than seven Thousand women and
children received free treatment in this
dispensary during 1890 This gave the
members of the graduating class fine OPP
portunities for practice, besides being q
very practical and benefcient form of
charitable work.
The second floor of the building is de-
voted to the chemical laboratory and
lecture room. 1t would be hard to find in
the whole city a buster group of workers
than assemble there. Long tables arc COW
cred with the apparatus needed in chemi-
cal experiments, and before each table
stand four young women hard at work.
Above the tables and all around the room
are rows on rows of bottles filled with diff
ferent colored liquids. which make pc
cullar and effective setting for the heads of
the absorbed young women.
N THE NEW YORK INFIRMARY
In the astrological laboratory, which oc-
cupies the fourth floor of the building, the
students learn first the microscopic appear
ance of the different tissues of the body in
health. One of the first lessons is on the
blood, and the abandon with which the no
plunge needles into the tips of rosy
fingers to procure the rudy fluid proves
their devotion to the subject. The stain
ing and mounting of the specimens is del-
icate work, and the dizziness with which
the young women accomplish it is often
The first year of medical study is largely
devoted to anatomy. The first lessons are
On the skeleton, and for two months it is
almost impossible to find freshman with
out bone in her pocket or handbag For
a few days she keeps them carefully rolled
in paper and handles them with gingerly
touch. but soon becomes quite accustomed
TO them. When she is able to describe
with fair degree of accuracy the frame
work of the body, with the mechanical
principles governing the actions of the
Joints, she is promoted to the dissecting
room.
1t at first takes some nerve to work In
hat room, but the student soon becomes
so interested in the wonderful make up of
he subject before her that she forgets
but her work. 1t is the popu-
ar belief that no young woman can work
n such place habitually without losing
something of her womanliness. To refute
'uch a notion it would only be necessary to
introduce its holders to DR.. Gertrude B.
Kelley and DR.. Alice Wakefield, who hold
he places of demonstration and assistant
in the Woman's college. DIR.
Kelley has spent more or less time in the |
lissectlng room for several years, yet
,entler, more prepossessing young woman
would be hard to find
THE STUDENTS
There are about ninety students in the |
ollege, more than one-third of whom are
n the entering class. Among them are a |
,ood many women from foreign countries, |
Russia and Sweden being often |
st represented. There are several mission
ries enjoying leave of absence from their |
york, and other young women taking the |
MEDICAL course preparatory to going out to |
mission fields. There are married women.
7omen who are or have been teachers and |
Dung girls There are college graduates, |
Ugh school graduates and trained nurses,
7omen who have been IN the Offices of
hysicians from childhood, and there are
hose who on entering school cannot dis
nguish the clavicle from the femur or
arbolic acid from iodine
The home life of the students is as varied
5 their preparations, and has almost as
luch influence on their work fhe stu
eht who has home in the city or friends
} whom she can go has great advantage
yer the one who has to choose between
he cheapest of boarding honses and a
Re divided between a bedroom and a res
aurant. A good many students come in
ally from neighboriDg towns, bringing
,eir luncheon with them
There is little time for pleasure IN the
fe Of the medical student, and it is sur
rising to see how easily she gives up<hose
which she has been accustomed She
kes her holidays immensely, bus finds
lat she can do very we'll with linn
ed number of them, and substitutes the
horoscope for the piano and the clinic for
re matinee.
There Is plenty OF excitement, If not
easure, in attending clinics at Bellevue.
he amphiCheatre is large. aud at the top
the building. The woman who Climbs
lt tor the nrSt time has not recovered
n breath before she is salueed by deaf
iinS yell from the two or three hundred
'unS men who are assem- bled, professe6ly
study the case which comes before them
here are usually plenty of seats, bHs the
en- nave habit of hiling those near the
airs first If she young woman does not
llsh the idea Of standing she proceeds TO ,
Uee1e her way past . long row Of obdu-
te masculine knees
After what seems to her an interminahie
myth of time she gets 10 q seat, with her
mper good deal rutfed by the stamping
ID clappins. the Kissing and cheering,
hich lave not abased since she first be
me visible. AS she is sensible young
oman she concludes that she cannot at
I'd 30 give up the cfnie simply because il
eases the young men 70 howl Nike hsenas,
q 50 she goes again and receives the I
me treatment unSd sue gets hslf used Sc I