The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-23
RUGGED BY A CORPSE.
a Mississippi Girls Experience as a
Medical Student.
From the Memphis Scimitar.


DR. Anne Walter of Holly Springs is
visiting her brother-in-law, Oscar John
son, on Tate street. DIR. Walter graduated
recently at the Woman's Medical College
of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, receiv-
ing honorable mention for her thesis on
abdominal surgery. There was but one
other doctor in the college who was so
hOnored, and she, too, was southern
girl.
DR.. Walter is thoroughly enthused with
her profession. She is a little woman Of
great intelligence, and has fairly earned
her success. -Four years ago she deter
mined to study medicine. No sooner had
she decided on her vocation than she went
to the Cooper college in San Francisco
She had only been there one year when
she was presented with a scholarship in
the college at which she graduated.
At this college she worked so hard and
was possessed of so much aptitude for the
healing art. that the attention of the
faculty was soon conferred on her. She
gained distinction at once, and last year
she was given a position in the faculty as
prosecutor and curator in charge of the
anatomical work of the college. This
was favor never shown to any other
student at the college, and shows plainly
the appreciation in which DR. Walter was
held.
Soon after her graduation the Metho-
dist missionary board offered her the
position of physician in charge at the
woman's hospital at San Chow, China.
She has decided to accept the offer, and
will leave in October for her new field of
labor The post is a most responsible
one and will demand the closest attention
Of the young woman physician She will
probably spend several years in the land
of the Celestials. After her return to
America she will hang out her single
and enter the practice of medicine on
her own responsibility Her speciality is
surgery She has already assisted in
several difficult operations, and has ac-
quilted herself with great distinction.
A Scimitar reporter called on DIR. Wal
ter this morning. He found a pleasant
little woman with intelligence written in
every line of her countenance. In the
conversation which ensued, the doctor re-
marked that she had just witnessed very
dangerous operation.
1T was a beautiful piece of work, - she
said, "but think the poor man will die"
The operation in question was the re-
moval of a cancer by the knife.
In response TO the question as TO her
sensations when she first entered the dis
secting room, DIR. Walter said MY
first experience was in San Francisco: |
was new to the work and felt decided
repugnancy toward entering the place
The lettering of the Sign 'Disseciing-
room above the door, seemed fully five
feet high and were full of menace. When
l walked in the room was crowded with
students, ripping up human bodies with
as much COmplacency as If they were
dressing chickens. A feeling of weak
ness took hold of me, and | almost
tainted, but I conquered my
emotions and soon was as much interested
in the work, as any Of the other Occu-
pants of the room This occasion was the
only one on which | felt any qualms.
Would you like to see my dissecting in
strumentsf' and without waiting for
reply she ran 10 her room and soon re-
turned with her arms full Of glitterng
knives, the significance of which was al
together lost on the reporter. There
were straight knives and crooked knives,
little saws and big saws, graphing hooks
which seemed fully capable of tearing q
mans heart from its place, pinChers,
tweezers, scissors and every other Ort
of implements of torture. The reporter
simply sat still and shuddered while she
discoursed on the value Of the tools and
when she finished he had barely strength
to ask her if she knew of any curious oc-
currences in the rooms where bodies were
cut up.
plenty OF tne1, was lne startling to
ply. "Once a friend of mine was dissect-
ing cadaver late at night. No one was
in the room with her, and she was per
fectly absorbed in her work. While bend
ing over the body which had its arms
crossed on its breast, she accidentally
touched one of the muscles under the
shoulder, and the cadayer's arms flew
over and clasped her around the waist.
She was too badly frightened at first to
scream, but when she regained her breath