The morning call., 1894-05-04

given her sex. Women have attained
distinction 10 many schools of medicine,
and it is to their efforts that schools for
training nurses were Instituted. In the
practice of medicine women have main
tained the standard of the profession and
received fees on par with those given to
men.
Mrs. J. G. Lennon of Oakland read a
paper on Botany" in which she sketched
the history of the science. She also treated
the subject in its application TO women and
mentioned several names of American
women who have distinguished themselves
as botaDists.
Mrs Elizabeth A. Reed, president of the
Illinois WOmen's Press Club read paper
on "The Poetry of Arcl zoology" This
paper was largely historical from its ma
ture with poetic allusion to the learning
and greatness of former civilizations, whose
records are now found among inscriptions
on crumbling ruins.
Mrs. Louis Humphrey Smith read a
paper on Women In Astronomy" pre-
pared by Miss DOrothea KumpBe in Paris.
Tributes were paid to the women who have
achieved fame in astronomy, whose names
are familiar TO all students of that sclencs.
Miss Rose O'Halloran delivered an in
teresting address on "Phe Possibilities of
Women in Astronomy" Although Caro-
line Hershell won honOrs as an astrOnO-
mer, and other women have climbed high
up in the scale, women, generally speak
ing. are still at the foCt of the ladder. She
is but crossing the threshold of the field of
scientific research.
In the afternoon Mrs. Mary Roberts
Smith of Stanford University read pa
per on 1.-THE Future Of the Family" At
first she treated her subject historically.
and, going deeper. went into statistics.
which she believed are largely erroneous
with regard to births and deaths. With the
present increase in population she said
that in 1890 there will be a population of
goo, ,000,O 600 IN America. She judged that
smaller number of the better educated
women do marry now than formerly, and
as those of them who do wait till later
age their children are fewer. The NOR
tallty If children OF college-bred mothers
has been shown to be less than among other
women. Motherhood cuts OF women from
many things in life she desires. Jesus of
Nazareth voiced a scientific law when he
said mo man shall live to himself alOne."
With regard 10 physical conditions of
woman, the speaker said that intellectual
development had carried with these causes
which result in a better and more healthy
state OF women in so much as their mater
nifty is concerned. The second end to b-
snDserVed by the family is the welfare of
the otfs pring. With the advance of ciyili-
zatlon large privileges are granted 70 boys
and girls. but with all manner of schools
and systems outside the homes evolution
in this line has gone too far and must ret
rograde. Her belief is firm that the home
must take far more prominent place in
the education of children, that the me-
ehanical system now prevalent must dis
solve before home influences, and that the
present method Of educating young chill.
dren will be revolutionized.
The third end TO be subserved by the
family is the care of parents bv offspring.
AS an instance Of lack of this fiial duty
Mrs. Smith remarked that there are in the
AImshouse of San Francisco many parents
whose children could well support them.
Marriage will ontinue TO be the destiny of
the majority.
find a practical solution in this paper for
the evils which she said beset the Amer-
can public. why" she asked, shall the
brightest and noblest women of America
refuse continuously to supply the class of
citizens of whom the country stands very
much 10 nesd p'
A lady in the audience stated that six
tenths of the idiotic, blind, deaf and insane