Middletown transcript., 1895-04-13

49,
kkMs SsAMI$ nine for wome
&NTHEA alone. The ave-
fWwSs age number {
VtTN;y graduates eac
year from all th
colleges is about eight hundred, and a
most of the colleges have been estat
lished from periods ranging frcm te
to forty years, it is estimated tha
there are nearly fifteen thousand wo
men physicians practising in thi
country.
Abroad Belgium, England, Finland
France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Swift
zerland and Wales have universitie
where women may study, and they al
low these women to practice also, diff
fering in that respect from Denmark
Holland, Ireland, Roumania, Scotland
and Sweden, where women may stu1y
but may not practice. In Germany
with magnificent educational advan.
tages for men, it is impossible for wo.
men to obtain a medical education,
and only under certain conditions are
they allowed to practice. There are
now nine women practising in Ger
many and thirteen in Russia.
In the United States the restrictions
on a medical education vary in the
different States. In New York, for
instance it is necessary for a woman
to pass State Regents examination
in spelling, arithmetic, elementary,
English, English composition, geogra-
ply. United States history and physics
before she can matriculate at a college.
After the degree of Doctor of Medicine
had been conferred, another State ex-
animation, embracing all of the know
ledge acquired during the course, must
be passed before she can practice. This
applies equally to men and women.
The Importance of the women NJ. D.
is becoming more and more apparent
every day. Taat thera is a wide field
in medicine open to women of natural
ability in this direction is also appar-
ent, and is admitted tina many wo-
men doctors are of more practical
in sick room than some
Of the men.
At the corner of Livingston place
and East Fifteenth street the larger of
;wo medical colleges for women in
New York is situated. This col
ege, known as "The Woman's Medical
College of the New York Infirmary,"
s one of the most important in this
country. The woman's medical col
eges in Boston and Philadelphia have
'een longer established, but this col
ege is third in point of age, and was
Imong the first to establish tie four
ears graded course, which puts it on
J level with the mems colleges. As
'ou enter you find yourself in a room
ull of girls-girls of all ages and ma
ionalities, girls pretty and ugly, strong
minded and masculine girls, and dainty
girls, who look as if they had
'een brought up in the lap of luxury.
But the large-boned, spectacled, short
aired person whom we are apt to un-
onsciously associate with the woman
octor is almost unknown there.
these modern girl medical students
ave found it possible to be interested |
n the fashions and frivolties of the
ay and still have time to fit themselves
Or their field of work, and they are
elping their cause just as their older
isters retarded it.
These girls are most of them in /.
lily mood, and laughing and chattin;r
8 if care was an unknown enemy. Blu
ere and there is serious-looking SEN
" who, now that commencement is
ear, begins to feel the responsibility
her chosen profession.
This college was founded thirty
sars ago by Drs. Emily and Elizabeth
lackwell, who are among the pioneer
omen physicians of this country, and
no accomplished their purpose only
ter many years of struggle and trial.
he college has only been in the pres
1t building for five years, but it is
ready in so prosperous a condition
at the trustees hope 10 enlarge the i
ze of the building 80 as to accmomo- {
tie the rapidly increasing number of ,
udents.
And do these girls faint when they
into the dissecting-room? Not bit
1t is one of the proudest boasts of
e students that not one of them has
er tainted on entering that chamber
horrors on the ffth floor. But it ;
ut chamber of horrors at all-that /
when you get used to it. The room c
s two large skylights covering nearly 1
e entire ceiling, and is surrounded il
two sides by windows. The "sub- c
IT," "for we don't use that horrid 8
ord 'stiff,'" SO the bright-eyed guard .
marks, are each placed on zine COW
ID table, and six girls work at each 8.
Q. 1t is only for about tine first
ek or ten days that We feel queer" y
. adds. "You see, it does rather
re- you a shock at first to see the
Is actually enjoying this kind of te
'rk, but after you once get started q
, humane side takes back seat and II !.
) only the scientific side that you -
nix about" 1t might startle some :.
sons to see the students as ce
ting in the dissecting of human C,
ly, but the earnest, conscientious vi
inner in which they go about it, sy
'ir absolute fearlessness and their of
ense desire to master all the details 81
luo that thav aro uorHinc g.. L:-l l al