Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-10-15
WOMEN IN MEDICINE.

Of he Maine woman suffrage convention
met al Saco Oct. !, and 8 1t was an an-
usually successful convention.
new featars was introduced this year.
Four OF the leading professions were rep
resented By women, and in turn they
we're called upon. The paper upon awo.
man tn Medicine" was read by DIR. Abby
NJ. FuIton. OF Ellsworth, "womsn in the
Ministry BY Miss Margaret Koch, Of
waterfalls; Woman in Law by Miss
Helen Knowiton, ofRoekisnc; swomsn
in Journalism by Mrs Eta IL. osgood,
OF Portland.
The paper by Or. Fulton, OF Ellsworth,
Was, In part, Is follows:
Our beloved champion for women and
reforms. the Rev. DIR. Anna Howard
shan, says: Every reform must pass
through three stages Of struggle" Women
In medicine have passed through the hrst,
and medical women and students In the
United States have gotten beyond it. We
are nearing the end OF the second stage;
and this new century will bring triumph
antiy the third stage upon Us.
The woman who hrst had courage to
ask for the chance TO obtain q medical
educsfiou, had to meetthis f5rst struggle
with the argument that 10 was impracti-
CO bic, IL was ridiculous for q woman to
practice medicine; !. was unthinksbie,
and a woman undertaking to rise to the
level of a prseticiug NJ. ID. must stand all
the "aioneness" scorn aud oetracism. not
only from men bot from her own sex.
Thank GOD, = few brave souls dared to
lace the enemy in q bloodless battle:
DARED to break the Chains OF bigotry,
fsisehood and power, ana by their persc-
sersnee and ability TO meet opposition, to
~ . Hra "A.
sacrifice untold privileges OF society, to
overcome evil with good, and by their
strong purposes bsaish the old popular
belief In the inferiority OF women as In
capable of receiving medical education.
Our houored Mrs. Julia Ward Howe
says; The professions, indeed. supply
the keystone to the arch of woman's lib
erty; not the intellectual training alone,
but The practical knowledge which must
sccompany their exercise, puts women in
position OF defense against fraud and
isnpostnre."
The two greatest foes to women study.
ing medicine are poverty and qusckery.
rhe study has taught women where they
belong; they are not angels, not second
in hrsins--no worse than the other half OF
msnsinu-snd given equal opportunities
sre frequently their rivals In colleges
where absolute justice rs awarded.
Or. Harriet Kesish Hunt, of boston, wss
the first woman to practice medicine In
New England. In 1891 she studied with
an English doctor ana wife. As often as
sire sppiiec for permission to attend med
icsi lectures la medical colleges, her re-
quest VAS promptly refused. A college In
Philadelphia gave her al honorary nipio-
ma; this YVES her sole equipment Tor prac-
.iee, which was Justified by subsequent
esests-
She allied herself with no medical
school; her excellent common senee
gained her good living. She was al
ways Interested in politics; she called the
first womsn's rights convention IN Massa-
chusetts, ard was strong advocate FOR
woman suffs age. Honored and beloved.
she lived, pfacticed aud aied In her home
on Green street, Boston.
the first medical diploma given to a
woman Ia the United States was that OF
E,tzsbeth Blackwell, Geuevs, n. Y. in
1919. She was of English birth, coming
with her family 10 Cincinnati at the age
OF twelve. She earned her own money,
teaching school, TO meet expenses OF her
medical course. Among ali the pioneer
groups Of women NJ. DIS. hers chiefly de-
serves to be called the record OF an
heroic life.
DR.. Emily Blackwell was refused ad mis-
sion To Genevs college which had gradu-
ated her sister, as The col eye was CEN
fuEtu o1 kDt STATE LuGGlGbl society Tor
graduating woman. She, however,
was graduated at Cleveland, OHIO, In
1852, continuing her studies in Europe
Tor over two years, where her medical
requirements received hearty commenda-
tions by the physicians with whom she
associated.
Anotne eminent pioneer was DE- Ann
Preston, Quaksr, OF Philadelphia, an
ardent woman suffrsgtst snd sboIitionist,
as 10 Is ertditaIy for Friends to be.
Though small In stature, she had n giant
sUui, ana was The chief worker IN tstsb-
lishit 4 the medical college for women In
Philadelphia, Ia which size wss one of the
ATTEST and most admired OF the profess
sors.
Dr. Emeline Cleveland was among the
first graduates of the Philadelphia college
sor women. Through the generosity of
two Quaker ladies she was sent TO Eu-
rope 10 tit herself for a professorship.
She attained celebrity as a surgeon, per-
forming the operation OF oyariotomy
many times, and stand corrected OF
wrong In saying she was the FIRST woman
in the United States to do It without as
sistanee from male physicians.
Space does not permit details concern
ing the cruel opposition encountered
~ these heroic medical women. Suffice
Ii to say they triumphed. obtaining re-
evil report.
Ia justice to men 10 the medical pro-
fession, few were found in the large
cities sck uowledgingt the ability of women
to practice. and after Philadelphia ana
New York had anbent their iron perse-
cution, aristocratic Boston was reported
to have Bowditch, a Cabot, a Putnam
aud Chadwick actually favoring women
NJ DIS, to the great CONSERVATION OF that
strictly conservative Puritan city From
Chicago came an answering echo, that
men doctors were assisting educated
women to enter medical colleges. Then
other lesser cities followed.
Rapidly came efforts for establishing
medical schools and colleges, after these
pioneer women had succeeded in sending
a shot around the world that women In
America bad won the victory. To GER
tain extent barriers were broken; new
dawn had opened. Many colleges would
receive women for the same courses OF
study as men.
gift OF 100000 was proposed to the
endowment fund of the medical depart
ment of the Johns Hopkins university,
Baltimore, on condition women should be
Z. l.. a