New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-21
WOMEN IN MEDICINE.
Their Progress IN Healing Profession
and Gains iR Professional Life
LONDON. Dacanher o

them without restriction. They began A
nurses and have ended as medical practiton.-s
on terms of equality with men. Florence Njgs.
ingaIe was the pioneer OF the movement -.
until she organized staff OF nurses at scu,s-,
during the Crinean War there were no svstsr,-
affixed arrangements in the United kingdom, -.
giving women a special training for an occuna
ton for which they had natural aDtI,pa.
The testimonial Of $4,000 which was subscrfbA5
for her in recognition OF her phiIanthropic ans
patriotic services was set apart as the founa.-
ton of the first English training school fo-
nurses The work was begun In several ola
buildings in Southwark. and during the Las,
half century women have been educated 4,
London for useful and successful careers A
nurses throughout the empire What was a.
the outset a calling for a superior class Of 81
nestle servants has become a scientific profes
sion for educated women The course OF IN
struction and training has been gradually az
tended to three years and as the standards q,
work have been raised higher class OF women
has been interested in the profession Some
ambitious women have not been content with
their positions as trained nurses. but have Iooks4
higher persevered IN their studies and anary
taken medical degrees. This arrangement "a
unusual and hardly advantageous as the med
zeal training IS quite distinct from that required
for expert nursing.
The work OF Florence NighttngaIe's training
schools was taken up and enlarged by the Net
ropolitan and National associations and By thu
East London Nursing Society. and IN the eourss
Of time nearly every large hospital IN London
and in the provinces had a nursing school OF its
own. The warehouses and infrmaries became
centres OF an organized work OF district nurs-
ing among the poor In their own homes; and
when thousands Of women were employed IN
this way throughout the United Kingdom the
gift OF 10000 TO Queen Victoria at the Dia-
mond Jubilee enabled her TO crown Florence
Nightingale's phlanthropic enterprise with the
establishment of the Institute for Nurses. The
training Of district nurses differs essentially
from that of hospital nurses but II IS even mora
necessary and useful. So great an impetus has
the movement received from the Jubilee gin
that not fewer than twenty-fOur thousand worn-
en- are now employed as nurses. whether IN
hospitals or in Sums IN Great Britain and
Ireland Every large parish church IN London
now has its trained nurses for work among the
poor. and Nonconforrnist bodies are almost as
active and systematic IN this respect as the
Established Church Medical practitioners DO
not hesitate to attribute the decline in mortality
in England to a considerable degree to the sue
cessful work Of trained nurses, especially in the
homes Of the poor.
The doors Of medical schools were closed
against women for at least twenty-five years
founded 1t was not until 1876 that ParIianent
enacted a measure authorizing medical societies
and universities to confer degrees upon women
1t was a permissive. rather than compulsory.
act and IT was left to the discretion OF the
universities the College OF Surgeons and thu
Society OF Apothecaries whether medical quail
fcations should be granted, irrespective OF sex.
The Irish medical societies led the way ana
conferred degrees upon women who were quail
flied TO receive them. Miss Garrett. subsequent
" dean Of the most influential hospital for
women. studied medicine. and. IN conjunction.
with Miss Elizabeth Blackwell. made strenuous
efforts to secure license to practise IN Eng
land. The struggle a protractsd and
did not end when the REQUESTS legislation was
obtained for the inertia OF British conservatism
not easily overcome. At Oxford and Cam
bridge medical degrees are still withheld from
women. but the Scotch. Victoria and London
universities have pursued more liberal course
There are about two hundred women studying
medicine in London at this moment. and tho
facilities for obtaining a scientific training are
better here than elsewhere in the United King
dom.
At the two leading Scotch universities medical
degrees are now granted to women on exactly
the same conditions as to men. At Glasgow
there is a separate medical school for women;
at Edinburgh the women study with the men
and admitted 10 practice on terms OF equal
ity with them. The Scotch courses in medicins
are thorough and require attendance and study
for FIVE years. and the expenses for classes and
hospital work range about f1OO. exclusive OF
fees for examinations and degrees OF NJ. B. and
Oh b, which amount to f23 IS. Women can
also receive a medical education at Liverpool
Manchester and Durham. and the Victorian
University COnfers the degrees without preiudicS
against sex. The attendance of women at these
courses is steadily increasing. the expenses
less than at the Scotch universities or IN
London. The examining fees are higher in the
provinces than in Scotland. averaging t31 6s-
for the degree OF NJ. B. at any institution under
the Jurisdiction OF the Victoria University.
These courses cannot be completed in a shorter
period than five years. There is no disposition
in any quarter to scamp medical education for
women or to cheaper 1t so as to bring into the
profession those who would be more usefuIy
employed and more economically trained as
nurses.
The degrees OF the London University are OF
the highest rank in the British medical profess
sion. and these. from the highest TO the lowest.
are now open to women. Women study for the
profession at the School OF Medicine. in Hunter
St. and at the Royal Free Hospital in Gray's
Inn Road. These institutions are conducted oy
women for women and are OF the highest order
Of efficiency. All the surgical dressers and elm
ical clerks are women. and all the advantages OF
hospital practice are offered on a large scale.
Women of superior talent and perseverance can
obtain their degrees at the close OF five years.
but many students find 1t necessary 10 remain
six years They are expected TO spend at least
two years in general hospital and also TO at
tend regularly at fever. maternity and other