Charlevoix county herald., 1907-12-07
Copyright, by Joseph b. Bowles)

Copyright, by Joseph Il. Bowles.)
CDR. Sophia A. Nordhoff- Jung was born
Germany. Desiring to study medicine.
she came to the United States and took
thorough course in the science in Wash
ngtOn, becoming postgraduate student
in Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore.
Later she studied i'm the Pasteur Institute
in Paris and an assistant in the
Bandelocque hospital. From there she
went to Munich and became resident as
sistant physician at the Royal University
Hospital for Women. Returning to Wash
ington at the end of her studies, she soon
took high rank among the physicians of
that city.)
The question whether a woman
should be a physician finds its affirma-
tive afswer in the history of man
kind. From time immemorial the care
of the sick has been in the hands of
women. To-day the only civilized ma.
ton which still opposes the study Of
medicine by women-Germany-
could learn a valuable lesson by look
ing back into its earlier history.
In the dense forests of ancient Ger
mania we see the priestess, the wise
woman, who not only performed her
sacerdotal duties but acquired val
liable knowledge of medicinal herbs,
with which she healed the sick and
the wounded. With many Cf tho an
cient tribes the art OF healing was en-
tirely in the hands Of women, who
alone understood the preparation OF
salves and indictments, and who
transmitted this precious art from
generation to generation.
Bkhhd the rows of the fighting
warriors Of the Huns and Goths fol
lowed the women to care for the
wounded. Priestess. physician, nurse
was the same woman. In Scandina-
Wan literature mention is made in the
Edda and Sagas of the great merits
and achievements of women physi-
clans. According to the Sturlang
Saga, Ingegard, daughter of Ingvar,
established the first hospital for
women.
Not only in the land of the mid
night sun, but likewise in the extreme
south of Europe, do we find the medi-
cal woman mentioned in olden times.
We hear of women physicians and
surgeons in the ninth and tenth cen.
turtles in the then Arabian Spain.
Kremer, in his "Kulturgeschichte
des Orients,' tells us of women study
ing medicine at the University of Cor
dova during the Arabian reign. In
the twelfth century women distin-
guished themselves at the University
ynI, CT, lN,,N
as professors. Dr. Anna MANDOLIN
held the chair of anatomy at that
most famous of Italian universities
Bologna Anatomical wax models
made by her own hands are even to-
day on exhibition in the museum of
that university
When in 1S47 Elizabeth Blackwell
of New York, commenced to study
medicine she was generally looked
upon as a freak The difficulties she
encountered would fill volumes. Not
satisfied with the honor of pioneer
in her, native country this intrepid
young woman went to England and
succeeded, after patient struggle, in
opening the doors of British schools
and hospitals to women in 1850.
Another American woman was the
frs, to enter the Chvcrsity of Paris,
DR.. Mary Putnam !acobi in 1868.
Again it was IN American woman,
DR.. KlumpllcDCjarirC, who held tho
first hospital position in Paris.
This country was the first to have
a hospital FOR women and children,
founded and managed by women. The
New York infirmary is now half a cen
fury old. For the last 20 years it has
maintained a medical college.
The Womans Medical college Of
Pennsylvania has been in existence
over so years and its graduates are an
honor to the medical profession.
AmcAyy its founders and teachers are
names which will so down to pos
terity.