New-York tribune., 1909-07-25
i DOCTOR In THE sos
Hoo Second WOmdn to Take Medi-
cal Degree Got Education.

When the women members of the American
Medical Association met last week a the home of
Dr- Rosalie 5 Morton, No. East 5Sth street. to
ganize committee for the education of the public
in the prevention Of disease they chose their
hcI orary chairman DR.. Sarah Doley, of Rochester,
the second woman in the country take medical
degree first having been Eliza beth Blackwell.
who resides in England. DR.. Dolley de-
sc-ibes herself ultra conservative" but she
comes OF revolutionary stock, Quaker on one side
and Huguenot on the other, and she very early de-
veloped a tendency TO think for herself: otherwise
she would have become doctor of medicine
Talking a Tribune reporter the home of DR.
Morton she said that her first doubts about the
limits popularity ascribed TO the feminine intellect
dated back far she can recollect, TO her
sixth year. At that time friend Of the family
showed her the inside of his watch. and it oc-
CURED to her wonder why women could not
make wheels go round, just well men
Later on she began - be interested in physiology.
When she was about fifteen she went TO a Quaker
school attached 10 the Schuylkin Meeting House.
and the teacher happened 10 have a bent for
science Her name was Grace Anna Lewis, and
she is still living Media, Penn, and studying the
respiration Of fishes at the age Of eghty-seven.
One day she came TO Sarah Adamson with man
ual Of physiology and said:
Sarah. 1 would like thee to study physiology.
Would thee like to-"
Yes. Sarah thought she would like very much TO
study physiology. out she was not very expansive
2bOll IL, IGI IN uloSe GaNS CIliQIcl were Lol tA-
pected TO talk very much Miss Lewis left the
book nith her Sarah became tremendously inter-
es1ed in the manual. ard she now says:
To Grace Anna Dsv-is-I owe more than TO any
one else not physician "
Next year she went 10 he Friends Central
School in Philadelphia which is still continued un
der another name. Here there a class in
physiology and she used TO get from the butcher
hearts. lungs and eyes of animals TO aid her in
these studies She also got from the Philadelphia
T5-7r
have been very exciting book. for there wasn't
single Illustration. nor diagram in 1t, and
many of the words were incomprehensible TO her.
But Sarah read il through, and every evening she
copied few OF the strange words to be looked up
In the big dictionary school Thus by the end OF
the winter she had mastered all the anatomical
terms in the book
During the vacation she was fortunate enough
to ind in the garret Of friends house some med
ical books and forthwith she proceeded TO beguie
the time obstetrics and the diseases of
L told any what I doing" Dr.
Dclley said But ali the time ! thinking how
] could study medicine l used 10 help with the
housewerk and the milking, and sometimes milked
In such attitude OF reflection that they would
send out TO II the milk had creamed. After
about a years reflection l ventured TO ask my
father and mother if they We're willing to have
study medicine. My father answered that if my
feeling really serious and not simple girls
fancy he would do everything he could TO help
My mother had a brother who doctor
Dr. Hiram CcrsoIi, Of Conshohocken. Penn.-who
asterward was one cf the promoters Of the Wom-
ans Medical College Of Pennsylvania 1t de-
cided that I should consult him. / TO see
him and found him just starting on professional
visit He told talk to my aunt and my
Naunt. rather arnusedy, promised TO talk TO
Hiram Then went home and my uncle wrote
me a kirdy but discouraging letter He said that
could never hope 10 be recognized physician,
no matter how long 1 studied
-As my uncle refused to become my preceptor
determined TO take other measures. I said 10 my
mother, viii not Uncle Hiram and ! went
to my brother-l-law. Elijah F. Pennypacker. He
had become convert TO the religion of the
ouakers. and about to start preach
ing rather he had desire 10 visit friends
IN another part Of the county 1 asked him to
take me with him to see DR.. Bartholomew Russell
Of Chester County Dr. FusseH was the uncle of
Grace Anna Lewis and became the founder Of the
woran's Medical College of Pennsylvania.
DIR. FusseI gave ne something 70 write, so
that he might what general education was
ard saidr he. would give me his decision next day
aftsrlbrsa&fast. After breakfast he said he would
lake pupil and you can imagine how
eIated was. But when went home and told my
mother she said that while she had brother who
was doctor she would have go study
with stranger, so she and my father immedi-
ately drove thirteen miles TO Uncle Hiram, and
came back with a load of books and skeleton.
aiy father raised the roof al end Of the house
10 make room for me and there I began the
serious study Of medicine
Miss Adarnson was graduated in 1851 from the
Central Medical College Of Rochester. one Of the
very early schools which have since been incor-
perated with larger institutions She practised
year in a Philadelphia hospital, and in 1852 she
married DR.. l.. c. Dolev and went TO Rochester to
live. She became the mother and grandmother of
physicians, and has just acquired great-grandson
who is also the grandson OF Augustus ST. Gaudens.
whose name he bears. It is still early to pre-
dict which strain Of ancestral tendency the young
man will follow.
DR.. Dolley is an honorary member Of the Acad-
emy OF Medicine OF Rochester. and honorary presi-
dent Of the woman's Medical Society Of New York
State On March u the latter society celebrated
her eighteth. birthday with a dinner Rochester.