The Washington herald., 1913-02-01
WOMAN'S HOSPITAL In
LONDON FOR CHILDREN
An Alarming Number of Children Slip
Out of Life for Want of
Attention.
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

Last February a modest little hospital
was opened in London, with nothing re-
markable about it except that it was
stated entirely by women doctors.
II came about because a number of
women physicians wanted full opportu-
nifty to study children's diseases They
went first to one hospital. then another
and found that while women students
We're given access to the children's wards,
there was not a childs hospital in the
city where women were admitted to the
staff as full-hedged physicians And
/. since they were unable to overcome the
prejudice that kept them out, they quiet
ly got together and established an in
sutution of their own-the Women's Hos
pital for Children. they call it.
The object of the new hospital is two
fold; to provide the children of the poor
with medical attendance at the hands
OF women and to- give women doctors a
chance to get in close touch with diseases
peculiar to children.
Just in passing. isn't it strange that
women are always told very earnestly
and convincingly that their special work
is right with the child and yet when
it comes to a matter OF Tins Sort, doors
are opened pretty grudingly, sometimes
not at all?
Is very Popular.
The Women's Hospital is very popular.
so they say. and those who are interest
ed in it report that parents of poor
children are giving the women doctors
all the opportunity they need to study
the ills of childhood. paying a small
fee for treatment there rather than at
the infirmaries where service is free.
Naturally, this is nat because women
doctors or hospitals run by women are
any better or more acceptable than are
men doctors and their well managed in
stitutions. But ii happens always that
there are some who. all things being
equal, prefer to go where women are at
the medical helm.
And since women doctors were neitl er
invited TO the helm nor welcomed when
they went seeking admission. they were
quite right and very wise to start a
hospital all their own. where they need
not wait for the masculine spirit to move
and let them i'm.
So long asst remains true that in Lon
don's elementary schools there Is an
alarming percentage of children in need
Of medical attendance. many OF whom
slip out Of life for lack OF proper treat
ment. there is room for all the women
hospitals that may be founded.
And so long as the city continues to
Sptnu vast sums OF money TO educate
little folk who die Of tuberculosis before
they reach maturity. II hardly seems that
women ought to be obliged to establish
Il hospital for themselves in order to
make study Of chiIdrens diseases.
But this is not the first instance Of its
kind. nor is it likely 10 be the last
II was siXty-five years ago that DR..
Elizabeth Blackwell. the first woman
physician in the United States. knocked
earnestly and often at hospital doors
that steadily refused to unbar Not one
in the great city of New York would ad-
init her. but in Philadelphia maenani-
nifty and Observation-Disclosures were at high
tide and at one hospital they told the
unusual aspirant for medical honors that
hers might be the privilege of attending
he surgical classes II only she would
come in the carb of man,
But she had a better resource than
that. for she went to New York, she
and two other women. and founded a
hospital for womeG and children, which
finally came intZTts own after dis
couraging period/of doubts and fears.
And that is Nat often happens.