New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-11-16
NEW PLACE IN BATTLES AGAINST DEATH

Then another day I did a blood
count on a cracker salesman, and he
was so relieved to get it over with he
reached down under the bed and
opened big sample case and offered
me any kind of a cracker 1 wanted.
I think when he heard blood count ne
thought we were going to chop or
his head, and when he found 1 just
pricked him he was so reckless with
JOY he didn't care what became of his
crackers"
The girls have classes in the wards
and probably have lots of funny ex-
periences. But this is only incidental
The theme that runs through these
courses is to take your work seriously
or you might as well stop before you
begin. The courses pursued by the
average student are three-laboratory
technique, clinical pathology and bao-
teriology and serology. These cover
blood counts, making cultures, routine
ANALYSIS. tipping diphtheria, pneumo-
mia typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis and
other diseases. They include blood
tvping and making vaccines. 1t Is
easily seen there is not much time for
fooling. "
To the State of Pennsylvania be-
longs the honor of not waiting for the
war to make wide way for these girls
in the laboratory. Two years ago the
LEGISLATURE enacted law providing
that all hospitals and institutions
caring for the sick and injured In
stall a well-equipped laboratory to De !,
in charge of pathologist and tech
nician. It was then the Polytechnic
Hospital of Philadelphia distinguished
itself by jumping into the breach, ana
Doctor Kolmer, pathologist at the
Polytechnic, founded the first organized
classes for women in laboratory work.
Since the outbreak OF the war other
institutions in the pho eer city nave
installed these courses. Notable among
these are the University 4. Pennsyl-
vania, the Woman's Medical college
Temple University and the city Board
of Health. The course of the Board
of Health is conducted by DR.. G. x.
White, head of the city laboratory,
and is noteworthy in that the classes
are Tree ana LnaL 6Ill4SIlAAE W1SA S~~~~~
Sam is a condition of Joining.
At the same time these courses have
been installed In various institutions
in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Chi
cago and other large cities.
In spite of the fact that graduates
are being steadily turned out, the sup
ply is not able to keep UP with the
demand. Only four weeks ago call
went out from the bureau of sanitary
service, American Red Cross for
women, to do laboratory work in areas
joining the camps. In the case OF q
bacteriologist the compensation ranges
from $125 to $3.50 month, with trans
portation, but even with these induce
ments candidates for service are at
premium.
Clear Call to Service
And leaving the fields of this Gov.
eminent service one hears the clear
call of the civilian hospital, the mu.
nicipa1 and commercial laboratory and
the university sanctum of research. Al
ready it has been answered in our
large cities by women who have
achieved notable success. In New
York we hear of DIR. Anna williams
and DR.. Miriam Olmsted, of the New
York Board Of Health; in Philadelphia
there is Miss Mary e. Triste, Of the
Polytechnic: Miss Mary e. Pennington,
DR.. e. Quintard st. John and DR.. b.
M. Meme, of the Woman's College Hos
pital In Chicago there is DR.. Ruth
Tunnicliff.
These are the voices in the air for
women in research. They are bigger
than the war, for the war liz only o
means to an end. And opportunities
for human beings, regardless of ssx.
represent the magnificent distances of
time against which battles do not pre-
vail.