The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-24
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, ID. G.
THE WOMEN DOCTORS.

New York, May 16.-Dignified
words have recently passed between
Senator France of Maryland and the
Women's Medical association of New
York City, as a result of which Ameri-
can medical women may play larger
part in our government. Senator
France has introduced a bill ito estab-
lish an executive department to be
known as the department of public
health" and this bill is recognized by
many doctors turnout the country to
be very good one and much needed.
1t has been pointed out before that,
altho we have a department of agri-
culture which studies very tenderly all
the needs and desires of the horse, the
cow, and the humble dog, we have
no department devoted exclusively to
the health of the American citizen,
who surely might be regarded as of
as much importance to the govern
ment as the livestock he possesses.
The most Uncle Sam has done for him
so far, in the way of aiding and abet-
ting him in the pursuit of a 100 per
cent rugged constitution, is to main
tain a public health service for him,
as sort of subordinate division of
the treasury department, and bureau
of chemistry as a subordinate division
of the department of agriculture.
Nation Not Healthy.
The war reused US little out of
our complacent feeling of well-being
by showing us that we were only so
per cent efficient after all. which is
not a statistic to boast about. Then
the influenza epidemics gave us an
other jar.
Many people, both in the medical
profession and out of it. believe that a
strong, central department of health
would be of great value in meeting
such national emergencies by better
CO. ordinating the activities of the vari-
Gus state departments of health, by
standardizing public health reports
and by overseeing the furtherance of
the nations physical welfare gener-
ally.
In the department of public health,
as proposed by Senator France, there
would be established a bureau of vi
tai statistics and publications, bu-
reau of sanitation, i bureau of child
and school hygiene a bureau of foods
and drugs a bureau OF nursing, a bu--
reau of tuberculosis, and a bureau of
personnel.
But to get, back to the Women's
Medical association. There was just
one fault TO find with the bill as the
women saw it. In framing it Senator
France had almost entirely overlooked
the well known fact that the Ameri-
can nation is composed of two sexes.
Not SO very long ago this would have
been an understandable oversight but
of late years the public spirited activi-
ties of the American woman have
gained her the recognition of citizen
ship almost everywhere in the coun-
try. And the women in the medical
profession probably hold first honors
in the feminine world VIXEN it comes
to patriotic work as well as scientific
achievements.
Women Protest.
The Women's Medical association of
New York. after reading this bill,
wrote letter to Senator France en-
very emphatic exception. They took
exception to the fact that the hill ex-
pressly provides that all of the Off
GERS of the health department except
one shall be men. In objecting to this
provision, the women doctors men
toned, among other things, that the
director of the federal bureau of child
hygiene in Washington Ia a woman;
end thar the similar department of
New York state, considered the finest
IN tie world, was organized, developed
and is still run by a woman.
They pointed out that women as
doctors have made good, and they de-
manded that Senator France give
them the same recognition as men,
and make all positions in the proposed
health department open to them on
the same terms.
Senator France, 1t appears, was
completely carried away by this ar
gument. For when DR.. Esther Phol
Lovejoy, president of the Medical Wo-
mems International association and
vice president of the Medical Women's
National association. went to talk with
him about it a short time ago he as