The broad ax., 1923-12-22

According to ones perspective it is,
or it is not, a far cry from the sum-
mer Of 1854 to the summer Of 1923.
On the earlier date Emily Blackwell,
NJ D., just graduated from the med
ical department Of Western Reserve
University, was allowed to visit for
one summer, at Bellevue Hospital, the
newly initiated system Of clinical lee
lures. Last summer, 1923, young
colored woman just graduated from
the College Of Physicians and Sur
geons, Columbia University, began a
full years internship in the general
service Of that same hospital, for the
first time in its history. She entered
upon her work without hesitation or
fear because her qualifications were
high and because public sentiment
was changing.
DR.. Agnes D. Griffin, who has just
begun her internship in Bellevue Hos
pital, was born in Raleigh, N. G., Of
cultured parents who are at the head
of an institution of learning at High
Point in that State She was grad
uated from the Washington Irving
High School, New York, in 1915, re-
ceived the "A. B. degree from Hunter
College in 1919, and that of NJ d.
from Columbia University in June,
1923. Her appointment as an inferno
was due to her merit as a student Of
medicine. After her general service
Miss Griffin hopes TO specialize in
children's diseases. With her educa-
ton, good health, charming person
atty, high principles, unusual ability
for persistent effort, one can have no
fear of the type of service which this
young woman will render in the fu-
ture.
Among other colored women who
received the degree of Doctor of
Medicine in June, 1928 was Mrs. Lii
liam Atkins Moore, daughter Of the
widely known DR.. w. E Atkins of
Hampton, Va, from the Woman's
Medical College OF Philadelphia. Mrs.
Moore passed the examinations Of the
National Board Of Examiners with an
average OF ninety-ive per cent, which
entities her to practice in % States.
She will serve an interneship III the
Douglass Hospital, Philadelphia, dur
ing 1923-24. Still others were Miss
Lyons, from Meharry Medical Col
lege; and Miss Zenobia Gilpin and
Miss Thelma Patten, from Howard
Unf~-Tsity. Or. Gilpin and Dr.. Pat
ten have been appointed internes at
the Freedmen's Hospital for 1o23-24.
Three young colored women have this
year completed the second year in
medicine at the Womans Medical
College, Philadelphia; six are enrolled
in the Medical College Of Howard
University; and one has finished her
first year in Bellevue Medical College
in New York
Unpublished information from the
u. S. Census Bureau for 1920 gives
65 as the number Of colored women
physicians, which figure does not in.
clude IS dentists or any pharmacists.
Though the number is small these
physicians are distributed throughout
the length and breadth Of our country
from New England, along the At
lantic Coast to the Gulf Of Mexico.
and the Mississippi Valley to the Pa
cifc Coast. The number engaged in
active practice is over half. Compar-
ing this with a statement in DR.. Field
ing H. Garrison's History Of Medicine
that the number Of women graduates
in the United States, Great Britain
and Canada who get into practice is
said to be relatively small, probably
by reason Of marriage" it would seem
that the proportion among colored
women is good.
OF the three colored women ply
sicians in New England, DR.. Alice
Woody McKane, a one-time Hamp-
ton student and graduate of the
Woman's Medical College, Philadel-
phia, 1892, has had a varied but useful
career. A native Of Pennsylvania, af-
ter receiving her degree in medicine
she went Immediately to Augusta, Ga,
as resident physician and teacher of
science in Haines Institute. A year
later she married DR.. Cornelius Nc
Kane and moved to Savannah where
that year she established the first train
ing school for nurses in southeast
Georgia. In connection with the
training school DR.. McKane opened
a free dispensary. In 1895 she went
with her husband to Monrovia, Ii
IBERIA, where they opened and oper-
ated the first hospital in that republic.
AT the same time she was U. S. Pen
sion Examiner for Civil War Veterans
living in Liberia. In 1896 these two
physicians returned to Savannah. Ga.
and established the McKane Hospital
in connection with the training school
already developed The work of this
institution goes forward now under
the name Of Charity Hospital. They