Evening star., 1939-12-03
By WILLIAM H. SHIPPEN, Jr.

BY WILLIAM H. SHIPPEN, Jr.
News must be getting scarce,
young man, when you come to see
me-" chuckled the little gray lady
in the wheel chair.
whats Mrs. Roosevelt doing?
That ought to be story for you!
Never mind. What are you do
ing?"
"Oh, I'm behaving myself-now,' u
replied Dr. Mary Parsons, who, ap-
preaching 80, is the dean of woman
physicians in Washington. Il have
to-"
For the last three years Or
Mary" has been in Sibley Hospital
with broken hip, which was refrac-
tured after it was almost we'll. She
hopes, however, to be up and about
again before her Goth birthday ami
versary next May 2.
will you practice any more?"
"Oh, no: not enough to speak of
You see, I didn't retire until I got
very ashamed of myself, keeping pa
tients the youngsters should be TAX
ing over. I retired an dwent to Hol-
lywood, Calf, but I couldn't stay
away %
"Dr. Mary" was well over 80 when
she left her patients and went to
California. In a few months she
was back, doing a little work, re-
ceiving a few payments on accounts
long overdue and visiting old friends
she never had time to cultivate
before.
A Pioneer.
CDR. Mary" broke into the medi-
cal profession here in the post
Civil War period, when the fem
mist movement was a feeble thing
indeed, and public prejudice against
women doctors was backed by the
law of the land. She chuckled as
she recalled that old fight.
Il was a Yankee, you know, a
New Hampshire Yankee, born in a
little town up near the Canadian
line. Girl students weren't welcome
at medical schools. I could have
gotten into a Boston school then,
but it wasn't suitable. They were
taking in women at the University
of Michigan, but had no hospital.
Howard University was the only
school which seemed to offer any
opportunity at all. I entered in
1871. Three years later I gradu-
ated, the second woman to pass
the examinations"
There was scant practice for the
girl physician, then less than 25
She was delighted, and more than
little frightened, when two church.
women came to ask her to attend
Chinese woman in child birth.
II Was scared to DEATH" DR.. Mary
admitted, but the church women
said they would be right at my
side. We went to the place. It was
over Chinese laundry filled with
Chinese. I looked about for the
churchwomen. They were gone
I've never seem them from that day
to this!
.... Making Friends.
The woman's husband locked mt
in room above the laundry with
his wife. I'd never been so fright.
ened before. I could hear thu
strange men downstairs, and my
knees shook. I knew I had to pull
that wife and baby through"
DR.. Mary laughed when she re-
called it. She couldn't give her.
self much credit for the FACT tina
mother and child recovered nicely
Il was lucky, I guess" she said.
That was the first ChinesC oab.
born in Washington, DR.. Mary be-
lieves. After that, no one but Dr.
Mary could usher in new additions
to the growing Oriental colony il
the new capital.
She treated the children as well
DR.. Mary rarely sent bills, or col
lected, but the Chinese were Away
good pay. Her friends say she re-
turned many fees to the needy, ane
never cashed innumerable check
sent her for her services. She nevel
took vacations, and when her prac'
tice began to grow she became {
familiar figure driving about Wash
ington, at all hours, in her bugg!
harnessed to a faithful horse.
In the early days DR.. Mary sough
entry into the District Medical So
ciety in vain. The society's con
gressional charter granted member
ship only to gentlemen" who prae
ticed medicine and surgery.
Unknown to other doctors in town
DR.. Mary's friends on Capitol Hill
had an amendment slipped through
Congress altering the word gen
tlemen" to persons"
"They had a great debate ovel
whether to allow me to join th'
society,"" DR.. Mary said. II Learned
that one physician in particular
made a most eloquent appeal in m!
behalf, but when the time came, HI
voted against mel"
DR.. Mary. however. won her wa,