THE

ENGLISH WOMAN'S REVIEW.

(NEW SERIES.)

No. CV.-JANUARY 14TH, 1882.

ART. I.—THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE BY WOMEN ABROAD,

THE UNITED STATES.

AN inquiry of considerable interest to women who intend to take up the profession of medicine, has been lately made in the United States, and its results were announced in a paper read by Miss Emily F. Pope, M.D., before the American Social Science Association which met at Saratoga, last September. The inquiry. was directed to ascertain to what extent women are practising medicine in the United States-whether the majority of those who graduated still practise; how far their pecuniary success shows a demand on the part of the public for women physicians; what effect the strain of practice has on their health, and what proportion of them marry. It must be remembered, in comparing the results with those which might attend a similar inquiry in England, that the Americans have had a much longer experience of women physicians than we have. The first who graduated in America was Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, an Englishwoman, in 1848, and the first medical school for women was established in Boston the same year. The Women's Medical College in Pennsylvania was incorporated in 1850. Thus, more than thirty years ago, medical instruction was easily attainable, while till ten years ago our own country women were compelled to seek

January 14th, 1882

their complete course of instruction abroad. There are now many other medical colleges for women in America ; of these, the most important are the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary, founded in 1868, and the Women's Medical College of Chicago, in 1870. In 1871, the Medical Department of the University of Michigan, the largest medical school west of Philadelphia, opened its doors to women, who receive the same instruction as the men students, from the same Professors, but mostly in separate classes.

To ascertain the desired facts, a circular containing certain questions, was sent to every woman graduate whose address could be obtained. It was impossible to find the addresses of many who had kept up no communication with their Colleges after leaving them, but information has been received concerning 430 who live scattered over twenty-six States of the Union. New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts have the largest number, but there are hardly any in the Southern States, and none in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Nevada. In many cases only some of the questions were answered, so that the numbers do not in every case correspond to the total number who have been communicated with.

With regard to the length of time these ladies have been in practice, the statistics show that—

23 have practised more than 20 years.

15

from 15 to 20

Three hundred and forty-one report themselves as practising allopathic medicine, and thirteen homoeopathic medicine. The average time of study before engaging in practice, was four and a half years.

The most striking test of success, that of pecuniary profit, was more difficult to obtain. It seemed doubtful whether the majority would be willing to return their income, and, moreover, this would not always give a fair idea of the value of a practice, as a small income in the country might represent more actual profit than a much larger sum in a city where living was expensive..