WOMEN AS DOCTORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18077, 29 April 1922, Page 11

WOMEN AS DOCTORS.

MIXED MEDICAL GLASSES. THE LONDON EMBARGO. LIVELY CEITICISM AROUSED [from oub own coebsspondent.] LONDON. March 14. Considerable interest, not to say indignation, has been caused by the announcement that the London Hospital will take no more women students. The London Hospital authorities say that ', certain medical matters should not be conveyed to a mixed class of men and women students. Other London hospitals ridicule the action, and they take the view that "in medical education and science sex does not enter at all." Lord Knutsford, chairman of the London Hospital, presiding at a meeting of the governors, said that the committee had come to this no* because they objected to the medical education of women, but because of the difficulties which arose in a mixed school of men and women students. There were unpleasant subjects which had to be taught to all who wished to take up medicine. To teach these unpleasant but necessary things to either sex alone was possible, but Jie staff had found difficulties in teaching those things to a mixed audience, and did not wish to continue to do so. Minor difficulties had also to be met, and for those reasons the committee considered that the hospital should revert to its old custom of training men only. Explaining the matter further in an interview, Lord Knutsford said: "There I is on the part of the men a strong feeli ing of dislike to being in the same | classes with women, and attending demonstrations in the wards with them. I am speaking of young men and young women of 18 to 22 years of age. and I must say I sympathise with tlem very much. Moreover, it was seen that, as a result of taking women students women I would be appointed resident house phy- ] siciaus and resident house surgeons, and ! from such appointments there would arise I difficulties with regard to matters of I discipline. Consider the position of a mule patient coming to the hospital for treatment, for example, for venereal disease. He does not know, until the doctor actually arrives to interview him. whether he is to be seen by a man or a woman. If he knew in advance it would not be so bad; but ha does not know, and so it often happens that when he discovers_ and the discovery shocks him, that the' doctor' is a woman, he foregoes treatment and leaves the hospital. That represents a real danger to the man and to the community. And there are all sorts of treatments and examinations that will be realised in a moment's consideration cannot be made by women doctors ' on men patients. I know the converse happens every day; but that*is the outcome of habit, and customary practice." " Too Many Women Doctors." Questioned as to whether the decision did not arise from professional jealousy, a specialist at the London Hospital denied this. "We take the vtew." he said. " that it is not wise to nave ■ boys and girls in the same room at certain lectures, and there is no space available to separate the sexes. There are in • the hospital now 55 women students, who will complete their conrse in two years, and their departure will be the end of an experiment We have nothing to say - against the women as students—the ques- , tion is bigger than that. Take one small , point. Many women after they pass their ; final examination frequently marry, and | years of effort are wasted. And, again, it cannot be denied that already there are , too many women doctors to make a good living probable. Those, however, are side issues.' Probably an official of St. George's Hospital has got nearer the truth. " Women," he says, " are apt to take advantage of the favour still allowed their sex. Even in 1922, and even in medical students, there lingers an old inclination to give place aux dames. The dame is I apt to be blind to the unfair advantage i given her over her young man fellow student. The front place in the out-patient room, the first and longest examination J of a patient, the best seat at a lecture, the longest attention of the demonstrator of anatomy in the dissectina room—these advantages are given her oy the men. They naturally would prefer to keep these 1 advantages for themselves. They can do so where there are no women students. i Jealousy Not toe Reason. "There are other good reasons against • admitting men and women medical stul dents to the same school," the same offi- , cial continued, "but tlfly certainlyfdo not 1 include the reason saioTto have been adI vanced by the London Hospital authorit ties that certain medical subjects cannot , be taught to the sexes together. The , cool exposition of the facts of anatomy , and physiology, of life and death, and the i rest, embarrasses no man, whether his s class is a mixed one or not. Nor do I , believe that jealousy is a reason for men wishing to exclude woman from their ; medical Rchools, or even that overcrowding of the profession is their fear. There are f wide fields in which many women doctors I are needed to do work for which they are • better suited than men. In one great i field, India, man is not even admissible to thousands of women patients. Why, then, do some of us wish to keep women student* away V " It would be better if women went to their own excellent medical school—the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine for Women," was theopinion of Sir James Cantlie, the well-known Harley Street surgeon. Against this, however, is the statement that the Royal Free Hospital Medical School is " absolutely packed." ) Moral of the Situation.

Dr. Louisa Garrett, daughter of the late i Dr. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the pioneer of the mQvernent for the admission'of women to the medical profession in England, said she was not surprised the decision. '* It is what we expected,' ghe said. "During the war the hospitals were opened to women students because oi financial considerations. Now that there is no longer a shortage of men students, the hospitals are closing their doors against women, because their financial help is no longer needed. The moral of the situation is that women who are interested in promoting the interests of their sex in the profession «hould b»nd ! together to support the London School.f I Medicine tor Women and the Royal free ! Hospital, which are controlled by men and ! women anxious to *• *£ iaalltie3 I for training women as doctor*