DUNEDIN FABIAN SUCIETY.

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 63

DUNEDIN FABIAN SUCIETY.

A meeting of the Duiiedin .Fabian Society was held at the Zoaiandia Chambers, Dowling street, on Thursday night. Mr A. K. Barclay, vice-president, occupied the chair, and there was a very large attendance, the hall, indeed, being too small to hold all those who wished to gain admission.

Jl>r Emily 11. Siedeborg gave an address on " Tho Medical Education of Women in Great Britain and Germany," in which she, speaking from experience, referred to the restrictions placed upon women in the medical schools of those countries. Having been educated, she said, at tho medical school of Dunodin, where men and women were placed on a footing of equality so far as education went, she was struck with tho various restraints placed on women in the medical sc'.iooL of the old country. In London she was sorry to say that we men doctors were net looked upon favourably by the medical profession, and, with one or two exceptions, she was received coldly by all of those whom she visited. Women received their lectures at the London School of Medicine for Women quite apart, from the men, the courses hero qualifying for the degree of M.B. of the London University. The Royal College oi" .Surgeons vould not yet admit tliem to membership or Jellovrship. With regard to clinical leaching, women students wero not admitted into any of UlO hospitals of London except two, — Ibo 3 loyal I'roe Hospital and Hie New Hospital foi Women. She was cordially received at both the-'e hospitals, and invited to attend several operations there. The quick, deft manner in which ihe women operated roused her admiration, the operations being conducted in every way equally as well as any sho had seen clone by men. In Ireland the restrictions on women were almost nil. With "the exception of Trinity College, all the colleges and universities of Ireland admitted women freely, with all the privileges which men enjoyed. In Edinburgh there were two schools of medicine for women, in which women could obtain a complete medical education, apart from men. In Glasgow a complete education could also be obtained at Queen Margaret College. Ihe examinations were the same for both sexes. Ln the clinical teaching-, however, women were still severely handicapped by being excluded from all the wards with the exception of two. Only one small, and rather poor, operating theatre wa<3 open to women. Still another disadvantage tbat women had to put, xip with was in not being allowed to attend any of tho clinics except that on skin diseases. In spilo of the manifest drawbacks women vrere expected to pass the examination* at the same standard a-s the men. In Groat Britain there were ol least 15 medical institutions for women and children, besides the now hospital and the Royal Free Hospital, officered wholly or partially by women. In Germany the education of women in all branches was behind that of the English-speaking countries — indeed, there were only four towns in Germany where State High Schools fov girls existed. In Berlin, even after the various univeroily authorities grant permission to women to attend the medical lectures, the lecturer himself had full power to refuse — it power which was frequently exercised— and she herself had boon refusod admission to the .surgical lectures and operations ty Professor Berginann. The other professors she found courteous enough, Professor Lassar being especially so. The medical education of women in Germany was in a very unsettled condition. A woman might commence v. course there, and of tor going on for a year, or perhaps Wo yeoiN, suddenly find herself before a profc-'jor who refused to act in it her to his lecture-'. Tn conclusion, she pe l vised women of New Zpaliuid who intended studying medicine lo taVa their full course he-re first, partly because they had the advantage of full privileges, and partly bmui 0 Ihoy eiml'l enjoy home comforts. At Iho t» cl of the coiisve, wJi^ii it could Le manatjod, f-1.-s a<!vk<od a trip to the old countiy in order t<i widen the experience.

Tn the discubsion. wlr.uh ensued upon the addre&M, Messrs Burton, b'allawar. i<a\'lor, Tail, Clark, Mallard, HulHii-smi, nn<\ tbo Chairman took part. A lionrty voto of think- was snh»wjiie.uly accorded by «eelamft l.ion (o L'r Siodsbot's for her address.

During the discussion reference was mode to the exclusion of Miss Stella Henclenon from the press gallery in tho House of Representatives; and, on tho motion of Mr liulchison, seconded by Mr Clark, ib was unanimously resolved — "That this meeting desires to express its astonishment at, and disapproval ot, the action of_ the majority cf ths press representatives in excluding a woman reporter from the press gallery in the House."

During the evening solos were contributed by Miss Lichtenstein and Mr Beck, and Miss Balsille played a piano solo, each of the performers being cordially received.

The Wesfcport Times understands that the Westport Coal Company have bad plans and estimates prepared for opening up a new coal se.im on their Granity lease, some two miles south of the present workings and on a lower level.