The editors of the Speculum carry arms, and are not responsible for accidents.
and errors.
M.S.S. Second Term's Social is to be held in Parer's Cafe on Saturday, evening, 12th July.
ii
94 THE SPECULUM. June, 1890.
Female students' cupboard under the stairs.
Mr. E. M. James resigned—deeply regretted—bon voyage.
Mr. Webb, senior out-patient surgeon, promoted.
Hospital rules broken—
Surgical students in 24.
Capital operations done in mornings. Rule 16 constantly broken.
Why is the phthisical sputum not disinfected at the bedside ? Pathologist wrath over a certain p.m.—who tried to do it ? Operating theatre not grown yet.
Casualty department the same old den. Why don't they tan or asphalt Little Lonsdale Street ?
Secretary stated that students wasted bandages—Oh ! With some, percussion is an art—like wood-chopping.
Bronchitic patient said he was afflicted with the brown geysers—was he Macaulay's New Zealander ?
Some students contrive to monopolise cases—such selfishness much to be deprecated, especially in the medical wards.
Correspondence.
WOMEN STUDENTS AT THE MELBOURNE HOSPITAL.
To the Editor of the Speculum.
SIE,—Truly of old have bards sung that women ruled the world. Who so rash as to doubt this after perusing "Justice's" argument, in which he relates that three women, and those not even tall ones, carried the Melbourne Hospital by storm, routed seven score male students, mastered all available vantage ground on the field of operation, and put to confusion surgeons as well as dressers ! The battle of the giants sinks into insignificance, and all the epic glories fade before this last and greatest heroic achievement. Where is the votary of Esculapius who shall hymn its praise, or sing " Ichabod" over the departed glories of the male medicals ? Time was when they held the pride of place in all athletic conflicts, but now, alas, how have the mighty fallen, when even those shining mortals, the fifth-year students, must go down before three women, Bacchus bewails his well-loved sons' defeat, and flings away his ivy crown. Alas, poor medicos ! Your death knell is rung. When such a miserable three can vanquish one hundred of you, it is indeed time for you to bow down before their superior strength. How heavy poor "Justice " finds this yoke can be read in every line of his dyspeptic wailings. Alas ! he has lost the front seat at operations, though he still strives manfully to retain it at lecture, and in rage and despair he threatens to withdraw the halo of his presence from the scene of his enemy's triumph. May the gods avert such a dire calamity, lest the medical school and hospital, stripped of their chiefest ornaments and support, totter to their fall ! ! Rather let " Justice" and his followers summon their much-vaunted modesty and decorum to their aid, and, with downcast eyes and blushing faces, seek in the shade of their conquerors' broad backs a refuge for their shame and embarassment, or
Since they've really no defence, Whv Hot, this present session, Omittirig all absurd pretence,
Give jealousy confession ?
—I am, yours &c., 2ESCITLAPIITS SCALPEL.
WOMEN STUDENTS AT THE MELBOURNE HOSPITAL.
To the Editor of the Speculum.
SIR, —The many false and mistaken statements which have been circulated about the women medical students call for denial and correction from one of their number. With your permission, therefore, I will try to sum up as briefly
as Possible the chief charges laid against us, and endeavour to refute them.
These—if we except the main one, that we exist at all—seem to be the following
1. That we attend the Melbourne Hospital.
2. That we present ourselves at operations.
3. That we usually occupy the front seats at lectures.
4. That we are allowed to dissect separately.
, If, after the bitter feeling that has rife among the students for so long, this list of offences reminds one somewhat of the saying, "Parturiunt montes mus ridiculus nascitur," it is the students who must be held accountable for it.
First, as to our attendance at the Melbourne Hospital. We attended the Alfred Hospital for two years, and suffered much inconvenience and loss of time through doing so. There were, besides, other drawbacks. Take as an example the following. Last year the Melbourne Hospital students of the 3rd year had about twenty-four admirable demonstrations on topographical anatomy given them by Professor Allen. A similar series was promised to us at the Alfred, but we only obtained two demonstrations, and for those we were indebted to the kindness of the hon. pathologist. It was, perhaps, hardly to be expected that the Alfred Hospital staff should take the trouble to make any special arrangements for such a handful of students as we were. In coming to the Melbourne Hospital we simply exercised our rights as medical students to obtain instruction at the chief clinical school connected with the University.
Against "Justice's" insinuation, that we left the Alfred because our position had become untenable, may be placed the fact that some of the women medical students are at present attending there, and that the chairman of the Alfred hospital medical staff publicly stated in the presence of lecturers and students that they regretted that we had left their hospital.
I do not expect " Justice " to accept these statements, for it quite evident that, if the facts are against bim, so much the worse for the facts.
Next—as to our presence at operations. Those who would exclude us from them are like the Egyptian task-masters of old, who bade the Israelites make bricks, but denied them the wherewithal to make them. How else are we to, - qualify ourselves to practise our profession and to gain any practical knowledge of surgery, one of the chief branches of which we hope to take up. We invariably absent ourselves, both in the wards and in the theatre, from operations which we shall never meet with in practice, and which lie wholly outside our future sphere of work. Is there no indelicacy in male students attending special operations on women ? while it is held altogether immodest for women to witness those which may be performed on either sex, including children. As to our occupying the front seats at lectures : It is true that we have done so, but only after having had them left for us for several days in succession when we first attended lectures at the medical school. Justice"
can hardly be expected to understand the courtesy which prompted this act on the part of the students. One more charge remains to be noticed—that we have separate dissections. "Justice" complains that this has required an unnecessary supply of material, and has enabled us to monopolise the demon- strators' time. This year, so far from our having extra material, the three women students of the second year have to work at the same part. As to the demonstrators, if " Justice " had any real or fancied grievance against them of
!?Ividing their time unfairly m
, it was to them that his first complaint should have been made, and, failing the, recourse should have been had to the Dean of the Faculty. In conclusion, even those who are opposed to us can hardly fail to see how excellent a foil the friendly and generous tone of "Mentor's ' letter offers to the coarse virulence of your correspondent "Justice." It would be undignified, and even impossible, for any woman to answer such abuse as the latter hurls at us ; in fact, his letter is at once his condemnation and his excuse.
It is to be regretted, however, for the sake of that manliness which is a Prominent characteristic of most of our fellow students, that such a letter should have received publication in the Speculum.
A WOMAN MEDICAL STUDENT.
[Correspondence is not withheld unless very objectionable.—ED.
June, 1890.
91i THE SPECULUM.
En fifirmoriant.
T. A. GARLICK, M.B., 1876, YET 36.
DIED 19TH APRIL, 1890, AT MURTOA.
Pneumonia preceded by Influenza.
NURSE CHARLOTTE SMITH, YET 23.
DIED 5TH JUNE, 1890, AT THE MELBOURNE HOSPITAL.
Mastoid Abscess.