practice ought to be exclusively in the hands of women.
The public, through the newspapers, have been pretty generally informed that Elizabeth Blackwell was a regular student of Geneva Medical College, and received the diploma of that institution at its commencement in 1849. As she is the first Medical Doctor of her sex in the United States, the case is, naturally enough, one of those questionable matters upon which there must be a great variety of opinions; and the public sentiment is, besides, influenced by the partial and inaccurate statements of facts and conjectures, which usually supply the place of correct information.
Elizabeth Blackwell was born about 1820, in the city of Bristol. Her father settled with his family in New York when she was about eleven years old. After a residence there of five or six years, he failed in business, and removed to Cincinnati. A few weeks after his arrival there, he died, leaving his widow and nine children in very embarrassed circumstances. Elizabeth, the third daughter, was then seventeen years of age. During the ensuing seven years, she engaged, with two of her sisters, in teaching a young ladies' seminary. By the joint efforts of the elder children, the younger members of the family were supported and educated, and a comfortable homestead on Walnut Hill was secured for the family. The property which, in the midst of their first difficulties, they had the forecast to purchase, has already quadrupled the price which it cost them. I give this fact for the illustration of character which it affords.
It was in 1843 that Miss Blackwell first entertained the idea of devoting herself to the study of medicine. Having taken the resolution, she went vigorously to work to effect it. She commenced the study of Greek, and persevered until she could read it satisfactorily, and revived her Latin by devoting three or four hours a day to it, until she had both sufficiently for all ordinary and professional purposes. French she had taught, and studied German to gratify her fondness for its modern literature. The former she speaks with fluency, and translates the latter elegantly, and can manage to read Italian prose pretty well.
Early in the spring of 1845, for the purpose of making the most money in the shortest time, she set out for North Carolina, and, after some months teaching French and music, and reading medicine with Dr. John Dickson, at Asheville, she removed to Charleston. Here she taught music alone, and read industriously under the direction of Dr. Samuel H. Dickson, then a resident of Charleston, and now Professor of Practice in the University of New York. In 1847, she went to Philadelphia, for the purpose of pursuing the study. That summer. Dr. J. M. Allen, Professor of Anatomy, afforded her excellent opportunities for dissection in his private anatomical rooms. The winter following, she attended her first full course of lectures at Geneva, N. Y. The next summer, she resided at the Blockley Hospital, Philadelphia, where she had the kindest attentions from Dr. Benedict, the Principal Physician, and the very large range for observation which its great variety and number of cases afford. The succeeding winter, she attended her second course at Geneva, and graduated regularly at the close of the session. Her thesis was upon Ship Fever, which she had ample opportunities for observing at Blockley. It was so ably written, that the Faculty of Geneva determined to give it publication.
It is in keeping with my idea of this story to add, that the
