ABSTRACT

It will be remembered that Mr. Co~er Temple had, earlier in the session, introduc~d a Bill to enable women who had obtained degrees in certain foreign Universities to be registered as medical practitionel·s. This measure was brought forward in consequence of the failure last year to pass a measure enabling Scotch Universities to examine women students. The matter was then hotly ~ontested, the old and time-worn argument of the indelicacy of women studying medicine being varied on the part of those who conceded the abstra~t reasonableness of the claim by the plea that it was an unwarrantable and partial interference with the prerogatives of the UDlveraities of one country, because it left those of the other countries untouched. Last July the matter was discUBBed in a much more temperate spirit. Very little was said of the indecorum of women wishing to be doctors, but the majn point of objection rested on the unfairness of admitting women to a special privilege, while men possessing foreign -diplomas were still excluded from registration, thus at once establishing a distinction between male and female students. Mr. Cowper Temple did not press for a -division, as Lord Sandon, on the part of the Govemment, promised to give their assent to the Bill brought forward by the Recorder and Mr. Bright to enable English Co~orations and Universities to admit women to examination if they desired to do so, taking care to make it clear that the Bill was permissive and not com. pulsory. He added that he was afraid there was no chance of passing the Recorder's Bill at that late }>eriod of the session, and though Mr. Bright deprecatea any additional delay as inflicting great injury both on the ladies who were studying, and on patlents who desired their services, yet most of the friends of the movement feared that this tardy measure of justice would not be meted out till next year. The supporte1'8 of the Bill, however, were indefatigable. The principal opponent· of the Bill, himself in the proteRSion, was satisfied when the clause was added that women were not, by virtue of this Bill, entitled to take part in the

govemment and management of the Corporations which registered them. The Bill was read the second and third time without a division, and during the "small hours" when newspaper reporters have gen~rally abandoned their gallery; consequently it excited little, if any, public attention.