Prev | Current Page 287 | Next

Reade, Charles, 1814-1884

"A Woman-Hater"


"Thus encouraged, the university court settled the matter. We were
admitted to matriculate and study medicine, under certain conditions, to
which I beg your attention.
"The instruction of women for the profession of medicine was to be
conducted in separate classes confined entirely to women.
"The professors of the Faculty of Medicine should, for this purpose, be
permitted to have separate classes for women.
"All these regulations were approved by the chancellor, and are to this
day a part of the law of that university.
"We ladies, five in number, but afterward seven, were matriculated and
registered professional students of medicine, and passed six delightful
months we now look back upon as if it was a happy dream.
"We were picked women, all in earnest. We deserved respect, and we met
with it. The teachers were kind, and we attentive and respectful: the
students were courteous, and we were affable to them, but discreet.
Whatever seven young women could do to earn esteem, and reconcile even
our opponents to the experiment, we did. There was not an anti-student,
or downright flirt, among us; and, indeed, I have observed that an
earnest love of study and science controls the amorous frivolity of women
even more than men's.


Pages:
275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299