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Reade, Charles, 1814-1884

"A Woman-Hater"

We were seven ladies, who wished
to be doctresses, especially devoted to our own sex; seven good students,
who went on our knees to the university for those separate classes in
anatomy and clinical surgery which the university was bound in honor to
supply us; but, our prayer rejected, said to the university, 'Well, use
your own discretion about separate or mixed classes; but for your own
credit, and that of human nature, do not willfully tie a hangman's noose
to throttle the weak and deserving, and don't cheat seven poor,
hard-working, meritorious women, your own matriculated students, out of
our entrance-fees, which lie to this day in the university coffers, out
of the exceptionally heavy fees we have paid to your professors, out of
all the fruit of our hard study, out of our diplomas, and our bread.
Solve the knot your own way. We will submit to mixed classes, or
anything, except professional destruction.'
"In this spirit our lion-hearted leader wrote the letter of an uninjured
dove, and said there were a great many more wards in the infirmary than
any male student could or did attend; we would be content to divide the
matter thus: the male students to have the monopoly of two-thirds, we to
have the bare right of admission to one-third.


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