taught, the science of medicine; if she can perfect herself in the healing art, and comes forward in the same circle of society in which I move, I am not going to repudiate her because she is a woman. If she is capable of competing with me, I will allow her a chance of competition, and I will not trample her under foot because she is not dressed in breeches. [Applause.]

THE COURSE IT IS TAKING.

Mr. President, standing here, as I do, upon the extreme verge of our continent—and looking abroad over the world—as I think, with an impartial eye, not within the whirl and confusion of this question as it has been agitating our brethren in the Atlantic States, standing here impartially, as I consider, looking at the great field of action over the world, looking at the course things are taking, looking at the progress that has been made within a few years past, by the female sex, in this direction of medical education, and being capable, as I conceive myself, of considering it with some degree of impartiality—placing my hands every day upon journals from different parts of the world, observing the course that this question has taken in the world, everywhere, seeing that a very large number of the brightest lights of the medical profession are favorable to giving license to women, in regard to the practice of medicine and education as physicians, observing what is going on in the old countries in Europe-in London, where Mrs. Garrett, Doctress Garrett, if you will, received the highest vote of merit in the London Board of Education, and in that Board she has acquitted herself so well as to be, it is stated, the most popular member of the Board, speaking, it is said, only when proper, and withholding expression with remarkable judgment; seeing that in Edinburgh and in other parts of the Old World the doors of the medical schools are more and more opened every day to the medical education of women; seeing that where women have had these chances of rising with man on the platform of medical education, they have almost invariably done the profession honor and themselves credit, and become highly respected in the circles in which they moved; seeing that in America the

cause of female education has been going forward at a rapid rate, promoted rather than retarded by the resistance presented by medical authority, I think the day is come, Mr. President, I think the day is finally come upon us when we must admit, to some extent, the prevailing sentiment as to the propriety of female education; and in receiving it, as we are now doing, we are cutting ourselves off from the aid of a large number of individuals who would be honorable to the profession and useful to us when associated with us; and not only that, but we are weakening the bonds connecting us with many of our brethren who are the brightest luminaries within the horizon of medicine, who are associated, as in the case of President Stille and other eminent men in Philadelphia, with female institutions. Now, are we prepared to do this? The longer you oppose resistance to this current, the stronger it becomes by opposing it. We shall add the force of Niagara to the current that is coming down upon us, upon this question of female education, and the result will be, if we persevere in maintaining the position we now hold, that we shall not only fail in accomplishing our purpose, but we shall ourselves be swept away by the current. [Applause.]

Apart from principle, there is something due to policy. I would not give up principle for the sake of policy at all, but where principle and policy coincide, there, I say, it is proper and legitimate to look a little to the question of policy. I do not wish to prolong these remarks with regard to the time that is before me, and I have not a long time before me in my career, but I have examined this question, I think, fully and impartially, and I wish to place myself upon the record in the position which I have defined here at this time. I feel confident whether it is regarded as a matter of policy or a matter of principle. I feel confident as to what the coming day will do. It will not do what the clamorous advocates of woman's rights are now aiming to accomplish-that I am willing to acknowledge-but it will do something, it will bring forward the female sex on an equality with man on the score of medical education

when the parties are properly deserving of being thus put forward. That is what it will do. That is the only point I am aiming at here, and I want my friends here, men who have been old acquaintances of mine, and whom I have not seen for twenty-five or thirty years until I had the unspeakable enjoyment of taking them by the hand during this Convention, to know where I stand on this occasion at the present time, and I want to be placed upon the record on this question in view of the coming time-the time when our children will settle it irrespective of the action we may take at the present moment.

OPPOSITION TO THE ADMISSION.

Professor Johnson, of Missouri: I have listened with pleasure to the discussion of the amendment of our Constitution with regard to woman, and I confess, sir, that my mind is not fully made up upon it. Nevertheless, it is sufficiently so to enable me to state my own impressions with reference to this question, and what should guide us to a proper solution of it.

In the first place, I do not understand that woman has asked admission to this floor. We have had delegates sent by the medical schools of Philadelphia, or the Societies there, but they have had male representatives, and I believe, if I am correctly informed, that they were not admitted at the first meeting at which they were proposed for admission, and from the fact that they were not admitted, this amendment was proposed by one of the delegates who was denied admission as a delegate, but simply claimed the privilege of offering it as a permanent member. Now, sir, I am wholly opposed to the admission of women here. I am willing to accord to them every right and every privilege that, as citizens, they claim under the Constitution of the United States of America; I would not throw an obstacle in the way of a woman being admitted to the very highest point to which she is susceptible; I would not deny them any privilege in relation to the formation of societies or the formation of colleges, or the formation of institutions of any kind whenever and wherever they choose to establish them, and I would bid them God-speed; but I would like to know why the

question is forced upon us here, for it has been forced upon us. This Association has never made war upon woman; it has never declared war, but the fire-brand was forced upon us, and we are obliged to meet the question. The war was declared on the other side, and I stand here as a member of this Association and say let women have as many medical associations as they choose, and let them attend to their own business, which they generally know pretty well how to manage; let them attend to their own business, and we will attend to ours. Look at the religious associations of women, and other associations. Do men ask or claim the privilege of going into them? Look at their benevolent societies and associations which they attend to themselves; they do not ask the co-operation of men, nor do we want the co-operation of women. [Applause.]

I tell you, gentlemen, this is not so light and frivolous a subject as some of us are disposed to treat it. I have looked upon the question somewhat, and I tell you that the sanctity and the sacredness of home is about to be invaded upon this question. [Applause.] Some of us have recollections of home-recollec tions which I trust we all have-and if there is any position in which woman presides in a Godlike position, it is as that of a mother; and I would like to know what a woman in that position would do in this Association? A mother, with children at home, and her duties at home in that legitimate sphere in which she was created to move? I say let her stay at home and put on an apron, and attend to her children, and not come to a Medical Association. [Applause.] Why, we should expect to see a woman here in breeches, as the gentleman stated just now; not only that, but we should expect to see men with women's clothes on. It is all very well to say that we do not allow them to come here, by this argument; but, gentlemen, this is one of the steps, and ridiculous as it may seem, it will end in that. Women will become men, and men women, in disposition and character; because one or the other must rule, and one or the other must be at the head, and either the man or the woman must be master; and that is the very gist of the

whole question. Now, sir, I am opposed to this. I for one am willing to meet this question fairly and squarely, and I say this Body will stultify itself by the admission of women. It was not contemplated in the original Association that it should ever have women among its members; it was never supposed that the question would ever be brought up before us, but it has been brought up before us, and I am for meeting it here to-day, and I am entirely opposed either to the reception of women, or the reception of any representatives of women from any college or other institution,

WHAT PENNSYLVANIA WANTS.

Dr. Atlee, of Philadelphia: We of Philadelphia have been asked why this question was brought before this Body? We have not brought it here to-day, but our worthy President has presented it before you. That answers the question of the gentleman in regard to that.

Dr. Johnson, of Missouri: I ask the pardon of the gentleman. The amendment was proposed by Professor Hartshorne, representing the Female College of Philadelphia, at the last session.

Dr. Atlee: That may be granted, but in Cincinnati, you will remember, Dr. Davis got up and told us to settle all our difficulties at home; to go back to Pennsylvania and settle our difficulties, but when we got back to Pennsylvania, we were told to go to the American Medical Association and get admission there, and then come back to that Society. Now, what are we to do? We are bounded from one Association to the other in shuttlecock and battle-door style, and how are we to act? We are sent back to Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania sends us back here, and we are now here. The whole question comes down

to one simple point, and that is this: Does the code of ethics, which is the supreme law of this Institution, prevent any institution being represented here that complies with that code? Unfortunately, this opposition to female colleges generally comes from the professors or controllers of other colleges. Is that the position in which they wish to place themselves? Is