MISS ELIZABETH BLACKWELL

As days passes by, have we, the people laid back and thought about how did the
facilities and career came from? Have we ever thought the root from where our career came
from? Well some of do say no, but I do say I had. Well, basically my ambition was to become a
surgeon. Since it was my best motivation, I did a research to know someone whom could be my
motivator. Well, happily, I did found one. After reading her biography about her life, I couldnt
stop thinking about her. Her life path, her journey was truly an inspiring one. Well, she truly
directed my attention after reading it. She is Miss Elizabeth Blackwell. Miss Blackwell is of
English parentage, and was born at Bristol, England, in the year 1821. Her father moved to the
United States in 1831, and first established himself in business at New York. In accordance with
his circumstances and views, his children had at that time every advantage for a liberal
education. Proving unsuccessful in his enterprises, he moved to Cincinnati, hoping there to
retrieve his fortunes, but died in 1837, leaving his family among strangers to depend entirely
upon their own efforts for support. Elizabeth, with well-matured mind, and already developing
the energy which has since so thoroughly characterized her, though but at the age of
seventeen, she opened a school, she sustained satisfactorily several years.
A clearly slight event guided her thoughtfulness regarding the investigation of
prescription. A female companion, harrowed with an upsetting ailment, communicated her
sharp lament that there was nobody she could call her own sex to whom she and other like
sufferers could resort for treatment. There were ladies who had expected the restorative title,
however without power, and with little claim to certainty. The greater part of them, additionally,
was of notorious character and their practice inconsistent, as well as generally criminal. Her
companion, acknowledging Miss Blackwell's capacities, and realizing that she had yet no settled
an in number point in her life, asked upon her the obligation of dedicating herself to this article,
saving the title as connected to ladies from censure, and meeting a need which multitudes
agonizingly felt.
The recommendation was quickly repulsed, as completely hostile to her tastes and
propensities. She had an exceptional and compelling abhorrence for anything joined with the
debilitated room, or with the human body in its sicknesses. Indeed, even the conventional
physical sciences were uncongenial to her. Mysticism and good logic, the theoretical sciences,
agreed much more with her slants. Squeezed upon her, on the other hand, as an inquiry for
reliable thought, and, with trademark immovability, putting aside individual inclinations, she
soon chose that the call upon her was fortunate and her obligation plain. The slander to be
experienced and the troubles to be surmounted just developed her determination.
Writing for advice to six different physicians in different parts of the country, their
invariable reply was, that the object, though desirable, was impracticable; "utterly impossible
for a woman to obtain a medical education. The idea eccentric and utopian." Her reasoning
from such counsel was brief, and her conclusion peculiar. "A desirable object, a good thing, to
be done, said to be impossible. I will do it."
She without a moment's delay started restorative perusing, under the course of Dr. John
Dixon, of Ashville, N. C., in whose family she was living as tutor. Evacuating the following year
to Charleston, S. C., she upheld herself by giving lessons in music, however kept on considering,
with consistent direction from Dr. S. H. Dixon, subsequently educator in the restorative branch
of the New York University, and sought after it assist under Drs. Allen and Warrington, of
Philadelphia. She discovered the study profoundly intriguing, and tailed it with vigour and

careful quality, while generosity and singleness of reason rapidly conquered her repugnance for
the relationship of infection.
Upon applying for admission to the medical schools of New York, Philadelphia, and
Boston, she was uniformly refused. From ten others the same answer was returned, until at
Geneva the faculty submitted the question to the students, who unanimously voted for her
reception, at the same time assuring her that nothing on their part should ever occur to wound
her feelings while in attendance, -a pledge which they nobly kept. Entering, in 1846, she
graduated in 1848, - the first woman who received the medical degree in the United States.
So fierce, thus uninformed, as well, was the resistance she could call her own sex, that
amid those two years no woman in Geneva would make her associate; basic civilities, even at
the table, were denied her, and in the road she was regarded unworthy of acknowledgment.
Inside of the school dividers she doesn't found anything however kind disposition and decency;
and on the night, of open graduation the cheerfulness of the understudies in clearing a path for
her to get her recognition, and wonderfully showing their gratitude, was checked and aware.
The following morning (she was to leave town toward the evening) her parlour was loaded with
women. Achievement had turned the tide. Certainly, additionally, numerous, moved by the
clear endorsement of her partners in study, were fulfilled finally that her thought processes
were noteworthy, and her capacities satisfactory to her work.
The same year, Miss Blackwell went to Europe, and entered as a student "La Maternit,"
at Paris, with special reference to obstetrics. She also studied in 1850 and 1851 at St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, in London. In the autumn of 1851 she returned, and commenced
practice in New York City. Here again she experienced difficulties which only an indomitable will
and the consciousness of a lofty aim enabled her to meet. With no such facilities from extended
acquaintance and gradual entrance upon the work as subsequently favoured Mrs. Lozier, she
found a "blank wall of social and professional antagonism facing the woman physician which
formed a situation of singular loneliness, leaving her without support, respect, or counsel." The
title had been appropriated by such a class, that the sign was too generally supposed to
indicate either a charlatan or an agent of infamy, and it was almost impossible to find a
respectable boarding-house upon which her name would be allowed to appear.
Despite every one of the preventions, on the other hand, her testimonials and soondemonstrated capabilities bit by bit picked up for her the certainty of all classes, the cooperation of doctors, and a degree of practice completely palatable. The Quakers were first to
get her; and among them she has following the time when kept up a most alluring position. As
opposed to her own desire and to the typical impression likewise, her administrations have not
been constrained to, nor even essentially needed for, ailments curious to her own particular
sex, yet she is called and depended upon by and large as the consistent family doctor; and in
that limit her connection to a wide hover of families is perpetual.
In 1859 she again visited Europe, gave a course of lectures in London on the connection
of women with medicine, and was registered as a member of the British Medical profession. At
about the time when Miss Blackwell established herself in New York, her sister Emily
commenced the study, under Dr. John Davis, demonstrator at the Medical College of Cincinnati.
In 1852 she entered the Rush Medical College, at Chicago, reading also with Dr. Daniel Brainerd,
of that city, and spending the summer vacations in such attendance as was permitted her at
Bellevue Hospital, New York, and graduated at the Cleveland College in February, 1854. That
year and the two following she spent abroad, one year in Edinburgh, one in Paris, one in
London; and returning in December, 1856, located in New York. We regret that our limits forbid
a more extended reference to this lady, whose abilities, attainments, and personal excellences
cause her to share the respect of the public and the calls of private practice equally with her

sister. It has seemed necessary to make Elizabeth Blackwell, as the elder physician, and for
some reasons the more prominent, the special subject of our notice. In our further statements,
however, we shall find them so thoroughly identified in their professional sphere, that they must
necessarily be named together.
The "New York Infirmary for Women and Children," was the product of their united
thought and effort. It was incorporated in the winter of 1853, and opened in the spring of 1854
as a dispensary, regulated and attended by Dr. Elizabeth. In 1856, on the return of Dr. Emily
from Europe, they associated with them temporarily, Dr. M. E. Zakrzewska, a Polish lady,
enlarged their plans, took a house, and opened it, as a hospital, as well as a dispensary. The
object was threefold, a charity for the poor, a resort for respectable patients desiring special
treatment, and particularly a centre to female students for practical clinical study. The Boston
and Philadelphia colleges had already been chartered, and sent forth a number of graduates;
but there was then no hospital which allow their students to freely visit, nor was there any
designed exclusively for female patients.
The New York Infirmary was in this way, for a few years, the main lady's healing centre in
both these faculties, and supplied a key component in any full plan of direction. Around thirty
understudies have benefited themselves of its points of interest, by putting in a year in every
day participation at its bedsides, and going with its meeting associates into the homes of poor
people. With a fair rundown of counselling doctors, the treatment is yet altogether directed by
the Drs. Blackwell and their female partners. Up to the present time more than fifty thousand
patients have gotten remedies and individual consideration by this implies; and almost a
thousand have been detainees of its wards. Each mixture of operation associated with birthing
assistance (aside from the Cesarean), has there been effectively performed by Dr. Emily
Blackwell, as going to specialist. Both the sisters took a dynamic part in the association and
work of the "Women Central Relief Association," amid the war; and their parlour addresses to
nurture going to enter the administration of the armed force were very esteemed.
In the individual qualities and also proficient techniques for the Drs. Blackwell, the
scholarly component emphatically prevails. Clear judgment, close investigation, and relentless
reason check their treatment of cases which go under their charge. They are strenuous
promoters of careful exploratory fulfilments with respect to ladies who might take part in the
calling; and enter nonstop dissents against short courses of study, and low principles of
securing in establishments for that reason. On this record, they have declined to co-work with
any which have been sorted out, maybe demanding a lot from those which are confessedly
flawed toward the starting, and working under unavoidable disservices.
Their influence, however, has thus been stimulating to all who are engaged in such
efforts, "provoking them to good works." A paragraph in one of their lectures expresses their
spirit. "It is observation and comprehension, not sympathy, which will discover the kind of
disease. It is knowledge, not sympathy, which can administer the right medicine; and though
warm sympathetic natures, with knowledge, would make the best of all physicians, without
sound scientific knowledge, they would be most unreliable and dangerous guides."
They are likewise firm in their conviction of the convenience of blending the genders in
all educational preparing, and have reluctantly surrendered for the present, the trust of opening
the customary universities to female candidates. In their method of practice they embrace the
principle elements of the "customary" framework, while declining to be completely bound by
any such constraints in their examination and utilization of cures. In general, they outfit every
as finish an occurrence as has gone under our perception among ladies, of cool, noble, selfbalanced character, hating shams and guiles, steadfastly, with uninvolved rationale, set on the

fulfilment of commendable closures. In religious association, they are Episcopalians; however, in

philosophy and additionally prescription, they appear to be free searchers for truth.

NAME : THASYAYANI YEOGESVARAN

FORM : 4SC1