Transcriber’s Note: Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=. “Fort Sumpter”is probably a typo or printer’s error The following may be typos or printer's errors: practise/practice Cammann/Camman PIONEER WORK IN OPENING THE MEDICAL PROFESSION TO WOMEN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES BY DR. ELIZABETH BLACKWELL AUTHOR OF ‘THE MORAL EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG’ ETC. LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1895 All rights reserved PREFACE It has often been urged that a record should be preserved of some of the first efforts by means of which the medical profession of our day has been opened to women. In the belief that a large providential guidance may often be recognised in the comparatively trivial incidents of an individual life, this request of many friends is here complied with. The possession of old journals and of family correspondence gives accuracy to these details of past years. HASTINGS, 1895. CONTENTS CHAPTER I EARLY YEARS 1821 PAGE Family Life in England—Walks around Bristol—May Missionary Meetings—A Vivid Reminiscence—Bristol Riots—Early Religious Impressions—Emigration to the United States—Schooldays in New York—Anti-slavery—Removal to Ohio—The Struggle of Life—Establishment of Boarding-school—The Wider Education of Women—Join the Episcopal Church—General Harrison’s Election—Transcendentalism—The Rev. W. H. Channing’s Congregation—Experiences in Henderson, Kentucky 1 CHAPTER II EARNING MONEY FOR STUDY 1845 The Medical Idea taking Shape—Lack of an Absorbing Object—Objection to falling in Love—Struggles with Disinclination to the Study of Medicine—The Moral Aspect of the Work conquers—Resolution to earn Money for Study—Journey to Asheville, N.C.—Life in Asheville—Journey to Charleston, S.C.—Teaching at Mrs. du Pré’s—Reading Medicine with Dr. S. H. Dickson—Sivori Concerts—Calhoun on States Rights—Dr. Warrington on Medical Study—Boarding-school Experiences—Summer at Aiken, S.C. 26 CHAPTER III STUDY IN AMERICA 1847