MEDICAL WOMEN IN SCOTLAND.
[To TIE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:] Sru,—The many who have taken a keen interest in the struggle for the medical education of women in Edinburgh, which began in 1869, and has now extended over almost a quarter of a century, will be glad to hear that at length the victory is won all along the line. For the last seven years medical education has been obtainable here, and access has also been granted to the Triple Qualification of the Scottish Colleges. But it is only to-day that the topmost stone has been placed on the edifice, by the admission of Edinburgh women to the medical degrees of a Scottish university. Unfortunately, the medical faculty of the University of Edinburgh remains still on its "bad eminence" of exclusion; but I have this morning received official intimation that the University Court of the University of St. Andrews have acceded to our application, and have recognised the lecturers of this school as "lecturers specially appointed" by the University for the instruction of women in medicine, according to the recent Ordinances (No. 18, General No. 9) of the Scottish Univer- sities Commission. By this Act, the University Court of St. Andrews have, in point of fact, constituted the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women an outlying section of the University, and have empowered its students to matriculate as undergraduates of St. Andrews, and to present themselves for examination for its medical degrees.
This procedure on the part of the University is a most gratifying testimony to the success of our efforts for the last seven years to make this school as complete as possible, and to bring it up to the highest standard of the day. The asso- ciation of the School with Leith Hospital provides its students with ample clinical instruction, and now that a University degree is also at their command, we may well feel that the goal is attained which we have so long had in view.
The utmost attention has been paid to rigid economy of expenditure, and we are now able to provide a complete five years' course of school and hospital instruction for the sum of £95, payable in instalments. The matriculation and graduation fees at St. Andrews amount to about 226 more. I shall, of course, be glad to furnish all further particulars to those whom they may specially concern.—I am, Sir, &o., SOPHIA JEX-BLARE, M.D., Dean of the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Womem. Surgeon Square, Edinburgh, March 23rd.
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