girls belonging to attend.
to
Christian village
native
a
We believe also
were
induced
native
orphans, survivors of the famine of 1869, were subsequently added to the number of pupils. The report itself does not give very definite information regarding the pupils, but we gather from one of the visitors' remarks appended to it, that on the 14th of March 1874 there were " 26 and native girls, young English on the 6th of from and to 8 18 in of varying it, years age" November of the is
one
ages not stated.
" 50 girls under tuition, of whom year two Eurasians and the remainder natives?"
One difficulty has therefore been
material has been obtained
to
It appears that the
suitable ?
some
same
European,
an
that
work on, but
pupils
overcome
;
is tiie material
have to be
paid stipends
and it is not difficult to get natives to do any kind of work for consideration. Dr. Corbyn himself is a moderate pecuniary
evidently uneasy about the quality of the material. Many of the pupils are, it will be noticed, mere children, and the difficulty seems to be to get pupils "fit to begin the study of medicine at once and old enough to practice." The acquisition of about 23, who of a very respectable Eurasian woman, had been deserted by her husband," is mentioned with evident satisfaction. This difficulty is undoubtedly a real one. We cannot imagine, in the present state of native society, an element less likely to command respect, or effect an entrance into native zenanas, than young unmarried native Christian girls or A male doctor of good family and caste young Eurasian widows. more we trow, infinitely is, likely to be acceptable and popular than this class, and it is very questionable whether the movement, thus prosecuted, is so much in the interests of native iC
females as it is vaunted to be. is
required to forthcoming.
secure
a more
But it seems that more money element, and this is not
suitable
Another difficulty has been partly overcome? practical instruction. It seems to have been easy enough to get these girls to repeat their lessons in anatomy and bandaging," and their glib answers on these subjects in the want of
"
oral examination appear to have astonished the visitors whose remarks are appended to the report, but we have Dr. Loch's
us
of the
Dr.
" teach some of the midwives attempt to of the town and diitrict of Bareilly a little midwifery." (We
and
arose
out
of
an
are quoting from a letter written to Dr. Balfour, SurgeonGeneral, Madras, by Surgeon-Major J. H. Loch in July 1871.)
It
was
girls
to
found
"
very difficult" to get Hindoo and Mahomedan
study in the school, ond^ accordingly)
some
unmarried
A
women
"
that they recollect but little of what they temporary arrangement has now been made by girls obtain some practical training in a dispensary
and children, and it appears that 4,168 women aud
treated in this dispensary in 1873, and 3,466 children in 1874. So far well; but it would be interesting to know how these women and children are treated and how far their diseases are intelligently apprehended and skilfully managed by these girls. But the most serious difficulty" seems to be to find employment for the pupils when their education has been completed, lhis, one would suppose, if the scheme had sufficient warrant and jus-
2,126 5,215
ciation in aid of social progress in India," No. 55, for July 1875. The greater part of the publication is occupied by a " Report
"
learn." for
the Journal of the "National Indian Asso-
Bareilly Female Medical School for the year 1874, by Corbyn, Surgeon-Major, Civil Surgeon at Bareilly, NorthWestern Provinces." From this report we gather that the scheme of educating females as Native Doctors, which was originated by Dr. Corbyn and supported by Bujah Gunga Pershad, has revived after a temporary collapse during Dr. Corbyn's absence on furlough, and that, notwithstanding many difficulties," the enterprise is considered to present features of prosperity. The school was originally started in 1867,
for the fact
which these
THE FEMALE MEDICAL SCHOOL AT I3AIIE1LLY, We have before
authority
children
women
were
and
"
,
tification in the circumstances of the country and the demand for the services of people of this description, ought to be the simplest part of the business, but we find that they have to be paid a subsistence allowance after they pass. Dr. Loch, writes of the difficulty of finding support for them till they can earn their own livelihood; they would never take up practice till they are married and then who is to attend to their "
household work ?"
has however been found for Philibeet Dispensary and another under the Bampore Nawab. Another proof of success is
two
Employment
of them, one at the
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
276
mentioned in tliat the matron and senior for to
a
great
during interesting cases
many zenanas
Some of the more
hare been sent
girls
the year under renew.
by them are six, fire cases girl of cancer of the breast, one dislocation of the hip joint, two of wrist joint, two of elbow joint, one of thumb, one of lower jaw, It would one reduction of patella, also several fractures." be interesting to learn how these cases were treated, especially the cancer cases and the hip joint dislocation. We have much pleasure in pointing to one case, printed on another page, in which one of Dr. Corbyn's pupils manifested praiseworthy courage and skill in managing a cross-birth. Much as we commend Dr. Corbyn's excellent intentions and persevering endeavours to realise them, we regret that we are unable to pronounce this enterprise either sound or promising. That female doctors are really demanded by the people of India is a pure assumption to start with; that females of any kind are fit to be doctors is a very doubtful point; and that the class of females who are being educated at Bareilly is likely to be acceptable or successful is more than doubtful. We regard, then, the experiment as one of very questionable justification in India, and we look on the manner in which it is being, carried out as superficial and unsafe. Experimentation of this description, where human lives are the subject-matter, and agencies which are capable of damaging or extinguishing human life the instruments, is assuredly playing with very dangerous tools. enumerated :?" A
ease
of stone in
a
treated
little
of
[October i,
1875.