tion is essential. This should include a
certain amount of Latin, which is needed throughout medical work.
The student must also possess the necessary capacity for acquiring
knowledge. It is very usual to find among the general public--women in
particular--an idea that a tremendous amount of a vague quality which
they describe as "cleverness" is necessary in order to follow one of
the learned professions. Certainly this is not so in medicine. It is,
however, necessary to be possessed of average intelligence and a
good memory, and it is difficult for people to pass the qualifying
examinations if they have for many years given up "school
work"--_i.e._, the habit of learning large numbers of new facts.

(5) Money. For three reasons: (i.) The training is expensive, (ii.)
It is also strenuous, making a certain amount of margin for suitable
recreation very desirable, (iii.) Earning capacity, although
ultimately high, so far as women are concerned, is much delayed, and
the work itself is one of considerable nerve-strain. It is, therefore,
very important that economic worry should, if possible, be avoided.

Medicine is one of the few professions in which women receive as high
remuneration as men. A very strenuous battle was fought between the
public authorities and medical women on the subject of equal pay for
equal work. All sorts of dodges have been used to get cheap woman
labour, but, so far, the victory has been almost completely on the
side of medical women. By the word "almost" is meant the fact, that
if two or three posts of varying grades and remunerations are created
under a health authority the woman nearly always gets the lowest,
whatever her qualifications and experience. With this exception the
victory has been complete, and this has been entirely due to two
things:--

(1) The very able support given by the British Medical Association,
which practically served as a Trade Union for doctors, stated the
lowest rate of remuneration to be accepted, and kept a black list
of posts which were advertised at salaries below this rate. The
Association has throughout supported with absolute consistency, the
principle of equal pay for equal work for the two sexes, and has
helped us as medical women to fight many battles.

(2) The other factor has been the public spirit of the medical women
concerned, without which nothing could have been done. One of the
forms of public service most essential at the present day and for
whic