have become a
danger to our medical colleagues as black-leg labour. This has been
almost universally the case in other work which women have taken up,
and one cannot help wishing that men in other branches of labour might
speedily realise the fact that women cannot be stopped from working,
and that the only wise thing, from the men's point of view as well as
from the women's, is to admit all to their unions that they may fight
shoulder to shoulder for better labour conditions, and not against
each other. An example of a case where this was realised has already
been quoted under Example 2, page 144.

With regard to the opportunities for post-graduate study:--At first
all the men's medical societies were closed to women, the provincial
societies being among the first to recognise their women medical
colleagues. London, being in this as in all things conservative, took
many years to move, and did so very grudgingly; but now nearly all
the important medical societies admit women, in this falling into line
with the learned professions generally. The Royal Medical Society,
London, at first admitted women to its separate sections only,
while denying them the Fellowship, with which would have gone that
mysterious power which men so deeply resent our possessing--the power
to vote on matters of its internal economy. The authorities of this
society have, however, recently admitted medical women on perfectly
equal terms with men to their Fellowship--a privilege for which we are
deeply grateful, as post-graduate knowledge of recent investigations
is absolutely essential to good work.

In conclusion, the general position of medical women at present may be
shortly summarised as follows:--

Their legal status is _absolutely identical_ with that of men in
every respect, by which is meant that by being placed upon the Medical
Register they have every privilege, duty, and responsibility which
they would have if they were men. In obtaining this and allowing many
other things to be settled by their successors our pioneers showed
their tremendous wisdom.

We have in the medical profession, what women are now claiming in the
State, the abolition of legal sex disqualification. With this firm
platform upon which to stand, it entirely depends upon medical women
themselves what position they will gain in their profession. All other
disabilities and disqualifications are minor and remediable.

This absolute equality of medical men and women