An interesting problem faces London University in the large number of both men and women candidates for admission to the medical schools. The new factor in the situation is created by the war-time experiment of admitting women to medicine at several of the schools, which was made possible by the fact that many of the men were in the Army. Now the men are back, and they find that the women have come to'stay.
How is the University to face the problem? Are the women to be turned away for the future? Are the vacancies to be divided, and if so in what proportion? The authorities are at present trying to evolve a definite scheme in which ex-service men will probably receive preferential consideration, but which for the rest involves 'a diflicult and delicate decision.
Before the war women medicals were concentrated in the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine, whereas the other medical schools trained men only. In 1917, after much controversy, it was decided to open the doors to women more generally, and the medical schools of University College Hospital, King's College Hospital, London Hospital, Charing Cross, Westminster, and St. Mary's have all enrolled women students. St. George's did so for time as a purely war measure, and has now closed its doors again to women. The Middlesex, Bart's, Guy's, and St. Thomas's are notable among the hospitals that have steadily refused to admit women.
is estimated that if the total number of women medical students in the country now reading for their degree successfully qualify, women doctors will represent 5 per cent. of the total supply of doctors, and this percentage, of course, will rapidly increase, inasmuch as the adoption of medicine by women is a modern development. There is no doubt that many women are now taking up the doctor's profession as a normal thing, and the prejudice which existed a few years ago against them has been beaten down to a certain extent by the aptitude that is being shown by them.
Woxex House Svroroxs.-
It would, for instance, surprise most people to visit the' casualty departments of the hospitals con-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.