Thus in no ordinary sense do the life and personality of Doctor Zakrzewska endure in America, and especially in Boston. Thence the inspiration of her life has extended throughout New England; throughout the United States; back across the Atlantic to Europe; and across the Pacific to the Orient.
Is there, then, any part of the earth reached by educated medical women where her living spirit does not penetrate, that unconquerable spirit made manifest through her unchanging ideal—reasoned human standards for women as for men.
It is a common habit of our people to abbreviate long or unfamiliar words and the American populace so generally declined to apply itself to the complete pronunciation of the word Zakrzewska that the name was characteristically shortened to the first syllable. Hence, “Doctor Zak” became the more familiar title, first of convenience and then of that personal and unceremonious aptitude for appropriation which we as a people display toward those whom we regard with admiration and affection.
The material for this biography was given to the editor by Dr. Zakrzewska to prepare for publication with what might be called one condition, and this has now been fulfilled. Circumstances which the editor could not control, and which it is unnecessary to discuss here, have delayed its appearance until now. The earlier chapters are autobiographical and most of them were written in the form of a letter to Miss Mary L. Booth, of New York, and were published in 1860 by Mrs. Caroline H. Dall under the title of “A Practical Illustration of ‘Woman’s Right to Labor’; or A Letter from Marie E. Zakrzewska, M.D., late of Berlin, Prussia.”
Finally, the editor desires to express her appreciation of the assistance rendered by Miss Anne Sullivan, her secretary and synergetic critic.
Agnes C. Vietor
CONTENTS
PART I
(1829-1862)
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | ||
| Foreword | [ix-xi] | |
| [I.] | Some recollections of childhood | [3-7] |
| [II.] | School life begins | [8-15] |
| [III.] | First knowledge of hospitals and reading of medical books | [16-19] |
| [IV.] | School life ends | [20-25] |
| [V.] | Learns all details of household work; then spends most of her time reading in her father’s library; drifts into assisting her mother, who has become a trained midwife | [26-34] |
| [VI.] | After regular course receives diploma from School for Midwives and becomes assistant teacher in the Royal Hospital Charité | [35-45] |
| [VII.] | Is appointed Accoucheuse en chef and succeeds Dr. Schmidt as teacher of midwifery | [46-54] |
| [VIII.] | Resigns her position | [55-65] |
| [IX.] | Decides to go to America to help establish a woman’s hospital, her thoughts turned to Philadelphia | [66-72] |
| New York | ||
| [X.] | Impressions and experiences on landing—Unable to go to Philadelphia or to establish a practice in New York, she builds up a business in fancy goods | [73-91] |
| [XI.] | Social relations | [92-98] |
| [XII.] | Meets Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell | [99-106] |
| [XIII.] | Goes to Cleveland Medical School to acquire the title of M.D. | [107-119] |
| Cleveland | ||
| [XIV.] | Difficulties encountered by women medical students in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boston, Edinburgh (Scotland) | [120-131] |
| [XV.] | Dr. Harriot K. Hunt’s attempt to study at Harvard Medical School and her practice in Boston | [132-143] |
| [XVI.] | First visit to Boston—Meets many noted men and women | [144-158] |
| [XVII.] | An interesting week-end near Cleveland—Meets Ralph Waldo Emerson—Receives the degree of M.D. | [159-175] |
| New York | ||
| [XVIII.] | Impossible for a woman physician to rent an office or to be admitted for study to a hospital or dispensary—Visits Boston to ask money to open the New York Infirmary for Women and Children—Visit to Philadelphia determines the building of the Woman’s Hospital there | [176-194] |
| [XIX.] | Frequent guest at the variety of social “circles” then existing in New York | [195-208] |
| [XX.] | Opening of the New York Infirmary wards and dispensary, with Dr. Zakrzewska as resident physician and superintendent—Mobbing of the Infirmary following death of a patient | [209-219] |
| [XXI.] | Incident of Dr. J. Marion Sims—Second mobbing of the Infirmary—First attempt at establishing a training school for nurses | [220-234] |
| Boston | ||
| [XXII.] | Removes to Boston to become professor of obstetrics in the New England Female Medical College and to establish a hospital department | [235-242] |
| [XXIII.] | Meets opposition in her attempts to elevate the standards of the college | [243-258] |
| [XXIV.] | Her “Introductory Lecture” | [259-270] |
| [XXV.] | Refused admission to Massachusetts Medical Society because she is a woman—Militant ostracism of women by Philadelphia County Medical Society, which tries to crush the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania—She insists medical students must be trained practically as well as theoretically—Continuing unable to elevate the standards of the college, she resigns from the faculty and the hospital is discontinued | [271-287] |
PART II
(1862-1902)