io HELEN ABBOTT MICHAEL 



eminent in their profession. I may mention Dr. Grace Wolcott 

 and Dr. Lena Ingraham. 



I formed a warm friendship at that time with a student 

 who entered the college with myself. She was Eda Wilhelmi of 

 New Philadelphia, Ohio. She later married Dr. McLane, and 

 took her degree in Cleveland, Ohio. She practiced medicine 

 in New Philadelphia with her husband, but subsequently gave 

 up medicine for literature, for which she had always a strong 

 bent. 



We were inseparable companions and pursued our studies 

 together. The lectures which troubled us the most to under- 

 stand were those given by Dr. Frances Emily White on Physi- 

 ology. She followed the plan to introduce her class to a general 

 review of Biology and Morphology based on the principles of 

 evolution and a great deal of Herbert Spencer. To one who 

 had been from childhood associated with thoughts of Art, the 

 languages, and literature, shrouded in a mantle of Catholic 

 orthodoxy and mysticism, these lectures were puzzling in the 

 extreme. I found myself, out of college hours, devouring all the 

 works I could find on subjects to elucidate Dr. White's lectures. 



I was no different from the rest of the beginners, who found 

 these lectures difficult to grasp, but I was assured that on reach- 

 ing my second year what then seemed obscure would become 

 very plain. I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to Dr. White 

 for the difficulties she had me encounter during these first 

 weeks at college. Her lectures and the private teaching which 

 I had from her later were most stimulating and full of enlight- 

 enment. I passed the first year's examinations in chemistry, 

 anatomy, and physiology with a record of one hundred in 

 each branch. 



The summer following my first year at the Medical Col- 

 lege was full of interest. I spent a great portion of the time in 

 chemistry, geological expeditions, and delving more deeply 

 into books on biological subjects. I made the acquaintance, at 

 this time, of Professor Edward D. Cope. The versatility of 

 his mind attracted me, and his interest in all general subjects, 

 such as music, the stage, literature, metaphysics, and philo- 

 sophical speculation, was the basis of a congenial friendship 



