Doctor Theo

NZ Truth, Issue 1194, 18 October 1928, Page 6

Doctor Theo

HALF a dozen years ago, a tall young prefect of the Wellington Girls' Col- : lege used to assemble small juveniles m squads, march them down to the Thorndon Baths : and there' teach them the intricacies "of crawl-stroke and dog- paddle. . • Theo Easterfleld has since, completed her medical course at. the Dunedin University £nd is at present the one lady house' surgeon of 'whom the Wei 1 lingtph Hospital can boast. Bachelor 'of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery are the degrees indicated by, the . letters after Theo's name. She intends to ..complete her M.D. course abroad— -probably 'm England,- where she hopes to go, . following ; upon the completion , of her" .'year >or eighteen months as a house-surgeon. Her elder sister, Helen; by tlie.way,. : isat : present the only • New Zealand- graduated woman M.D. m the country. Theo, rheanwhile; is having an^exceedinglyV interesting ; life, with the cushions and; cubby-hbles iof.-'.'the quarters :(prepared to accommodate several women- house surgeons) .all " to. hprself. Very pretty-; she- has made, them, Avith bowls of. hyacinths, and little ; Dutch woodcuts.. :-, V ''":'■:'..'. '■•■ '..,.. But hospital life is by- no means all roses— or ' hyacinths,' • ei.ther-f-as a : girl house-surgeon finds when on casualty duty,- which means that she may be yanked forth from ' ,' .slumberlaiid :at any hour -of trie • .night— or morning after— to try out new; cross stitches on more or less fragmentary patients.