Author's Note – In "The Heart Within," Charles Cook says that Colleen's attendance at Harvard had "divided the place badly." We never saw this division on screen, only seeing the side opposed towards women. It's time to give the other side a voice.
Follow Your Heart – The Cook Chronicles
Chapter 11 – The Experiment
January 4, 1874
Dear Ma,
Happy New Year! I hope you had a white Christmas. We did in Boston. It was so cold! It was good to see Grandma again, and Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Richard, and Martha and Fiona. I met Davis, her new butler (Harrison had to retire - you probably know that already, but I didn't). Grandma told us about your sisters moving away. I'm glad she still has Aunt Rebecca around so she's not alone.
I talked with Mrs. Dixon about Grace's cookbook, and she agreed to help, having heard good things about G.'s cooking from Grandma. I told her what I'd learned from Amanda about adjusting things, and we started going over the recipes together.
Andrew's parents seemed to like me. Dr. Cook and I shared a dance at the reception while Andrew danced with his mother. Mrs. Cook doesn't say much because she has a stutter. I wish there was a cure for that. They had us over for dinner and she played some Christmas carols on the piano. She and Andrew played a duet of "What Child is This" and another song I didn't know called "Coventry Carol". I knew he was being modest in saying he didn't play anymore. Mrs. Cook looked so happy when Andrew was sitting next to her. I think she misses having him in Boston like Grandma misses having you there.
I met Great Uncle Theodore at the reception. We also shared a dance, and he thanked me for the use of my room when he visited you. He said he'd be happy to return the favor one day if Andrew and I are ever in New York City. I don't know if we'll ever get the chance, but it's nice to think about.
I also got to meet Andrew's roommate from Harvard, Dr. Fred Hughes, and his wife Caroline. F. teased Andrew that it was women who were supposed to be the ones who headed west to look for a husband, not the other way around. Andrew said he hadn't intended for that to happen but glad that it had, then he mentioned that one day I'd be his professional partner, too, once I graduated medical school. F. thought this was another joke and asked me to prove it by naming the largest organ of the body. I know that's a trick question, because regular folks would say heart or maybe lungs. But I know it's the skin and said so. Suddenly F. said they should be getting home. At least he wished us luck before leaving. Andrew said he probably just needs time to get used to the idea of a non-traditional marriage, that it's still not very common. I suppose.
Before we left Boston, Andrew took me ice skating. He said he was glad to finally be able to pay me back for the riding lessons I gave him in Colorado Springs, that he could teach me something that wasn't related to medicine. I was scared of falling, but Andrew held me close and went slow. He said now that it's officially winter, and cold enough, we can try skating when we get home. When he said "home", I thought of Philadelphia, I didn't think of Colorado Springs. I guess I have two homes now like you do, Ma.
In Chemistry, we've started learning about all the different poisons, and in PoM, we're started learning about different diseases and how they can often present similar symptoms, leading to misdiagnosis. I shared how you once had a patient who had been diagnosed with cancer by another doctor, but you figured out it was hepatitis instead, from contaminated oysters, based on patient history. Dr. Comly was impressed. By the way, I sort of told that story to Dr. Cook when we were dancing together, except then I forgot I shouldn't have mentioned that Grandma was the patient. I remembered in time to only say that she was misdiagnosed, that it wasn't cancer, but I still feel bad about the slip. I'll be more careful about confidentiality in the future.
All my love,
Colleen
:
"Gentlemen, I have a request."
The speaker was Dr. Charles Cook, distinguished alumnus of Harvard Medical School and assistant chief of staff at Boston Memorial Hospital. This was the first meeting of the faculty after the holiday recess and Charles had sent a note to the chairman requesting an opportunity to bring up new business. The fifteen men looked at him expectantly.
"There is a young lady who desires to attend Harvard Medical School, and I-"
"Outrageous!"
"Preposterous!"
"Absolutely not!"
The chairman called out to restore order, "Gentleman, gentlemen!" The room quieted. "Charles, have you lost your mind?"
Charles smiled ruefully. "It may appear that I have done so. Nonetheless, I propose that she be granted admission."
"Charles, you must have an exceedingly good reason for making such an… unorthodox request," the chairman said. The man had been about to use the word unprecedented, but that would not have been entirely accurate. A few women had made attempts to matriculate at HMS in the past – none successfully.
"Actually, I do. The young lady is a relation."
"Of course, she is," said William Winchester, glancing around the room. "I would hardly expect you to stick your neck out for a stranger."
Seated across from Winchester, Sebastian Roth inquired, "You have been her mentor?"
"No, she has been guided by another." Charles stopped short of calling Michaela Quinn a doctor, as that was a bridge too far. "She is presently attending that women's college in Philadelphia."
"Well, if she is already matriculating elsewhere, I see no reason for her to come here," a smug Winchester responded. The comment brought murmurings of agreement.
"I respectfully disagree, William," said Jeremiah Rooney, seated next to Roth. "If women are going to continue to pursue professional careers and be of service to members of their own sex, why shouldn't we want them to have the best education possible?"
There were murmurings in response to this argument, too. The ensuing discussion continued apace as the opposing sides proceeded to lob arguments across the table as if at a tennis match.
"I agree with Jeremiah," said Roth. "The men of Geneva took no issue when Miss Blackwell studied there."
The doctor seated next to Winchester spoke up. "Surely you're not putting Harvard in the same category as Geneva?"
"No, I'm simply saying that a woman educated among men has already been proven to be a tolerable situation."
"You have an odd way of defining 'tolerable,' Sebastian. Might I remind you that Geneva disbanded its school not long ago?"
Roth smiled in amusement. "Are you seriously suggesting that Harvard would suffer the same fate if it let a woman in?"
"Don't be absurd!"
"For God's sake, man, this is Harvard," added Winchester. "How are we to maintain our status as a preeminent institution if we let a woman in?"
"Gentlemen, please." The room quieted again at the chairman's admonishment. "Charles, I find I am also inclined to oppose your request. President Eliot has made it clear that Harvard is to remain a male-only institution."
"Yes, I am well aware of the president's position." The seasoned physician hadn't gone into this meeting blindly, re-reading Eliot's inaugural address to seek clarification of the president's stance and search for any areas of flexibility. "His primary concern was with the practicalities of housing young women on Harvard's grounds, of the inherent difficulties in ensuring that proper decorum would be maintained in such close proximity. This situation would be quite different, as it is but a single young lady who would be residing in Boston near the medical school, not in a Cambridge dormitory."
"Yes, yes, Charles may be on to something here," said Rooney, seizing on this line of reasoning. "I heard that speech as well. The president said the university would be open to some experimentation with women's education."
"Precisely," came the immediate rebuttal from across the table. "Women's education. Not co-education."
"I find it remarkable that we are perfectly willing to let women sit next to men in church, at the music hall, and the lyceum, yet inexplicably there is something so repulsive about letting women sit next to men in a lecture hall," said Roth drolly.
"It is not the same, and you know it," sputtered an indignant Winchester. "Harvard is—"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," the chairman interrupted, again restoring order.
"For the sake of argument, Charles, let's say we agree to this proposed experiment," said a new voice from farther down the table. "What's in it for the school? You cannot expect us to go out on a limb without some incentive." Mutterings of agreement accompanied this comment.
"Naturally." Charles didn't relish the idea of quid pro quo, but understood it was the nature of these types of agreements and had fully expected the demand to be made. "In addition to Boston Memorial continuing to serve as a resource of clinical learning, I am prepared to make a donation to the school… within reason."
"Of course." The chairman glanced around the table. "Well, gentlemen, it appears we have some deliberation before us. Dr. Cook, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention."
He gave a nod of acknowledgement, understanding that he was being dismissed from the room. He'd done what he could. The question was, was it enough? "Thank you for your consideration."
Charles found himself alone in the school corridor. Students were either holed up over at the library building, working at Massachusetts General Hospital next door, or had already returned to Cambridge for the night. As the minutes dragged on, he thought it portended well; that doctors Roth and Rooney were slowly convincing the others in favor of admittance.
At last, the door reopened, many of the men exchanging calls of Good night to each other. A few of them glanced his way with polite nods or murmured Charles.
Doctors Sebastian Roth and Jeremiah Rooney were the last to exit, approaching him to convey the results.
"The vote was unanimous," said Roth. "I'm afraid the answer is no."
Charles was taken aback. "Unanimous… you opposed it?"
"You need to understand, Charles, that matriculating a woman at the medical school would only embolden the cause of the Women's Education Association for Harvard to extend the same courtesy at the college. Eliot would never agree to that under any circumstances."
Charles nodded in resignation. "Very well. I thank you both for your support." He held out his hand for a handshake.
"You don't give us enough credit, Charles," said Rooney. "You didn't think we were in there for thirty minutes deliberating which textbooks to assign next term, did you?"
"We believe we have a viable alternative – if you're agreeable," Roth added.
"I'm listening."
Roth gestured toward the vacated meeting room, and the three men sat to discuss the plan.
"It was made clear to us that matriculation was simply out of the question," Roth began. "Even if you could keep such a thing confined to the university, the record of her attendance would exist, waiting to be discovered and exploited by the WEA. And so, the question became how can we accommodate your request without providing official status to your relation?"
Rooney picked up the narrative. "Then it came to me. Before the implementation of the Courses of Instruction, women were allowed to attend certain lectures at the college. What if we extended that concept to allowing a woman to sit in on all of lectures at the medical school, effectively auditing the entire course?"
"In other words, she would be permitted to attend Harvard but be ineligible to receive a diploma." It was a compromise Charles wasn't sure Colleen would agree to, but if it was the best he could do…
"Charles, you misunderstand. That is partly why we were negotiating for so long," explained Rooney. "We felt the only logical conclusion to this experiment would be to allow the young lady to sit for the final examination. Provided she receives a passing score and meets every other requisite for graduation, we have insisted that she be granted a degree the same as any other transfer student. Frankly, there are some who are hoping it doesn't get that far, which is the only reason they agreed to it."
"However, in exchange for the degree we did have to make another concession," said Roth. "To minimize her presence, she would be restricted to a single year at Harvard. She must complete two years in Philadelphia first."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Charles' face. He wasn't happy about this concession, as it meant waiting another year before Andrew was back in Boston. Yet what choice did he have? He gave Rooney and Roth a single nod of agreement.
Roth took note of Charles' expression. "I'm afraid it was the only way to gain a majority. But such a restriction could be to our advantage with President Eliot, make the experiment more palatable if it is so limited in duration."
"I thank you for your efforts, Jeremiah, Sebastian," said Charles, shaking each man's hand in turn.
As they exited the school, Roth could no longer hide his curiosity. "By the way, Charles, you never did tell us who this relation of yours is."
Rooney and Roth had done him an enormous favor to strike a bargain with the faculty. They deserved the truth of the matter. "Her name is Colleen Cook." It sounded foreign to his ears, as he commonly thought of her as Andrew's wife or, prior to that, the girl from Colorado. "She is my daughter-in-law."
The two men did a double take. "Your daughter-in-law?" Rooney repeated in astonishment. "Well, this does present an interesting development, doesn't it?"
"A married woman… at Harvard Medical School," Roth said slowly, thoughtfully. "You were wise to conceal her identity earlier. In fact, it might behoove us to omit mention of her situation altogether until it is too late for anyone to change their minds."
:
January 11, 1874
Dear Colleen,
Hey, little sister. Dr. Mike's been real busy lately, so I said I'd write to you this month. Grace had her baby. His name is John Anthony Freeman. G. was looking through that book of baby names, and John means "God is gracious". For a while it wasn't looking very gracious. Dr. Mike said G. had a condition called pre-eclampsia (I checked her medical book for the spelling) and that it can happen with older mothers. I'm sure you and Andrew know all about it. Dr. Mike and Adam did a Cesarean section. I'm sure you know all about that, too. So, that's one reason she's been busy, looking after G. and the baby to make sure they're all right.
The other reason is that right after baby John was born the influenza came again. It wasn't as bad as before because this time she didn't run out of medicine, and Adam was able to help take care of the sick, but a couple of older folks still didn't make it.
There's one more piece of news to share that Dr. Mike had nothing to do with. Reverend Johnson and Missy Church got engaged on New Year's Eve. She wants a spring wedding when her family can come.
I'm glad of the chance to write to you because I wanted to say thank you for the advice you gave me. I've been happier than I've been in a long time now that Emma's back. I'm going to take things slower this time. I see now how I was pushing her before about getting married and not paying enough attention to what she really wanted. And she really wanted her own store. Thanks to the money from your necklace, she'll get it. I haven't had much time to help build it because I spend most of the week with Judge Barton in Denver, but I do what I can. You're so strong, little sister, being away from the family so much. I know you've got Andrew with you now, but I could never be away from home for so long.
Give Andrew and Amanda my best.
Love,
Matthew
:
In early February, Charles composed a letter to his son, informing him of Colleen's acceptance to Harvard Medical School for the 1875-76 school year. Andrew handed it to her before dinner with the words Looks like you have a decision to make after all, for Colleen had not yet shared her own decision to accept. In fact, as the weeks had passed waiting for word from Dr. Cook, the teenager had started having second thoughts.
Her friends Deborah and Hannah had noticed her daydreaming when they'd returned from the holiday break and had asked what she was dreaming about. Though she hadn't planned on saying anything (since it wasn't real yet), Colleen confided in them about Dr. Cook's proposal. They initially shared Colleen's excitement, until Hannah asked how Andrew felt about it. Colleen had had to admit that he'd had some concerns and advised that she take time to think it over – and Hannah had suggested that maybe that had been his way of hinting that he didn't want her to do it.
Colleen's confidence in her decision had wavered ever since. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how one-sided it had been. She hadn't taken Andrew's feelings into account at all… and how could she feel good about a decision her husband didn't support?
Thus, the evening the letter arrived, Colleen and Andrew lay quietly in each other's arms. Neither one spoke, the weight of Colleen's decision hanging between them. Finally, he asked, "Have you decided what you want to do?"
"I don't know. I thought I had… but now I'm not sure."
"Why not?"
"If I go to Harvard, you'd have to give up teaching, and your job here at the hospital."
Her consideration of him warmed his heart and he hugged her close. "It was never my dream to become a teacher, Colleen. This is about your dream of becoming a doctor."
"But I can do that here in Philadelphia. I don't have to make you go back to Boston if you don't want to."
He frowned. "What makes you think I don't want to go back? We were just there."
"That was just a short visit. You mean you wouldn't mind living in Boston again?"
"Of course not. Whatever gave you that idea?"
"You left Boston right after medical school. I thought maybe you left because you didn't like it there."
"I left because Mrs. Quinn invited me. The chance to see more of the country was too good to resist, as was the opportunity to run a clinic by myself during your mother's convalescence. And you already know my reasons for staying in Colorado Springs."
"So, you wouldn't mind working with your father?"
"Well, I admit, he's not as easy on the eyes as Michaela…"
"Andrew… I'm serious."
"Seriously, why should I mind? Once you've graduated, you'll be able to join the practice, too. Colleen… your doubts about Harvard are all about me?"
"You've done so much for me already, Andrew… moving to Philadelphia to be with me, and being careful that I don't get pregnant… asking you to move again, and to keep being careful, it feels selfish."
Andrew let out a sigh and considered his response. In truth, she was partially right; he didn't relish the thought of continuing to flout the law and take precautions beyond the two years he'd already committed to. It was as if track officials had mockingly moved the finish line after the race had begun. Still, as he had told his mother, he couldn't regret marrying her sooner rather than later. He was assured of Colleen's love and commitment the rest of his days, and his heart warmed every time he saw her smile, every time he heard her laugh, every time she took his arm as they stepped out together as husband and wife - not to mention having her all to himself every night when they went to bed, whether it be lying peaceful and content in each other's arms or giving in to full-bodied desire. No, he definitely had no regrets about that!
From the start, the young doctor's main worry about Harvard was what kind of reception Colleen would get. He'd already witnessed the occasional odd look or ignorant remark directed at her, such as from the pastor's wife or Mrs. Sheffield – but those were minor irritants compared to the treatment the women students had suffered just a few years back at Philadelphia Hospital. There were no guarantees one way or the other how the medical men of Harvard would respond to having a woman infiltrate their elite, male-dominated terrain. The worst of it was that he wouldn't be there to protect her from any negativity directed her way, either from the students or the faculty members who voted against her attendance – for Andrew held no illusions that the vote had been unanimous even with his father's endorsement. Yet Andrew also knew, if Colleen declined Harvard solely out of a guilty conscience, or because it was his preference that she do so, she would resent him for the rest of their lives – and that was something he could not live with.
"If anyone's been selfish, darling, it's been me. I'm the one who proposed before you had your degree because I couldn't bear to lose you from my life. If Harvard is what you truly want to do, then I'll write to my father tomorrow and tell him you accept."
Joyfully, Colleen hugged him as tightly as she could. I've been worrying about nothing. "I love you."
Please, let my worries be for nothing. "I love you, too."
:
February 22, 1874
Dear Ma,
I have exciting news - I'm going to Harvard Medical School! Andrew's father arranged for me to transfer after I'm done at WMCP. He said I would have to audit the course instead of matriculating, but that if I meet all the requirements and pass the final examination, I will earn a Harvard medical degree just like any other student (and just like Andrew!). Andrew and I can live with Grandma, so she won't be lonely. But you can't tell anyone outside the family, and this can't be printed in the Gazette. Dr. Cook's letter said that this opportunity is 'not to be used for self-promotion or advancement of any public agenda' and that I'm not allowed to 'affiliate or associate with the Women's Education Association of Boston or any other women's group that is not an approved student organization.' Of course, Harvard doesn't have any women's groups for me to join. Andrew says it's the school's way of keeping my attendance there quiet because they don't want the attention it would bring. I hadn't thought of that, but I really don't want the attention either. It would just make me too nervous knowing so many people were counting on me to do well or waiting to see if I fail. But even so, I know what my being there can do for others. Remember all those times we talked about changing the rules or changing people's minds about what girls and women can do? When the men see me sitting there taking notes at a lecture just like them, or studying in the library just like them, or recording pulse, temperature, etc., just like them, they'll see that it's no big deal, and it'll be easier for the next woman who wants to go there.
But that's off in the future, and I know I need to concentrate on my studies here first. There is so much to remember, so many different diseases and pathologies. It's amazing how many things can go wrong. I understand why doctors keep so many reference books and journals around. It's impossible to keep it all in your head other than the short time it needs to be there for examinations. It helps that I've seen you treat a lot of diseases and illnesses already, like consumption, influenza, diphtheria and malaria. I know some of the other girls are struggling to keep up, so I've been helping them with that (like Fanny helped me with Chemistry). We're like the Three Musketeers that way (only there's thirty of us) - all for one, and one for all.
The best part of this term is that we've started practicing palpation, percussion and auscultation. I know book learning is important, but being able to put hands on a patient, to hear their heart or lungs, to figure out what's going on inside a person and determine how to help them – it's what I've watched you and Andrew do so many times. And now I finally get to do that! So far, we've just been practicing on each other, and we discovered that one girl who I won't mention by name has a heart murmur. She knew about it but hadn't told anyone. But she let us all listen for the practice, which was really nice of her.
I hope all is well with Grace and the baby. I'll get to meet Little John before I go to Harvard because the third-year course is only six months long and it starts in mid-August, which means Andrew and I will be able to come home for visit! It will be so good to see you all again and meet all the new people who've come to town.
All my love,
Colleen
:
March 22, 1974
Dear Colleen,
I have read and reread your news many times, and it is still hard to believe. You must have made quite the impression on Andrew's father for him to advocate on your behalf. I am completely bursting with pride at your attitude, wishing to help other women. I know Charlotte would have been proud of you, and Marjorie, too. I went to the cemetery to share the news with them, since I can't share it with anyone else.
I'm so very glad you'll be able to make a visit home before your additional studies. I missed you so much at Christmas, unable to keep our promise to one another to always be together at that time of year. I realize in hindsight that it was a promise always destined to be broken if you were to obtain your dream of becoming a doctor, but I cannot begrudge you your dreams.
Grace has now fully recovered from the pre-eclampsia. And Teresa Slicker had her babies, a boy and a girl. Yes, twins! Tomas and Maria. They were born early but are receiving a lot of tender loving care and I believe they will be fine.
Brian has been in a mood lately. When I asked him why, he said Sara told him that her mother plans to send her to boarding school next term. Mrs. Sheehan feels that the town school is not providing her daughter with the 'appropriate education to become a lady.' Unfortunately, I must agree with her assessment, as our school is not the right venue to study things like art and music and French and comportment. I tried to comfort Brian by saying he and Sara could still keep in touch by letter, as we do with you, though I don't believe that helped much. At least they'll have another summer together before S. leaves.
Love,
Ma
:
The rest of Colleen's first year of medical school passed uneventfully (save for a bout with the mumps, which Andrew and Amanda nursed her through). She attended classes and demonstrations, examined specimens under the microscope, spent hours upon hours studying, took exams, and continued assisting at the hospital. Day by day, week by week, she made steady progress towards her dream of becoming a doctor.
Graduation was held the last week of April. As a member of the faculty, Andrew sat at the front of the room while Colleen watched from the audience.
Observing the graduating students (including Sarah Eddy and Lizzie Bertolet) recite the Hippocratic Oath and receive their diplomas from Dr. Cleveland, Colleen imagined herself standing in their place next year. Sure, she'd be going on to Harvard afterwards, but that didn't mean she couldn't earn a degree from WMCP first. It's how she always pictured graduating from medical school, posing with a group of other girls. And, in a way, her medical degree from WMCP would be an insurance policy of sorts, just in case the worst happened and she failed the exam at Harvard - though her friends had complete faith in her ability. You can show them that women are just as capable as men, Deborah had said. And with all of your experience, I wouldn't be surprised if you finished at the top or near the top of the class, either. Hannah had added, If anyone can give the men a run for their money, it's you, Colleen.
Applause from the audience broke Colleen out of her reverie. She clapped politely and sighed.
No pressure.
No pressure at all.
:
:
Author's Notes-
-"A few women had made attempts to matriculate at HMS in the past – none successfully" – In 1847, Harriot Kezia Hunt, age 42, applied to HMS. Rejected, she tried again in 1850, following Elizabeth Blackwell's graduation from Geneva Medical College. This time the vote was in her favor, but after students protested the decision to admit her and three Black men, she and the men were either dissuaded or prevented from attending (there are differing versions of the story). WMCP awarded her an honorary M.D. in 1853. Between 1866-1868, four more women applied to HMS, but all were rejected based upon the prior student outcry. Women did not gain admission until World War II depleted the number of male applicants. Eleven women enrolled in 1945, earning their M.D.'s four years later. Oddly, women were allowed to teach at HMS long before they were admitted as students, becoming instructors in 1910.
-"re-reading Eliot's inaugural address" – Charles Eliot became Harvard's president in 1869. If you're interested, his speech is available online (search for "charles eliot inaugural address"). I used the section on women's education to shape the debate in this chapter.
-"residing in Boston near the medical school, not in a Cambridge dormitory." - Harvard Medical School began in Cambridge in 1782 but relocated to Boston in 1810 to be closer to the city's hospitals.
-The Woman's Education Association of Boston (WEA) was formed in 1872 for the purpose of securing admission of women as undergraduates into Harvard College. Other colleges in America had started to become co-educational, but the "prestige" Ivy League schools strongly resisted this change. Harvard President Charles Eliot tried several alternatives to co-education: allowing women to audit some individual lectures; creating a separate program called "University Courses of Instruction" (an early version of extension classes); and administering special "Harvard Examinations for Women" - tests which the women had to study for on their own and conveyed no special status if passed. Not surprisingly, none of the alternatives lasted long. The WEA's efforts led to the opening of the "Harvard Annex" in 1879, whereby Harvard's professors were allowed to present to an all-female audience off-campus the same lectures that they had given to the male students on campus. The Annex would evolve into Radcliffe College in 1894 (Helen Keller would become its most famous alumnus). Though Radcliffe students were eventually allowed to take classes at Harvard, the original WEA goal of women matriculating at Harvard would not be achieved for a century, when Harvard and Radcliffe formally merged in 1999.
-After writing this chapter, I discovered that the precise wording used in "The Heart Within" - that Colleen was allowed to "audit" the course (and wasn't an official matriculant) - had a real-life equivalent! In the 1890s, Mary Whiton Calkins, a Smith College graduate, was given special permission to attend lectures and seminars in psychology without being registered as a student. According to a Harvard website, "Calkins passed all the requirements for a Ph.D. at Harvard with distinction" and was recommended by a committee to receive the degree but was refused because of her sex. She, in turn, refused an honorary doctorate from Radcliffe College, Harvard's all-female counterpart. Calkins later became the first woman president of the American Psychological Association.
-Pre-eclampsia is a condition during pregnancy, not always symptomatic. It is more prevalent in older mothers and Black women and in severe cases can cause life-threatening organ failure.
-Matthew says in season 6's "Vengeance" that he's "studying to be a lawyer." For most of the 19th century it was possible to become a lawyer without going to law school; one could also be self-taught, usually (but not always) in conjunction with an apprenticeship. It wasn't until the 1890s that the American Bar Association – formed in 1878 - began pressing states to require a law degree for admission to the Bar. We met Judge Barton in "Life in the Balance", when Matthew argues that Hank should pay a fine, not serve jail time, for destroying the Chinese camp.
-The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas was first published in 1844.
-"my third-year course will be only six months long" – as I've done with the WMCP school calendar, I've used creative license with the HMS calendar.