50 Years Ago

When the history of the twentieth century is written, the year 1957 will surely be noted, inter alia, as the one when women really began to press their claims for equal career opportunities with men... In one sphere, however, they have made little progress. This, of course, is the world of industry... [Some] manufacturers will only take women applicants when there are no suitable male applicants... Women should think carefully before deciding on particular careers in industry. In such careers as general management, personnel management, and industrial medicine, a break for marriage and child-bearing should be no handicap and should enable the middle-aged woman to return to industry even more fitted for her job. In rapidly evolving specialist fields, however, where knowledge of chemistry, physics and other natural sciences are involved, she may find it easy to secure a post before marriage but difficult to return to it afterwards.

From Nature 20 July 1957.

100 Years Ago

Notwithstanding the much improved statistics recently issued by the Lunacy Commissioners, thoroughly satisfactory materials are still wanting for solving the question whether the prevalence of insanity is or is not increasing. The importance of the problem... imparts special interest to a paper by Mr. Noel A. Humphreys on the alleged increase of insanity... This paper shows in a striking manner the value of scientific statistics in checking crude figures. The author expresses a decided opinion that there is no absolute proof of actual increase of occurring insanity in England and Wales, and that the continued increase in the number and proportion of the registered and certified insane is due to changes in the degree and nature of mental unsoundness for which asylum treatment is considered necessary, and to the marked decline in the rate of discharge (including deaths) from asylums.

From Nature 18 July 1907.