The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-29 00:00:00

LADY DUFFERIN AND INDIAN
WOKEN. .

The female population of India and the well-
wishers of the true interests of the sex are to be
sincerely congratulated on the movement which has
been started in that country, and of which Lady
Dufferin is president, for the purpose of supplying
native female medical aid to the women of our great
dependency, We (the Queen) have repeatedly pre-
sented to our readers the imperative necessity that
exists for the establishment of a trained corps of in-
telligent native women, to act not merely as nurses
and midwives, but as medical women in the zenanas.
As we have on several occasions pointed out, no
respectable
.Indian woman can, without loss of caste,
which entails sacrifice of reputation and of self-
respect, accept the services of any medical man. The
European medical women who are at present practis-
ing in India are as it were but a drop in the vast
ocean, as compared with the population of the
country; there is not, in fact, one to every million of
the people. The difficulties that hinder the settle-
ment of European medical women in India are very
great, as has been recently indicated in our columns.
There is, in fact, but one mode in which the suffer-
ings of sick and suffering Indian women can be
ameliorated, and that is by the establishmeut of a
body of native female practitioners.
This desirable proceeding is the object of the
National Association which, has been recently
established under the most distinguished patronage,
and with every prospect of success.
The effort, we are happy to state, is of a perfectly
unsectarian and national character; there will be no
attempt at making proselytes, the sole object of the
association being the training of native women.
Scholarships will be provided for those under tuition,
and skilled female medical teachers, who have
graduated successfully in Europe or America, will be
provided.
Too much praise can hardly be bestowed on the
scheme, which is little likely to fail of success. The
native Indian gentlemen, who are not debarred from
seeking aid from male European practitioners, are
fully aware of the wretched inefficiency of the treat-
ment that is received by the ladies of their zenanas,
and are most anxious that the evil should be remedied
in the only possible way, by the medical education of
native women. It may be suggested that European
women would furnish a higher class of practitioners,
but this question it is not necessary to discuss. At
the present time an efficient supply of skilled Euro-
peans is impracticable, and each trained woman who
goes out to India can do much greater service as a
teacher of hundreds of native women, who may in
their turn benefit ninny thousands of patients, than by
practising as a medical woman herself.
The social bearing of the question is only inferior
in importance to its medical influence. But this is
an indirect and secondary action; it has been most
wisely determined that medical aid, and that alone,
is the object of the association. It has. been esta-
blished simply to promote the healing of sick women
and the relief of suffering humanity, and not the
reform of Indian female life ; but nevertheless it will
have an effect in gradually ameliorating the condition
under which at the present time Hindoo ladies live.
The forms and customs which have reduced life in
the zenana to a system of almost unendurable
bondage, will be broken down by the introduction of
native women, who to some extent have emancipated
themselves from the traditional customs of their
race. It is not the religion of the Hindoo which
compels the seclusion of women from the world, but
customs and forms which have existed for centuries.
The hold of these will be loosened by the introduc-
tion of native medical women, whose influence may
have the most beneficial consequences in the not far
distant future.

Miss Flora B---- is an awful flirt, and what makes
the ladies most against her is that all the married
men seem to be so fond of her society. The other
day Mrs. M. said quite savagely, "Really, my dear,
do you think it almost time you took a husband?"
"Whose shall I take ?" asked Flora, with a sweet
smile. I wish you had been there to see Mrs. M.'s
face. It was a picture. .

O'DONOVAN ROSSA AND THE DYNA-

MITE CONSPIRACY.

A correspondent states that the following letter has
been received by O'Donovan ROM'S European agents,
one of whom is now stationed at Havre, and another
at Antwerp:
United Irishman Office, 12, Chambers-street,
New York, July, 3885.

Dear Sir and Brother,—l must in duty remind
you of a resolution passed at a certain meeting of
oar representatives on the Continent over four
months ago, according to which you bound yourselves
to redouble your efforts in beating England to her
knees, and spreading the holy war in the middle of
the enemy's camp. Since then nothing has been done.
What, I ask you in all earnestness, is tall talk worth
if it is not backed up by action? Your inactivity is
highly displeasing to our friends on this side; and as
for the delegate you sent me the other day, I do not
think his explanation at all satisfactory. You have
plenty of oatmeal on hand, and you won't use it.
Now, I summon you, in the name of our Brotherhood,
and by the solemn oath you have taken, to recommence
field operations forthwith. Strike the enemy at
in ---, and at —, if possible simultaneously.
Please convey to our friends that Red Jim ht'Der-
moLt is still in the land of the living, and that the
story of his death was an invention of Jenkinson's to
cover the traitor's hiding place. 311Dermott, how-
ever, cannot much longer hide himself from the
vengeance of our missionaries, each or any of whom
will be paid 10.000 dollars for his execution.—Trust-
ing to see shortly by the cable that the fight is being
fought anew, I am, yours fraternally,
JIM. &DONOVAN Rossi.

The word "oatmeal in the above letter (the
correspondent says) means dynamite in the con-
spirator's vernacular. The names of the places where
Rossa orders outrages are written in cypher, the key
to which is changed periodically. As an explanation
of the dynamite chief's reasons for issuing this circular,
it is said that the apathy referred to was caused by
internal wrangling among the dynamiters. Several
of the leading continental conspirators, in league
with their brethern in London, have of late—and
so far with success it appears—persistently opposed
every effort made for organising explosions
in England, and more particularly since the
advent of the Conservatives to power. Some of
the more intelligent and reflecting minds in the
dynamite camp are reported to be eager to give Lord
Salisbury a "fair trial" in his administration of Irish
affairs; and there is a general feeling among such
conspirators that a policy of exasperation on their
part would hopelessly destroy any chance which Ire-
land may have in the immediate future of securing a
measure of self-government, more or less "in con-
formity with the principles of justice and common
sense.' Up to the present this moderate section has
been able to restrain the ardour of their less diplo-
matic brethren, but Rossa's letters it is feared, may
counteract their programme.