The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-04-27

says, seVcral IemaIe pnySlclanS are i'll
excellent practice in Boston, with an
increasing business.
Women will 60 where duty and
humanity call, not only to Canada, but
to the frozen shores of Greenland or the
burning climes of Africa. There is,
however, need of some thousands of
male physicians to supply the cities and
towns of New England alone, so that
they may not be obliged to make such
long journeys to reach their patients.
Persons interested should select suitable
females and aid them, if necessary, to
obtain a medical education, on condition
that they locate and practice. in the cities
or towns from which they are sent and
receive assistance. There are many
such women, who would gladly qualify
themselves if they had the means.
1t is true that young lady graduates
may be diverted from the public exer-
else Of their profession, for knowledge
of the art of health and healing will soon
be regarded as one of the most valuable
qualifications and accomplishments the
mistress of family can possess. With
such help a mans house, instead of
being melancholy and expensive hos
pital, as is now too often the case, would
be citadel of health and the abode of
cheerfulness and thrift. The public
health too would be efficiently promoted
and protected by supply of such sani-
tary officers in the households of a COM
munity. The more who thus give up
public for private practice the better,
for the supply will be equal to the de-
mand both public and private, even if it
should require that young women gen.
orally should graduate from medical
colleges, AZ they do now from boarding
schools. Some Of our students have
thus been diverted before graduating /;
one of them having become the wife Of
a Professor in a college. Physicians
might make an advantageous compromise
and prevent competition arising from
separate interests.
A young woman's education is serious
ly defective unless she has at least a
good knowledge of physiology and hy-
giene. The New England Female
Medical College will make itself useful
in diffusing knowledge. During por-
ton of the past winter quite a large class
of young ladies from the Charlestown
Female Seminary have come into the
city two afternoons in week to attend
course of lectures on these subjects,
illustrated with the Apparatus Of the
College. 1t is certainly recommends
ton Of that Seminary that its Superin-
tendant, DR.. Bellows, and its teachers
thus encourage their pupils to attend to
this most important branch of female
education. Doubtless other young
ladies' schools, in Boston and neighbor-
ing towns, will avail themselves Of such
courses oflectures in the Female Medical
College.
BY an act of the Massachusetts, Le-
gislature, ,passed in 1850, physiology and
hygiene are required to be taught in the
public schools. But no provision has
been made to qualify females to teach
these branches. The Female Medical
College, with its facilities for instruction,
may be made Normal institution for
the purpose of thus qualifying female
teachers. And for this reason, among
Others, the Legislature and all the friends
of education should aid this institution.
To enlighten the female portion of
the community in relation to the princi-
Piles of health and the rational means of
restoring it when lost, will greatly dimin-
ish quackery and the commerce in patent
pills and nostrums. 1t will also aid in
checking the progress of that physical
degeneracy that is crowding old hospitals
and demanding new ones for idiots, i'm
beetles, and insane : establishments
founded and sustained by heavy appro-
priations of wealthy citizens and the
government. Cure is good, but preven-
ton is better.
Women need the employment and
support which the medical profession
will afford scope for the exercise Of the
best abilities and the highest intellectual
attainments.