The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-27

Female Phvsiciaus.

i F Female Physicians.
i There is a learned profession now in
the hands of men which we are inclined
to think women win shortly share with
them, taking, indeed, the better half to
themselves. We mean the medical pro-
fession. We have already seen young
women going through the studies. and
getting the diplomas of that science; and
the founding of female medical colleges
is spoken of from time to time In the
journals. In late paper, we have seen
that at Richmond, in Virginia, they are
about building an extensive establish
ment of the kind. These things give
evidence of what promises to be one oi
the best innovations of the age-one
founded upon common sense and common
feeling.
Women are fttest physicians for wo.
men. Reason gives them, at one stroke,
one half of creation to begin with /; and
then throws in, along with this grand di-
vision, all the little ones of the family OF
man. We assume that woman can
master all the science and mystery of the
healing art as well as man-though,
probably, in the matter of epic poetry,
mathematics, craftsmanship, or military
strategy, she may be obliged to admit an
inferior capacity of mind. Medicine is
not SO very deep and difficult thing.
Care and common sense are, after all, the
grand principles of successful practice
| in the management of the human consti-
tuition; and these qualities belong as
much to the women as to the men. We
can fancy the strong satisfaction with
which women would hail the quiet com.
| ing into their sick rooms of one of theil
town sex-a diplomaed and experienced
woman the effect, in many places, would
go half way to bring about the cure
We need not go into particulars in this
argument !; the truth of the statement
will be generally admitted. In the case
of children, too, the gentle and womanly
care of doctress would be most effica
cious and happy. Weare convinced tha
the doctress, in managing her patients
would come better to the point, and dea
more directly and bluntly with the all
ments of the young and old of her owr
sex-or rather, let us say, with the les:
young-than man could do. She would
be less complaisant and courtly, and more
: familiar in her treatment of them, anc
thus possess advantages which no medi
cal practitioner of the other sex coulC
hope to compete with. However we lool
at it, we must conclude that, for half tn,
world, women would make better physi
clans than men. Nature seems to hay
decided that. And even for half th
other half, we sometimes think the doc
tresses would be better than the doctors
in dealing with the griefs and evils of sic
rooms.
And, coming from particulars to gen
Ierals, we would contend that every wo
man, whether she designs to become
asedica or not, should have a knowledg
of medicine and its effects on the human
system, of simples, salves, and other use
full empiricals. She should also have ,
general idea of chemistry. We do no
know an accomplishment more suited tc
woman's place in the world than chemis
ltry-not even accepting the piano-forte
| for knowledge of chemical mixtures il
indispensable to those who would right
fully understand the nsateria aaedtca.-
Every mistress of household or mother
of family should know something o.
those numerous and profitable facts thai
are to be gathered within the circle o.
THAT science; and, in the case of poisons.
should be chemist enough to know what
substances act on others, neutralizing
them, and how to send an antidote at once
after the bane to send, for instance, down
tsome beloved throat, soda and magncsis
after acids, the whites of eggs, lime wa
ter or charcoal after arsenic, soap and
water after corrosive sublimate, soda OF
llime after prussic acid, milk and water
/ after white vitriol, a solution of common
salt after nitrate of silver, and SO forth
making, at the same time, prompt use o
the mustard en1etic in the majority o
such cases, and applying, with Judgment
hartshorn, brandy, or other materials
such as would be at hand in most house
holds. A knowledge of these things
and with it knowledge of other domes
tic recipes and resources. would be anon:
Ithe best and admirable requirements 0
). a woman in any station of life; and
> may be confidently asserted, that if
were skillfully praetieed, on occasion, tel
thousand homes would be spared the ag
; onies and lamentations that CONSTANT
: come, and will come, to darken thei
ldoors and windows. Woman would b
armed for the most trying emergencies
and be able to save the lives of those dea
;, to them, instead of screaming and wiring
$ ing their hands, and feeling bitterly ths
e Ignorance is the curse Of God'' AM
t in general way, a knowledge of the law
: -lof health would make every woman til
protecting genius of her household. an
e teach her how to treat her children IN an
e sudden or ordinary case of sickness {
n taccident. Especially as regards childreI
terery mother should be a doctrcss. I'll
!: ignorance of parents is fatal to almo
half the children that tcome into the worle
lit is more deadly an1 deplorable than Il
tvices of adult years-thaa " battle, ma
i der, and sudden deaflix Il is a meia
q Icholy thing to see the physicai prsserx
e ton and training of Young children in Il
n hands of those TO whom persons of jud,
i ment would not entrust the life of ki
= ten. Women nowadays are for Il
d most part urprepared by eduestion TO a
> their parts well in their most importa
i sphere-that Of home. Their gram
o. mothers, and their gseat-gfandssnotiser
5, land coon, still fassl1er back we're HlIzt
s more accomplished in everything tn
3 truly becomes q woman to know. Tbs
:. had knowledge of great many usef
= fthing-knew excellent recipes IN coo
q Iery and chemistry, were learned in 6
-lrsrtues of herbs aud decoetions Gan
a i" /" puddering with physie, = ike Lo
3 Verulam, were generally aware of q
: fefiicacies OF domestic medicine. Th
: y.