Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-25
WOMEN AND THE DOCTORS.

The following article, from The Wonlen's Advo-
cate, published at Philadelphia, shows some of the
inconvenience to which the ''strong minded are
subjected The facts as related are highly sugges-
tive:
Agar ago three young women of exemplary
New England families applied for the privilege of
attending the clinical lectures at the Philadelphia
Hospital. They were admitted on the same terms
with other students-in fact, we believe there was
no legal right to exclude them-on payment of the
regular charge. TAey soon discovered, however,
that they to be driven out if possible by sys-
tematic indecency on the part of those with whom
they were compelled to associate, including some
whom they had paid as instructors What sort of
morals are prevalent among too many of the young
who congregate to listen to medical lectures is
pretty generally known, and Philadelphia has ac-
guired dad eminence' in the matter of dsspa ed
medical students The young women, however, be-
ing most anxious to acquire a knowledge of the
healing art, continued to attend the lectures, in
spite Of repeated declarations that they should be
driven away. Indecent remarks, wantonly made
in the course Of the lectures, did not accomplish
their evident purpose. At length, on entering the
lecturerOOm at the time appointed for lecture the
young women preceived, from the winks and chuck
les exchanged among their geatlsmqnly associates,
that some special annoyance was prepared for them
and its character was soon revealed by the intro
duction of an insane in state of entire nudi-
ty to form the subject of the current lecture The
prete1t for this introduction a desire to eluci-
date certain disease of skim the necessity for the
indecent exposure may be judged from the fact that
all the appearance of disease this unfortunate subject
confined 10 the scalp and the back Of the head But
no matter-the female students were driven away,
and their money paid for admission ally-taken
without consideration. We believe that is putting
as fine point on it, as facts will warrant and the
law requires.
The Womans Adcoeate (Phila,) from which we
have condensed the above statement, adds:
" But, there was still another set of prosecutors
connected with this matter. The Board of Guardi-
ans, the very men who had voted to admit the
Young ladies and to take their money being insga-
ted by the doctors, and listening to their falsehood
and SANDER without investigation or even inquiry,
passed a resolution to the purport that certain dis
reputable females were attending the lectures for
improper purposes, and should be excluded This
vile SANDER was published in the proceedings. No
body acquainted with that Board would be affected
by it, for the character of the body was far below
suspicion II was established as bad. That they
should rob three young women was not surprising,
when the propensity for rObbing the aims house was
so well known. Who were the persons thus SANDER
eds They were from the best families of New Eng
and and Of this State, and far above the average
standing Of the majority of the Board Of Guardians
Is the latter are below that of ordinary men.
Such are some of the difficulties Of obtaining
medical education in the United States. Or rather
hey difficulties in the way of hospital practice
fer an education is obtained 1t will not be oflOng
uratiou Such profsstionaE men will be superseded
" more moral and respectable ones, and more lib
raj minds will have charge of public hospitals"