Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-07-24
For the Spectator.

For tho Spectator.
Mr.. Editor From some cause did not get
Spectator last week-July 8rd-though am
q. paying subscriber to your paper, and should
have missed seeing that marvellous production
which 80 severely taxed the sspen and head" of
your correspondent, j. N. g., in your issue of
the 3rd inst. But hearing of it, sent to- day
and borrowed the paper, to read the astounding,
| ''logical" and annihilsting communication of the
self. constituted guardian for old ignorant pre-
tenders;" and must say that with unearthly
groans and desperate heavings ''the mountain
has brought forth q mouse"
II should have passed by this rare production
of one who had "pen and head" though it be
confused and unsteady one with the contempt
which the subject and the ignorance of the au-
thor deserve; but that he might think he had
done for me what Jonah did for the Whale:
swallowed me. We are told by the wise man to
"answer fool according to his folly ;" and a.
gain, "a fool is wiser in his own conceit, than
seven men that can give reason"
This ''ogicap communication of j. N. g., the
guardian" and spokesman" for ignorant old
pretenders," and advocate of the Legislature, re-
minds me very much of the efforts of said j. N.
g., a few years since, at preaching, where he
was ''wiser in his own conceit than seven men
that can give reason" and styled himself q
'sNew Light" Save the mark. This "guardi-
an for old ignorant pretenders," who is ''in pos
session Of one of the obstacles In M. DIS estima-
| ton, who call themselves Doctors" acknowledge
es that he is ignorant of the subject about which
he is writing. Then he ought not to set him
self up as the mouth piece of the people who he
declares ''possess enough of wisdom to deter
mine for themselves, and sit as judge upon a
subject which requires more skilfull ''pen" and
wiser "head" than j.. N. g., the guardian of
old ignorant pretenders," possesses and pass
sentence of "humbuggery." Solomon certainly
told the truth when he said "a fool is wiser in
his own conceit than seven men that can give
reason"
This guardian of old ignorant pretenders"-
this spokesman" 'sNew Light"- this ad-
vocate of the (Quere--sre you a
lawyer, too ?-) says that, ''the law provides no
scale of licenses.n This is plain proof of his
ignorance of the whole subject, and will give
him some neso light on the subject, by telling
him that the law does 'sprovide scale of lcen-
ses." ~
But here comes the cloyeD foot of sell fsnterest,
that ugly spot where the shoe psnched. ND.
bad touched the guardians" pocket neIye.-
Hear him: 'We," j. n g., 'sare in possession
of one of the obstacles in NJ DIS estimation who
call themselves Doctors" Yes, truly, who dis
grace the holy title, like hogs, trampling pearls,
the value of which they are ignorant, in the
mire, by calling themselves Doctors" Listen
at this illogical conclusion"
ssPast success of professions enable us to de-
termine future advantages as to the use OF Doc
tors. After taking an impartial survey of the
whole"-Q have shown that he did not take an
impartial survey, as he is sin possession OF one
of the obstacles who call themselves Doctors"1)
tive are led to the conclusion where women are
not under the fear of the man in this particular
(,s,iA ouir nhIl6rQp
studied the case and treatment for women in
child-bed, together with good amount of book
theory, as much so as a man can get in his pro-
fesson, and this a woman can acquire, with
these helps combined, the conclusion is demon
strable," (and of course, 'logical,o y ''the woman
| is the safest trust, as also women prefer tbelr
own sex to assist in giving birth to children"
| What chaos of words. What argument is
there in an assertion resting on false basis and
without a shadow of proof9 1t is broken
reed. 1t is true specimen of the sermons OF
J. N. G. during the days of his ms'o light inspi-
rations. | can get no 'slogical conclusion" out
of this sslnpartial survey.n I have not the
shead." l would advise j. N. g., who has
mighty "pen'' and a logical head" to apply
them to some other subject, upon which me is
better informed, 'lest" allow me to quote him,
''his productions manifest signs of humbuggery."
But to return to the above impartial survey"
If women would study the anatomy of the hu-
man body in all its parts andrelations, and &C.
quaint themselves with not only "good amount
| of book theory" but with a philosophical and
physiological knowledge of the mechanism of
parturiton and its consequences, as some have
done, for instance, DIR. Harriet K. Hunt of New
York, Madame Lachapelle and Madame Boivine
of Paris, both of the latter two are high author
| ity in all matters pertaining to the subject Of
midwifery, then / would be willing to admit
that such women could answer in such cases
as well as men. But have we any such? | ask
have we one sucha Is the "one'' in the ''pos-
session" of J. N. G., such one2 Is she any
better than the rest2 | answer no! She is
most truly one of the s'old ignorant pretenders'
spoken of by M. D. She has STUDIED the case
and the treatment for women in child-bed, to-
| gether with good amount of book theory" as
the 'past success" of her practice, enables rs to
demonstrate" I wonder what books she stu
died, and from which she got her 'theory."-
Probably DIR. Gumn's Practice, or DIR. Morricieu's
Handbook. She too has sthead." ''Oh shame
where is thy blush a''v7 Nosope, but physicians,
has an idea of the vast Ignorance and presump-
ton of these 'ignorant pretenders" They are
generally OF the lowest and most ignorant class
of females, and as often black as white. And it
is most astonishing thing that men of sense,
will place the lives Of their wives and daugh-
C0rS, anu Servants, III bl6 nanQS OF SUCH lgnOFanG
pretenders," at such an important and critical
period. could, if consistent with propriety,
tell of some of their ignorant blunders, from
which women had died, and have suffered even
worse than death at their hands. But must
forbear. Then, "also women prefer their own
sex to assist in giving birth to children" This
'logical conclusion" is not true. Nine-tenths
of women prefer the attendance of physician
to that of an old woman. know this to be
fact. Women place themselves in the hands of
la physician with the same confidence with
which the gentler sex looks up to man for pro-
lection in moments of bodily danger. What
confidence has one woman in another when at
the mercy OF a storm, wild beast, or other I'M
minent danger9 None! But to man, no mat
ter how weak, she naturally looks and clipgs for
protection. How beautifully is this idea exem-
pliied in the ivy clinging to the oak. 1
| toll you but for the cost they would all pre-
fer the attendance of man to that of an ssgno-
rant old woman" And physicians are not
always employed, to the entire exclusion of
old women, solely on account of the difference in
the charge for attendance. Physicians who
spend from three to five years of the choice of
their lives, and from s. 900 to $4,000 in acqui-
ring knowledge to fit them for practice, and
then pay heavy tax on their license, cannot at
ford to come down to level with s'old igno-
rant pretenders," !" who call themselves Doctors"
and who pay no license for the privilege of prac-
ticing this important branch of the profession.-
They never will. So much for the New Light