New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-19
WONEN IN THE HOSPITAL.

The troubles at the Philadelphia Hospital
continue to receive much attention and to ex-
cite much discussion throughout the country.
In other columns we present various commu-
nications and extracts on the general subject,
including one exceptionally weli-Wrltten anu
vigorous arraignment of the ladies who at
tended the Hospital on the day when the be-
bayior of the male students was so insulting.
This communication, it is proper to add, was
written before the publication by the Faculty
of the Women's Medical College OF their desire
for separate operations In oil cases where pro-
priety required it, and We think it quite prop
able that the writer would now be likely 10
modify some of her censures. Meantime we
have ourselves word or two to say on the
general subject
While il may be presumed that the women
who have devoted themselves to the study Oh
anatomy and physiology with view to the
practice of medicine, have to certain extent
discarded that conventional delicacy which has
arisen from the distinction of the sexes, 1t
would be the grossest injustice to impute TO
them what might, under other circumstances,
be a corresponding want of mOdesty. Those
who are eager in the pursuit of knowledge, and
especially of scientific knowledge, have usually
little leisure and less inclination for vulgar
pruriency. Those religious women who, in ODE
dience to their vows to Heaven, have gwen
themselves to the care and consolation OF the
sick, and have performed unfiinchingly all the
offices of the hospital, so far from losing, nave
been suffered to preserve an unusual degree Oh
virtue. The doing Of duty has sanctlned the
lowliest attentions which, the sufferings OF the
patient might require at the hands OF daughter
of God and sister of the Savior.
1t is rather late in the day, after several CEN
turtles of man midwifery, to talk too nicely OF
female delicacy in these matters. Great stress
has been laid upon the numerous clinical
operations, which are disgusting in their ma
ture and which it would be improper for q
woman to witness How many are theyf We
suspect that upon computation their number
will be found exceedingly small. We can
ourselves, upon reflection, recall but very few
which any woman with sufficient nerve might
not be present at, and are not very often
present at, either in the hospitals or in general
practice, while great deal of surgery is such
as should be familiar to the female physician.
Everybody knows, too, how death-bed breaks
down all conventiOnalities; how, in that awful
presence, when every effort is making to
thwart the purposes of the destroyer, men and
women stand together around the couch OF the
loved one, and Join their ministrations with no
remembrance of matters of time and sense.
Many of our readers will remember the
nurse, in Miss Alcott's charming book OF
Hospital Sketches" who washed the with
"ered old Irishman" and scrubbed nice
Choking lad" who Ito quote the writer's
words) when a drop or two of salt water
mingled with my suds at the sight of this
strong young body, so marred and manned.
looked up with brave smile, though there
"was little culver of the lips" There is a
good deal of argument in this little quotation,
for those who have the sense to find it.