Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-14
Women as Physicisnu.

Under the above heading. a writer in the
/ Amer, AN speak, Of fourtee ladies, who have
! recently taken their degree. As doctors Of medi-
/ cnes. and then asks. what have the phy,i-
/ clans Of the masculine gender 10 say to thi, (;
/ VIII they consent TO receive the learned sister,
| In medicine upon term, OF professional equ a.
( ity, IL not. why notF'
presume that these questions are meant
| !or The medical profession Of thi, county; and
/ l will not attempt 10 speak for all nv profess
1 ional brethren, but simply express nv own
/ opinion ~ an individual
! Ii seems to Inc that the medical profession
should recognize these ladies as being lust
/ what they are-graduates Of the Free Me,iir,l
| College Tor Women. But certainly physicians
have no moral right to openly recognize them
as their equals professionally: Tor the very
I reason that they do not knew whether they are
I or not. They may prove 10 be their equal, or
/ even lar superior but As yet the whole move
ment Is a new thing, simply an experiment:
anu certainly no Conscientious man has the
/ right to recognize. and approve that which he
knows nothing about. But it will be said,
! physicians recognize young men, who have
/ just graduated As their equals Z"
| Yes but IL Is more accDuht o f what they
| VIII be, than " hat they are. Ncn have practic-
| ed medicine for thousand. OF rs. and hence
wheh Dr. sees Young man, VIII the right
/ Kind OF tastes and habits. he may predict that
| he will succeed, in medical practice, becau Sc
! other men have: but he has no reason to pre-
dict that because men have succeeded that
/ therefore women WILL Neither has lie any
/ right TO iii ,contenance them, and predict that
| they will not succeed.
| There are certain qualities, which are quite
desirable In ID physician.
Cool heath and ability to endure much ox,
posure, fatigue, and irregualari,y is one es-
! s-ntal.
Another essential is decision and confidence
| II will not do TO be too chicken hearted | do
not mean SIMPLY in surgery but in common.
| meC icai practice.
|
own near relatives or friends in seriou, illness
Too much sympathy leads them to hesitating
| plan oftreatment.
They are SO afraid of makin mistake that
| they become confused and do nothing. Syn
| pathy is an excellent thing in a nurse bus MOI
just the thing for the one who is 10 prescribe
| and regulate the plan Of M dical treatment: for
tnat should be the result Of cool de .ibe rate
judgement In no way affected or modified by
mention The above qualities to show that
! intelligence, and medical learning are not all
that is necessary.
With good privileges. women have sufficient
intelligence to become good ANTAGONISTS. physi-
ologsts, and Psychologists, but whether they
have the qualities to make item good practi-
! TONERS is . question 10 be decided Only by
practice; And it can not be decided satisfac-
torily till large number OF women have had
an opportunity to do whole LIES practice
But how should physicians treat these wo-
men, till the question Of professional equality
Is decided! Certainly not with contempt.
But IL seems to me that we should respect
them look upon them in the most friendly
light. encourage them, rejoice ut their success
and let them alone.
They should not be recognized as equal till
they haze proved il. For Of course they can
not expect that physicians must recognize
them through galiantry; for when women
compete with men they forfeit their claim to
gallantry and preference and must compete on
their own strength and merit. Neither should
they be discountensnced rs quacks. And by
quacks mean that class of persons who with
little or no knowledge Of the human body. ig-
norant Of anatomy, physiology, and pathology,
and only acquainted with . few superficial
symptoms and remedies ''stck out their
shingle" and commence practice.
Some Of these men have no diploma ut ALL
while others have bogus diplomas; for it is an
easy matter to get counterfeit diplomas in any
large city.
Every conscientious man will admit, that no
one has the right to undertake the treatment Of
sick person. unless he has taken great pains
to qualify himself for that business.
And therefore physicians look upon these
charlstans ~ nothing better than fraud
They are parasites, not recognized by the
regular profession; but still living on its
merits. As men they are entitled to civil treat.
ment; but they are 10 no sense entitled 10 pro-
fessionsl copriesies. as
These women physicians are MOTTO Be reak.
easd = IL cases f6r 10y d not bslong there.