The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-11-14
Woman as a Physician.

From the Cincinnati Commercially
Several good women in our country
have fought and overcome in the field of
medicine Measured by their pecuniary
success, respectable and regularly educa-
ted women practitioners are doing well,
not few of them earning from $40, 900
to $40, 900 per year. IL is better than
making shirts at ten cents apiece, is it
not? Measured by that infinitely lottler /
success which can not be counted 10y dol /
lars and cents. There are even now one /
or TWO women doctors who may possibly |
leave footprints on the sands OF time.
One of them seems likely to be DIR. |
Mary Putnam jacob, OF New York, |
who undoubtedly stands at the head of
the medical profession among women |
in America. A prominent physician
tells me that "even as Il man, for her |
age, she would be regarded as one of the
leading lights of the professions n med
ical book written by her, and lately pub
Iished, has introduced her widely to the
reading public in an out of the medical
profession. Everybody is reading 1t; 1t
is selling very rapidly, and making a
strong impression even on the doctors.
The contents Of this vigorous book first
saw light i'm the form of the Boylston
Prize Essay of Harvard University. The
names of the authors who compete for
this prize are sealed up in envelopes, 50
they are not known to the judges till af-
ter the prize is awarded. The prize was
awarded as usual, in 1876, and when the
Judges looked for the authors name, be-
hold the author was a doctor, and that
doctor was a woman-Mary Putnam
jacob. The essay was published IN
book form, and DIR. Mary Putnam-Ja-
cobb has taken her place i'll the world as
woman who knows and thinks.
The book bears marks Of profound
and painstaking work, as everything
Mary Putnam writes, says or does. For
patient, thorough investigation of facts,
and that far rarer faculty in man or
woman, Of drawing logical conclusion
| from facts her book is noticeable indeed.
| She has been known, however, to the
profession for some years as medical
writer, and favorably known, too, even
among the highest class Of physicians.
She obtained her medical diploma IN
Paris. She is noted particularly for her
powerful grasp on facts, if one might SC
express it. She studied intensely while
in Paris, and gathered together such
storehouse of clinical facts and experl
ments as would make the ordinary slow
Jogging medical practitioner 'stare anc
gasp" again. 1t was her custom L
spend hours in the Paris hospitals anC
watch like hawk for this or that fac
which would give her light on any darl
subject, and "when found make not
on t" which you may well believe she
did. She was student Of Paris during
the war and the memorable siege Of tina
city, and was the correspondent of tn
New York Medical Journal. The fact
which she observed and treasured up du
ring that thrilling time would be wort
something to physician to know. In
result of some of her observations mad
in the Paris hospitals were embodied /
an essay on "Septcaemia, published
few years ago in the New York Medlca
journal. This essay is considered b
some good judges as the ablest OF ne
contributions to medical literature thu
far. 1t is founded on clinical fact
which came within her own observation
the observation of trained brain and
quick eve Her statements have tn
! popularity: they are not compiled trol
! heavy medical tones and encyclopedia
but are drawn from the stored-up trea
ure-house of her own experience and Of
servaton; consequently her writings al
! ALWAYS fresh and new as well as tru'
: Her style is clear; sharp and stronI
J without much extra to do in coming
. a point.
u Medical men say that DR.. Putnar
= Jacobs strong point is pathology, tn
= most intricate and least understood bran
e of the healing science. She was a tt
mendous student of anatomy, to beg
with, and made herself wonderfully tho
ough in that branch On this broad al
firm foundation she built the rest Of h
k fair pyramid of knowledge, till she
something for all women to be proud
and would be really much past comm
8, even for man. Her entirely thorou
and accurate knowledge, and the pow
q of application and of concentration
- thought to which she has schooled hers
may be earnestly commended to
women.
of So fine and earnest beginning can
it. help bearing fruit in the fair future VIII
lies before Mary Putnam. She
scarcely touched the verge of middle
10 as vet, and it is pleasant to think of
bright years which are yet before her
work in. She is the wife of DIR. Jaco
~ Of New York, and the mother of {
. child. Although only in the heginn
of her medical practice, she is earning
fine income She is professor Of Mate
oI Medca in the Woman's Medical Coll
ne in New York. One might stake his
that she makes her young ladies hum
ng examination days
ION A gentleman Of this city heard
speak in medical society in New I
- not long since. There is nothing mas
Inn line whatever about her, he says.
at seemed like a gentle, modest lady,
was all. She began speaking in gu
simple way, as plain and unpretenti
ng as could be, stating this thing and u
nd and one thing after another, cllnct
each statement with a hard-headed
nv of fact, but going on and increasing
nd strength at every sentence, till at lei
she summed up her conclusions so POI
fully that they were incontroverti
ing She amazed him by the absolute I
II oughness of her knowledge and her Il
IT. He said:
is There is no nonsense about her. \
to Putnam asks no favors as doctor bee
!. she is a woman. She is Recognized
-. respected by all the medical profei
ios' in New YOrk-the most conservative
, IT, them, as far as / am able to discover
AIS have always had a silent suspicion
woman's work and abilities of what
an soever will be fully recognized when
tian they are worth anything. This /
ker. pirlhood and student life form O plet