The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-10-09
~ STUDY AND PRACTICE Og
BEDICINE BY WOMEN.

'nR STUDY AND PRACTICE OF
HEDIcINE BY WOMEN.
ciesy israccustomed to do the fair
theRrossest injustice. When acct
Of life and death and poverty
we them with the multitude to
'rnegIe for bread, there Is no special
bafity, exerted in woman's behalf. In
.tl, because Of her innocence, weak
ssl and ignorance Of herself and Of
o world, as she is now falsely edu-
[lsd, she is the more wronged and
|bbed, and II she seek to exert her
.chitieB IN any unusual sphere foul
c1thed slanderers or brutal. selfish
eial critics are too ready to condemn
tunwomanly" that which they
lead more as ''competition." What
er, therefore, is calculated to make
omen think, whatever is designed to
axe young women self-supporting,
haicYer transforms their character
"a induces tse purpose Of being some
'ne more than submissive slaves Of
asters' caprices, whatever gives them
be power 70 support themselves and
idens their sphere of usefulness and
.isity a. integral social facts, finds o
sec In the STATESMAN.
The International ReUiesO for October,
IIs Of the struggle of women to free
emseIVes from the social letters
hich have for centuries proved an
,stacle--in most cases an insuperable
ae-to their pursuit of knowledge.
the mechanical arts women have
1Rht personal independence, mainly
Trough the printing Office and milli-
Iy and mantua making. Recently
eir efforts In the same direction have
si6red in the medical profession.
he reason of this is not to be sought
ony peculiar fitness of women to
aciice medicine, but must be attrib-
ed 10 the fact that in this direction
cir cause has found support in GER
ents common to all civil
ommunities. The delicacy which
Queen Charlotte to employ 3 mid
lie while DIR. Hunter waited in the
oining room among the ladies OF
bedchamber, and induced the
1tehess OF Kent to be delivered OF
BEEN Victoria by the hands Of Madam
obold, has been steadily gaining in
.5neth everywhere. There is, how.
sr, nothing very novel in the idea o.
nnn'a fltnesa to practice medicine,
some Of its branches at least.
The earliest records of the WORLD
s:or3 bear testimony to occasional in
.aces Of the successful practice o.
.iicine by women. Mythology cor
.orates the current belief in woman'i
tncity for this career by ascribing Il
Is Egyptian Isis the duty of watching
ri The health of the human species anC
discovery of several drugs. Among
Romans Juno Lucina presided ovel
|'dbirth and hastened delivery. Hy
lis, the daughter of Esculapius, anG
.1foe, the daughter Of Chiron, wer,
>Ined In medicine. Esculapius il
Betrayed a. followed by q multitud,
both sexes who dispensed his bene
As early az the eleventh centur,
Iore Christ there existed in Egypt /
iItQe Of physicians who seemed Il
Is been of both sexes. The lilac
Odyssey both refer to womel
iIed Ia tho science Of medicine
ng the Greeks. Olympias of Thebes
Sia and Agnodice were pre-emi
for their ability and medical writ
The skin of Agnodice is said {,
80 been such as to have brough
lac the legal opening Of the medica
|essicn to ali freedom women o
State. Ph@narete, the neither o
rates, was . midwife.
.IWaan the eleventh and thirteenth
.nfies several women acquired
&-spread renown 81 teachers in tn
e1I school Of Salerno. In the sue
ling centuries many female physi
04 held professional chairs in tn
.ler6ities Of Italy, especially that o
|oHna. In this university about tn
dele OF the eighteenth century
Ire vas an Anna Morandi Mazzolini
0s1 husband held the chair OF an
hay. Il happened that he fell III
6he, being . loving wife, sough
+onplF 10 him The place Of his en-
|s1 powers. So she became an an
.1i1I. and presently deliYered hi
ares for him from behind . cur
She became famous and wa
.s1l chair at Milan, which, how
81. she refused and remained q
.@na TN her death in TIA. He
',onical models in wax are the prid
b anatomical museum at Bologns
Is ohservnnt person can fail to I'D
Nat ell the larger cities Of Amer
.ntain many female practitioner
despite their general lack Of II
z<1ts and proper qualifications 10
I1tIcssion Of medicine, are on Oh
rtfa - well palronlzed IS those Q
cI1cr sex. We have reached that al
- 1-1ee-snd the sooner We recoe
& the better-when the burnin
<1kI11 u no longer, shall wome
allowed 10 practice lnedicinel The
.lfttIcIng Il not BY ones or twos
IS hundreds. and The only prob
to0 Il shall We give them oppol
'es ior studying medicine befor
avail themselves OF the alread
.&i right OF practicing itl Il
~ interes1 Of community I
"a women the fullest instructio
t1Edsnce with the most approve
4z11 and under the most eminel
.|>Is and also that their pro6eienC
1'f bt tested b. the most rigid O
.'@ before they GRally receive certii
& b recognition OF their con
..ilt values. the community wonl
&1|e b protect itself from the in
lions Of ignorant OF irandule.
..1<1re to medical knowledrc.