Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-05
Women as Doctors.

/ think there is a great deal of ungenerOu5
sentiment on the part of men, so much as to be
astonishing and incOmprehefsible, considering
the strong sense OF superiority which exists In
the male bosom from the age of two upward II
cannot De fear OF new competitor, and yet IL
looks like it, The DOCTORS most liberal and
highly cultivated profession, have shown them
selves In this particular not more enlightened
than the WatchmakerS who have also resisted
the entrance OF women into their trade with
violence; though nobody can know better than
medical men how heavily weighed woman is,
now much more energy she must require to
carry her to actual success in profession, and
now certain 1t Is, accordingly, that only few
exceptionally endowed individuals can ever
enter into those lists which are so tiercely
guarded. But why not let convenience and
general utility be the rule here as ia all other
matters? Every new piece of machinery in the
manufacturing districts has been mobbed and
wrecked at its first Introduction, just as the
female students would have been on one occl-
sion had the gentlemen of the profession had
their way; but the machine, II it is good one.
always triumph5 in the end.
My own opinion is that the advantage to
women OF having woman doctor to refer to IS
incalculable. To discuss the peculiar ailments
OF their mysterious frames with man is always
a trial and pain to the young. Necessity hardens
them as they go on in life, and prejudice and
the idea that women cannot be properly edt-
Gated or that by expressing a preference for a
female doctor they are exposing themselves to
De ridiculed as supporters OF women's riglts
keeps many woman silent on the subject: bur
nature herself surely may be allowed to bear
testimony on such point. cannot imagine it
TO be desirable In any way that women Shout /
get over their sense of personal delicacy even
With their DOCTOR But at ali events the oueS-
t1on whether women should be doctors or not IS
one one, 1t might be supposed, to be argued quite
dspassionately. They could not invade the
profession all at once in such numbers as to
swamp it. and as their opponents have
always Indignantly maintained their want
OF capacity for its exercise. there could
not surely be doubt in their minds as to
the failure OF the experiment and their own
eventual triumph. But here once more the SEN
ument involved is a greater injury than the
fact. Not only were the gates of knowledge
barred, but the vilest insinuations, utterly be-
yond possibility OF proof, were launched against
the few blameless women who did nothing
worse than ask for the privilege of studying for
an enlightened profession. One or more Writ
ers, supposedly English gentlemen in very
Well-known and Influential English paper. as
serted boldly that the women students In Elm
ouIgh and elsewhere desired to study medicine
from prurlenU curiosity and the foulest of mo
t1yeS. This was said in English print in full
daylight OF the nineteenth century and no.
6 Dody, SO FAR as can remember, objected to it.
The Journalist was not denounced by his brath-
rem. and public opinion took it quite cooIly.
as thing it was no shame to say.-M;s. or
pHnpt