The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-01-18

The most serious obstacles to be en-
coonte!ed a9e net. always the most real
eosA II thls - d svosythiDe thal
wou>e0 do, the question Of capacity Is
ofoen Guaranteed BY the question OF
tesfe. Whether woman, with all her
organic tmpeftections On her head, can
oeeneosettcolly supposed capable Of the
seody and pg0otace Of medicine: wheth-
g, which h quite dihesent question.
there actually extste any number Of wo-
men whose capacity In this direction
hos been fairly tested aud demonstrated
these are interesting subjects Of i'm
Quiry. But the most completely affirm
.tave spewe! to such inquiry might still
leave unsettled q QUESTION Ut much more
importance for that large class Of peop|e
whose convictions and actions are UNI
der the permanent domination Of their
tastes. These ask not, lis abe capsble?''
but is this fearfuliy cal able person
nicer Will she upset our ideal Of wo-
manhood and maidenhood and the 90
cial relations Of the sexes: Can y wo-
man physician be lovable; can she mar
~; can she have children; will she take
care OF them: II she cannot, what is
she: "<lw'est cc q,s'une fen,n,c,'' said q
French Journalist in this connection.
''qni Nest ri mcrc:"' God declared y
Boston Physician well versetl in the
counsels Of Providence, ''never intended
women to practise medicine" Hence
the inference that piety, If nothing else,
demanded the exclusion Of women from
the Massachusetts Medical society. 1t
Is from the popularity of the conditions
involved that the handful of women
now engaged In the practice Of n,ctli-
cine may be considered in amy way to-
affect or endlanger existing ar
rangenlents or social ideals. Thousands
Of women. frQVn manifold causes quite
extraneOals {" medicine, remain cell
hates all their lives; vet no one repros,clh-
6 them for refusing the duties Of wife
and mother. Thousands of women
earn their living by nOn-llomestic labor:
one profession, that Of public teaching,
practically thrown open to women only
during the last half century, is already
thr0ngel by them. Yet no one feels
that the foundations Of society arr
therefore liable to be Ovcrthrown. What
IL 1t in the profession Of medicine which
excitcs at present such different feeling
and such bitter prejudice: There are
several things. In the first place. the
profession Of medicine has always l,een
subjected to popular misconceptions and
the Odium due to those il necessarily
shared by the women who aspire to he
physicians Again, by social fiction
It assumed that the usual e,nplcy,nents
now sought by women are to BE- filled by
them only while waiting for marriage,
or ~ resource in wialOwhWM or tl..,er-
ton. Even such professional work ~
teaching is expected tn Ike 'aid aside
after u few years, and there is much, ut
least in the primary grades Of teaching,
to make such interruption rather .le~ir-
able. But the profession Of medicine
must be chosen deliberately. and not ut
hap-haZartl, from strong and genuine
taste, and not from the mere pressure Of
economic necessity; 1t must bt' seriously
prepared for in youth; must I've entered
upon at the age at which ut present
many women marry; does not yield its
returns until full maturity has been
reached; must be adopted. therefore, ii
at all. for . lifetime. Hence 10 required
ether an accidental celibacy or u DELHI
crate remuneration of marriage for the,
sake Ut medicine, such ,as il not dream
ed Of in regard to any other work; or
else such an adjustment Of domestic
claims ~ shall render them and the
practice If medicine by married women
mutually campatlble.-Dr. Nary II.
y0r,x,i. M North american Rer;rw.