The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-05
Ole attelLiqsnar.
wOMEN AZ pmYNrcIANa.

WOMEN AS PHYSICIANS.
Their Position and Prospects Opin.
tonSfMale Members OF the Profession,
students, and Medical schools, and the
Public on the subject.
A reportcr Of the New York Etning Posl
called recently upon one Of the women
who have successfully established them.
selves as physicians in that city, member
Of the County Med cal Society, and asked
her the following questions with view to
ascortaining tho present condition Of wo-
men physicians in New York:
"What," asked the reporter, as the atti.
tude Of the medical profession toward wo.
men who want to study and practiceP"
II may say that there is scarcely any op.
position at all among male physicians to
women as doctors, singularly enough, the
loudest outcry against the women is made
by young men in the medical schools.
Men OF mature years and scientific attain.
ments welcome women. One exception,
however, may be mentioned; the gyne.
cologlsts perhaps regard women doctors AS
trespassing upon their particular preserves,
and are said to speak slightingly Of women
doctors unless they are frequently called In
consultation by these women. Then, in.
! deed, they appear to believe that n woman
may be an excellent physician when no
male practitioner Is Mt hand. But upon
the whole the medical profession looks
with kindly eyes upon the women in the
profession, and the County Medical Society,
whose recognition gives certain standing,
has admitted many women and stands
ready to admit all such rs may be gradua.
ted from the Woman's College OF the New
York lniirmPry. OF the dozen or so OF
women doctors recognized by the
County Medical Society, many are
frequently called in consultation by men,
and several are regarded US peculiarly OK.
pert in delicate operations upon women.
Although the professors in the Woman's
College are some Of them women, the stu.
dents, before graduating, are required to
pAss an examination before n board OF
male physicians Of high standing, in nd.
dition to the regular college examinations
fora degree. Physicians throughout the
country recognize In women a peculiar 1t.
ness for dealing with many ailments of |
women and children, although it is doub
iu II any male physician would regard
any women us OF equal skill with certain
specialists whose vast hospital experience
~ not yet at the disposal Of any woman
doctor. Girls have not yet been admitted
to the same medical schools with young
men in this city chiefly because the classes |
are already too large, and most women de-
sire to make specially Of gynecology. But
all OF the wGll-known professors aTe will
ing to take young women as pupils, |
and many OF the graduates OF the W0mau's
College take special intercourses with en-
intnt physicians"
"What is the attitude OF the public to-
ward women doCtOrs?'
"The attitude OF the public toward |
women as physicians has been less kindly
than that of the medical profession. Ply
sicians know something about women ls
doctors. Thepublic knows but little. Never I
theless, an enormous change has taken
place in the last ten years. The first class |
Of women physicians was graduated in this |
city from the Medical College OF the Infrm-
airy in 1870. There were five in the class. |
When the first women doctors attempted |
practice in New York it was not rare
thing for male physician to be called in
when the case became very serious. Now
we are trusted to the end, and women sign
more death certificates than they used TO-
1t is no unusual thing, even now, for q
woman to be dismissed from case,
but the instance in which life is en-
trusted to women rs implicitly rs il they
were men are more frequent. When per-
sou becomes very i'll, and is able to afford |
the expense, there is alwaysa wish to have
the very best advice that money can pro.
cure; and, without doubt, the best advice
is that OF n man, for men stand at the head
OF the profession. The head OF u family is |
apt to have less confidence in woman
doctor than in his family physician, whom
he knows personally and professionally,
and as the man OF the family usually de-
cides in cases OF serious illness, he calls in
his own doctor. OF course, womtn and
children will be the only patients we can
hope for, and it may be supposed that il
women were convinced that the woman
doctors skill was equal to the male
doctors, the latter would find their
occupation gone, so far as women
were concerned, except in the rare cases in
which physical strength is required. Wo.
men have proved TO be excellent surgeons
so far us dexterity, quickness and good
Judgment are concerned but l doubt
whether they possess the holiness Of the
best surgeons. A woman is less ready TO
take life into her hands than man is, and
n woman doctor is all the more fearful be-
cause in case Of death the friends OF the
dead are likely to attribute it to want OF
judgment or skill II a male surgeon loses
Il patient there is nothing TO be snid ex-
cept TINT all was done that science could
suggest, and there the matter rests.
Whether women will ever become good
surgeons in extremely dangerous opera.
tons remains to be seen Their experience
has not been sufficient to allow OF def
mite answer
what are the present inducements, ma
tcrial or social, for women to study medi-
CineW
First, they will find constant pleasure in
it if they are at all fitted for it. II they IRE
not filled for it, they will probably find it
out before beginning practice. Many
girl who fNncies that medical study will be
Il pleasure because she has had success in
nursing finds out her mistake when the
real drudgery begins, and drifts of to some
other life. Another inducemcnt is, that
with medical education it is an easy mat
ter to make livelihood, especially in the
country, where good physicians are scarce.
More than one instance is on record OF a
graduate OF the New York Medical College
for Women having married, and
many years aiterward taken up the
practice OF medicine as means OF
supporting the family. Again.. it may be
said that II mother is better of with u
medical education than without one, and
better fitted TO rear healthy children. For
the woman who really feels pleasure in the
work there is every inducement to keep on,
for the prospect Of making comfortable
income is almost assured, and the work OF
even very paying practice is not, accor.
ding to the opinion Of women who have
tried both, as great MS that of bringing up
II family Of children or experimenting Il
large household. The financial success OIL
several women doctors is well known. Two
at least are supposed to have made an in