New-York tribune., 1886-11-07
WVMEN PHYSICIANS.
SERVING THE POOR OF BOSTON.
A xEwEsyD IN. .oIsysoDUcxD LATELY BY rrr
woMgs ehrsCIAw or BosroN-MEDrcAL or.

o PoRrUNrTfEs o. w0sfxN.
8 BosroN, Nov. Ga new service for the Door OF
! Boston has been begun this year in the practcs
OF sending nurses with the physicians to thfsc
who apply for aid at the boston Dispcnsary. The
system first introduced at the dispcnsary OF the
New-Engand Hospital for Women and Children.
1t was seen that the pale and siclsly women frou.
shops factories the vermont wife of the labor
ing man and the dcsicate shop-girl struggling in
loneliness, needed something more than medicine
| Nursing and instruction how TO care for thcfnS
sclcNs were necessary to prevent serious conse-
quenccs Of disease, but among the poor it
! almost impossible 10 obtain intelligent ministraS
| ton II was decided TO adopt the plan OF sending
one nurse each month from the training school to
the patients Of the disrensary. and the new
| arrangement has been found OF great benefit both
| TO the patient and the The means Of nurs-
ing in economical manner is an especially
useful lesson to the trained nurse who is acctiss
toned to the luxurious appointments OF the hos
| pital She becomes accustomed to emergencies
and gains valuable experience in sl<ilful adapta-
| ton to surroundings. During the last few months
| the system has been used a larger Scale at the
| Boston Dispcnsary, and may now be said to ba
| fully established having won the favor OF ply
sicians. Three nurses have charge OF especial
districts one at the North End. at the Central
| District, and the third at the South End. 1heir
duties do not consist in regular nursing by staying
| at one place until the patient recovers 1t was
found that the Toor are ignorant Of the healthful
ways of living well as OF the core OF the sick.
and the nurses become visitors and Instructors
| They teach the women how To prerare food. how
to make a bed and how to administer medicine.
besides many simple duties, and secure comfort
and health for sufferers.
This noble and useful work. due to the women
physicians of Boston, shows of the best ten
,lac of adj
practitioners. "More and more" said we'll
known physician, Z" we women feel that our best
duty lies among poor women. Greater facilities
for carrying on this work open each year. and
proportionally realize its need. Ii is our CHIEF
purpose now Many poor women die before con-
sulting a male physician. and often others come
to when the disease has male such ravages
that it is almost rast cure Why did YOU not go
to q physician before p we ask. and they answer
as one poor woman did the other day.. Oh, L
couldn't go to a man. and / did not know where
there was a woman who could help me- 1t is
cases like this which assure lis of our need in the
home missionary field as ply sicians of the roor."
1t was evident from the elegant rooms of tho
CHEEKY physician who spoke these strong words
that charity among the poor was made possible
by q we'll Iayiny practice Among physicians a
Door physician would have found it impossible
to carry out the most benevolent intention. On
the fist floor of many handsome apartment houses
on the Back Bay may be seen offices luXurant IN
appointments of tasteful furniture. paintings and
bric-a-brac belonging to the women who add NJ. d.
to their names. There nine physicians who
have the "swell practice" of Boston Some OF
these women are surgeons and Others are general
practitioners accepting family practice. They
have been in the city from five to twenty h'o
years. and would probably report incomes from
$1,000 TO $4,000 year lhe largest incomes
are obtained by the surgeons anu by the hyslclaE
who have become wellknown for their skill In
the speciality of obstetrics anu eyn9c)losl' al sur
gerry All women naturally take tlose bIanches
of the practice but fame and skill which come
from careful experience guarantee the large SAL
aries.
A graceful woman physician who was recciv-
ing PATIENTS during office hours in her aIartmentsi
assured young woman that II she Possessed . 1000
PREPARATIONS for work. she would secure a paying
practice within a year in Boston -" You look
surprised" she said with smile. " thinking no
doubt that few men are able TO accomplish as
much But it is quite true. Women succeed
rapidly in this city anu do not know OF any who
have not made their expenses durIng the first year.
THIS is better than they could do IN other cites,
for in Newlork and Philadelphia l am assured
that five years must pass before woman 5 pIac-
tce is profitable, but in this city woman Is Det-
ter able than a man to obtain RAPID medical sue
cess"
This successful woman physician gave wise ad::
vice To a young student upon the best means Oh
obaining a Profitable position IN the profession.
Unfortunately Boston possesses no reco- MED
medical school. the schools protesting TO prepare
PHYSICIANS not being considered OF account by the
regulars Ana it is not likely that separate
school for women wll be opened here Tor many
yeals. Ii any effort is male 10 give instruction
TO women it will be attempt TO form an annex
to the Harvard Medical school on the plan now
followed by the Annex TO the collegiate uc- art-
ment After graduating from the New lOr< or
Philadelphia school the student can apply tor a
position as inferno at the Ncw-Eh- mhi iiospitai
for Women and Children. unless she Is abe 10
study abroad For each vacancy ON the stau az
the Hospital there are from eight TO hlteen appn-
cations but if the applicant is fortunate IN OBJ
tain no
tages in Gaining means for pracu' a Application OF
the theories learned III the medical oole-e
The hos lital building Is a Tine brlok structure IN
the RoXbury District provided with sunny rooms
and home like comforts. The school for muses.
furnishes trained assistants ana the s'al com com
posed of experienced women physicians Is heip-
ful and encouraging TO the young assistant Ihe
maternity ward and dlspensaIy are valuable means
of obtaining experience. After years couisc
as intel ne the young physician may apply for
uositon as assistant physician. The il-hcr place
of resident physician Is supplied by woman VINO
the care and QOnslblllty OF the hospital demand
more skin and trustworthy Judgment than the
young physician can possess After the hos ltal
work the physician begins phi ate practice III lhe
city or suburbs She Will find that SIC Is moSs
fortunate IN her choice OF location as d heid lOr
practice, not only for its facilities III making q
iiving but for social announcement offered TO
medical women. Boston Is ssncaly consldeie1
a most pleasant place for women in the medical
profession on account of the corilallty among
women toward all who deserve sympathy: Boston
people not desperately conservative SAID ons
physician, meaning IN regard 10 the social lecos<
milton of professional women. .
great assistance offered 10 the beginner IS
found in the New-England Hospital Medical 30,
ciety In June. 1854, after long contest when
has become historical the Massachusetts, SiedcsA
Society voted TO admit women To It's rri lee es.
About half OF the regular practitioners amOng
women have loined since that genital date anu
many more who do not attend the meeiin7s ha.o
taken the examinations which qualified them 10
loin But long before the decree was passed per-
mitlns them To enter the mems society, the women
had formci useful society whose pIi. ieges are
appreciated much more on account OF their lnlor
maity and cNchisNeneSs than those Civ cn in tho
large Massachusetts, Medical Society twenty,
ani give mutual benefit by essays an DISCUSSIONS.
Esprit du corr 5 marks the meetings of the women
Musicians and encourages their advancement In