Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-01-24
TINsLEY & MORTON. Proprietors.
FRIDAY MORNING. JAN. "a, 1890.
" A JUST REFORM. "

"a JUST REFORM"
The action of the Board of Directors OF
the w. l.. Asylum in adding woman
physician to the medical staff of that in
stitution, is being heartily endorsed
throughout the State. Under the caption
GA Just Reform" our esteemed cotempo-
rary the Richmond State has the following:
ssThe Board of the Western Asylum has
shown both discretion and humanity in elect
ing a woman as an assistant physician and
making her member of the medical staff Of
that institution. The lady who has been
chosen to fill this position is Miss G. l..
Haynes, M. d., of South Carolina, and her
name was highly recommended to the Board.
No act the Board could have performed
would be more gratifying to the public, and
especially to those who have female relatives
in the Asylum"
1t as a Just reform-a reform in the in
terest of health, humanity and decency
and we trust that it is one that will be
extended to every asylum in Virginia. In
this view another esteemed contemporary the
Norfolk Ledger shares, and says:
ssrhe managers of the Western Lunatic
Asylum at Staun.on did the correct thing
when they employed lady, few days ago,
as Assistant Physician at that institution.
Insane females, especially where any consid-
cradle number of them are confined, as at
Staunton should have, whenever possible,
the services of female physicians, and we are
pleased to observe the advance which has
been made in this respect in our State. The
lady who has been appointed to the position
is a native of South Carolina, although she
was employed in Massachusetts, and her tes-
timonials were of the highest character. We
take no stock whatever in that false senti-
ment which would prevent women from eX-
tending their sphere of usefulness, OF of earn
ing livelihood except in certain directions
and trust that the example set by the Direc-
tors of the Western Asylum may be followed
in other similar institutions in which prejudice
prevents females from receiving the advice
and attention of physicians of their own
SEX
We wish to say something that is due to
the members Of the Board of Directors of
the w. L. Asylum, relative to the reform
that they have with wisdom, humanity and
~ Sp114O VI PIOSACoDf u1tsOOu LII UliC
State charity under their control. They
did not do it without strong opposition
from outside Of their membership an OPP
position based on prejudice, which, in it's
turn, had for it's foundation the most
ludicrous ignorance of the progress that
has been made in late years in the alienist
specially, and Of what was gong on in the
world. The Board was not moved by this,
but appointed it's committee to ascertain
the results which had attended the efforts
of women physicians in other asylums
On that point the report of the Committee
Messrs. W. M. McAllister of Bath, and
Jno. w. Todd of Augusta, was tull,
thorough and conclusive. 1t showed that
women physicians in asylums where there
were insane women were a necessity, and
that where they had been employed they
were as effective in their departments as
male physicians were in theirs. The Board
listened to the report, and then unanimous
ly elected woman physician, and they are
entitled to the praise they are receiving SO
literally.
But this reform should not, in Virginia,
stop at the Staunton Asylum. It is just as
necessary and expedient in other Virginia
asylums as in this one. If the Boards do
not do it, it should be done by State law,
as has been done in several other States.
1t is mistake to think that there is
opposition among intelligent and informed
physicians to the employment of women
physicians for the female insane. 1t was
first recommended eleven years ago ly
the Medical Society of Pennsy lvania, and
it had been in practice in many hospitals in
England long before that, on the suggestion
of male physicians. But it is one of those
reforms that makes such strong, direct
appeal to common sense and common hui
manity that it does not need the aid of
precedent to reinforce it. The superiority.
on account of her sex, of woman physic-
ian to male physician in the female de-
partment of an asylum in certain cases, not
few in number, is indisputable. She can
obtain information that the wisest male
practitioner would find it impossible to OBJ
tain, and that fact alone should settle the
matter in the minds of the members of the
Boards of the other asylums in the State
as to the expediency of employing women
physicians to whom insane women will
talk freely.
OF course all reforms must march over
some opposition, but it is not the least of
their good qualities that they serve as
touchstones land often develop their ignorant
opponents in light not seen before light
that shows their own hitherto undiscovered
lnadequacy to the occasion. The advanc-
ing wave of reform uncovers the moss
grown sides of many water-soaked log
and shows that 1t is but log after all.
What is compulsory pilotage? Is it pilot
age at all? Or is it making vessel pay be-
cause it does not need pilot? A little School
girl said that pins saved many peoples lives,
and upon being questioned as to how this was
it is with compulsory pilotage. It saves many