Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-03-21

the counter.
Local circulation in Augusta. Rockbridge, Rocking
ham, Allegheny Highland and Bath Counties.
Gives general and local news; stories and mis-
celany; reliable commercial reports.
H. c. TINsLEY,.
A. S. MORTON,
FRIDAY MORNING. MARCH 81, 1890.
A few weeks ago we reproduction the
purpose of correcting some of the informa-
ton on which the editor based his conclu-
sions-an editorial from the Virginia Med
ical Monthly at Richmond. We gave it in
full because the Monthly, under the editor
ial conduct of DR.. Landon B. Edwards, is
medical Journal of high repute and an au-
thority in the profession, and what it holds
is not only of weight with the members of
that profession, but with laymen. In its
issue of March, the Monthly has a reloinder
to the VINDICAToR S reply which, for the
same reasons we should also reproduce in
full. save that our space will not admit Of
it. A few words of reply however will, We
think, set the Board of Directors of the W.
l.. Asylum and the neWly-elected woman
physician as well, right, in the view held by
the Monthly. 1t seems to think that the
Board Of Directors contemplated installing
q woman physician at the Asylum contrary
to the laws Of the State requiring her prior
examination by the State Medical Exam
lining Board. Indeed, under this misap-
prehension, it says
We do not suppose that the VINDIcAToR
hog O OF record { A.
ton of the plain Virginia law (See Acts of
General Assembly, 1884 and 1888 on the
subject, which has been thoroughly tested in
the courts and respected everywhere else by
the good citizens OF the State. The enactment
referred to clearly defines it unlawful for any
person to enter upon the practice OF medicine
(snce January LIST, 1885, } within the limits OF
Virginia for fee or reward until he Cor she, as
the case may be), first of all, shall have been
examined by the State Board of Medical EX-
aminers and received therefrom certificate
eyidencng sufficient qualifications.
So far from proposing to violate any law
OF the State, OF make any evasion of it, i'm
mediately upon the election of the woman
physician the fact was officially commune
Gated to her, that it was necessary she
should go before and pass the State Medical
Examining Board. And it may be stated
to the credit of that physician that while it
was suggested, at the instance of members
of the Board, that she could come to the
Asylum before passing the Board and fami-
larize herself with the duties of her new
position, she declined the offer, saying that
she did not wish to enter a State Institu-
ton OF Virginia, except on the same profess
sional footing with every other member of
the profession engaged therein, and until
she had complied with the laws of the
State.
The Monthly gives some amusing ex-
amples of ignorance shown by medical
college graduates On their examination be-
fore the State Board. to enforce it's ground
that merely being regularly graduated does
not guarantee competency. That is true
1t seems sometimes that the very gods
themselves take Incompetency under their
protection and. notwithstanding the length
OF its ears, save it from being entangled in
the most ingenious net spread to arrest its
success. 1t is so in every licensed profess
sion-the law, the ministry, and medicine.
Awkward and numbering as he may appear
to be, human ingenuity has not yet invented
any infallible net by which an ass may be
caught. We don't know that luck and
the gods may not sometimes, here and thei e.,
thwart the efforts of even the State Medi-
cal Examining Board itself. But this is
thing which human effort, if it cannot
remedy, must be content to modify to the
largest extent it can. The Monthly makes
III this paragraph a declaration which was
hardly necessary:
If the VINDIcAToR knows the several times
expressed opinion of the Virginia Medical
Monthly, it will not charge this journal with
opposition to qualified female physicians, nor
to the education OF ladies as physicians. Our
criticism, therefore, of the action of the Board
OF Directors of the Asylum in making the
premature election cannot be placed at the
door of objection on account of Miss HAYNES
sex.
We have never for a moment suspected
that the editor Of the Virginia Medical
Monthly, OF any other intelligent ply
stefan abreast Of the advance in his profess
sion, would oppose the employment of a
female physician for the female insane in
the State Asylums. That any physician.
not wholly blinded by prejudice OF interest.
should raise such an objection would excite
in the popular mind far more distrust Ct
the profession than even that which is
naturally created by the Monthly IS exposure
OF the insutlicency Of diplomas from re
putable medical colleges to constitute guar
antees OF ability to practice medicine. Ii
conclusion, the Monthly has a paragraph
Which gives us an opportunity to say some
thing we have long desired to say
1t would be a perversion of plain intention
for any one to accuse us of advocating the APP
p0lntment of ma jOrity of medical practitiOn
ers on State Boards that have to deal, for tn,
most part, with strictly professional matters
but we do maintain that the Medical PROBES
conceded to it by all, that it should stant
we'll represented on such Boards by some O
4fs representative members.
This gives us an opportunity to express
the opinion that not only should there be
member of the medical fraternity Oh tn,
board of every lunatic asylum, but on tn,
boards of Blacksburg College, the Virgini;
Military Institute, the Petersburg an(
Farmville Normal Schools, the D., d. & B
Institution, the University of Virginia
and every school and institution to which
the State supplies money. On all of these
boards it is important there should be al
least one member familiar with the laws OF
health, ventilation. light, exercise. diet
and dress, and none is so well qualified fol-
that position as a well informed physician
And we should be glad to see so able med
lcal journal as the Virginia Medica
MONTHLY diractinp tho nuhlio mind 10 +h,