The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-04-02
WOMAN PHYSICIANS.
Cardinal Gibbons Strongly FavOrs
Them-A Humane Idea.

Cardinal Gibbons in the Century
says: | do not hesitate to say, with
due Difference to the judgment oil
others, that in my opinion it is inn
portant to the we'll being of society
that the study of medicine by Chris
tian women should be continued and
extended. The difficulties that are
said to attend their pursuing the
necessary studies in the same schools
with men NAV he obviated by judi
cious precautions. and these difficult
ties should not debar women from
the profession of medicine.
We permit women to exercise the
art of painting, though its successful
pursuit is not always free from danger
TO female modesty. In my judgment,
in anatomical demonstrations, men
and women should be separated; but
/ learn that in the anatomical depart
ments of Paris and Geneva. Zurich,
Berne and Basic. and in the universe
ties of Belgium, Spain and Italy,
women work side by side with men,
and that this, in 1.-THE opinion of the pro-
fessors, has been attended by good
rather that bad results. / believe
that in other departments, and wher-
ever the proper restrictions are OBJ
served, the co-edueation OF the male
and female sex win evert a beneficial
influence on the male.
The prejudice that allows women to
enter the profession of nursing and ex-
cludes them from the profession OF
medicine cannot be too strongly CEN
sured, and its existence can be ex-
planned only by the force of habit.
1t has been urged that women do not,
as q rule, possess the intellectual pow
ers of men, but their ability to pursue
the usual medical studies has been
sufficiently demonstrated; and it is
admitted, even by those who concede
to men a higher order of intellect and
greater powers of ratiocination that
what women may lack in that diree-
ton seems to be supplied by that log
ical instinct with which they have
been endowed by God. 1t is evident
also that If female nurses may with
propriety attend men al well as
women. that privilege cannot reason
ably be withheld from the female ply
sicIan; indeed, the position of the
nurse might be regarded as open to
much graver objections, inasmuch as
the physician makes but a transient
visit to the patient, while the nurse
occupies the sick room day and night.
The attendance of female physi-
clans upon women is often of incalcu-
liable benefit. Much serious and con-
tinued suffering is undergone by
women and many beginnings of grave
illnesses are neglected, because Of the
sense of delicacy which prevents
them from submitting to the profess
sional services OF men. There is also
an infinite number of cases known to
all who have been concerned in chart
table or reformatory work in which
no influence or assistance can be
so effectual as that of a physician
who is also a woman and a Christian.
The alienation of suffering for women
of all classes which would result from
the presence among us OF an ade-
quate number of w~ell-trained female
physicians cannot but be evident to
all, but | wish to emphasize as strong
ly as possible the moral influence of
such a body, than which there could
be no potent factor in the moral
regeneration of society.