The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-03-12
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
THE WOMAN PHYSICIAN.
Why Her Presence So Positively Neces-
sary In the Care Of Women Suffering
From Diseases, Either Physical, Mental
or Moral.

sary in the Care Of Women Suffering
From Diseases, Either Physical, Mental
or Moral.
DIR. Susan Diinock was but twenty
eight years old when her body. rescued
from the wreck Of the Schiller. was
borne to its last resting place by eight
Of the physicians Of boston, who had
known her and been in practice with
her for three years before her death.
Among them was DIR. Henry l. Bow
ditch, who. speaking from an expert
ence of more than forty years profess
sional life, said Of her. Il found her one
of the most accomplished physicians |
have met Dr. Samuel Cabot, for
years one of the leading surgeons of
Boston, was also one of the pail bearers.
s.In her short life,' he said afterward,
.'she acquired. in the face Of many OBJ
stacles. an annnnt If medical knowledge
and of surgical skill such as but few pos
sess. Her skill and self-command in oper-
ating no one can appreciate who has
not witnessed it. Her brief and highly
honorable career points surely to the
high position she would have attained
had her life been spared" In lecturing
to her students she said, IF ] were
obliged. in my practice, to do without
sympathy or medicine, should say do
without medicine;'' and to class in the
training school for nurses, Il wish you,
of all my instructions, especially to re-
member this: when you go to nurse
patient, imagine that it is your o,en sis
ter before you in that bed, and treat her
in every respect as you would wish
your own sister to be treated"
1t was her inherent womanliness
which constituted DR.. Dimock the ideal
woman physician. and it is upon the
womanlincss of educated women that is
based the strongest argument in favor
of placing under their care women who
arc suffering from disease, physical or
mental. and women who have lost their
womanliness.
To the strong. to the well, to the good,
to the happy, sympathy is not an essen
tial-thcy can live without it: but to the
weak, the suffering, the crushed, and
the wicked. sympathy is the first neces-
sity; they must have it or they can not
be lifted and cured.
Now the sympathy which one woman
can give to another is impossible that
man should give to q woman. Even the
superficial sympathy with physical suf-
fering which arises from like expert
ence is rendered impossible by their
different organizations: man does not
know what woman is feeling, be-
cause he never has felt and never can
| feel the same. This. where women are
simply i'll. is sufficient to make the
attendance of woman physician of
value: but to women who are suffering
from disease. mental or moral, women
who are torn from their natural rela-
/ tions and places in life and shut away
in the insane asylum, prisons, or re-
formatories. for their own cure and the
safety of others, the ministration of
educated. high-minded. womanly
women ar s.,lmost necessity.
Iohavc linen as physicians in a prison
for women. or in an insane asylum in
charge of women, is simply to throw
away the strongest influence for good
which can possible be available for the
! reformation and cure of either prison
ers or patients.
To an insane patient, peace and quiet
of mind, sense of safety and repose,
are essential. and to many such rest and
| freedom from anxiety are not possible
if under the charge of man. There
is sensitive shrinking and dread of
men. often amounting to positive fear,
in nervous women which may become
so intensified in insane patients as to
make it impossible for man to APP
proach them without injury to them
Apart from such extreme cases, how
ever, the daily and hourly oversight Of
woman physician is Of far more
searching and intimate character than
that of man can possibly be. and it is
sad that the unhappy patients should
| lose the comfort and advantage which
the care of educated women would af-
ford them. A woman can know WON
| an as man can not.
But to the vicious woman or girl the
blessing of the presence of woman
| physician seems to be almost greater
than to any other. To such a one, ac-
customed to regard men and women
from point of view incomprehensible
/ to other women. the entrance into her life
of an absolutely pnre-minded woman,
who is also strong. intelligent and kind
/ is a revelation. She stands self-con-
demncd IN her presence, her life for the
first time presents itself to her as re
voting: for the first time she sees her.
self as she is. detiled, degraded and east
out; and when such woman stoops to
perform for her the most revolving
! Offices, shows that she loves her, tha,
she is full Of tender pity for her. tho
elevating influence is wonderful. To
depravcd woman no man dares to show
tenderness or pity; he must feel ano
show to her only the moral repulsio1
which her degradation arouses in him
Should he long to help her. to lift anC
succor her. he is powerless, and he car
| not show her even the common pity o.
one human being for another who i.
suffering; she will not understand it
and she will pervert it in her mind, an.
1t can do her no good, but only harm
The contact Of pure men with sucl
women can only be hardening and in
furious to both. but the pure woman
/ may give Tree vent I'D all the ONeIpOW
ering pity of her heart, and it serve.
only to soften and chasten the heart O.
the miserable outcast.
To one more class of the unfortunat.
the woman physician may come as sa
vior. The young girl beginning life
wayward, ignorant, unbalanced, need
ing help and guidance, will often con
ceive for a high minded. steady-mindee
woman such devotion US viii serve t.
keep her from wrong through life: ane
where is such girl. beating her angr,
heart out against the walls Of a reform
atory, SO likely to lind her ideal as il
the calm and noble woman who come.
as physician and friend to cure and hell
her? Here, again, no man can TAX,
such place, no man can stand in sucl
o relation to the girl. 1t must be
woman who saves her. or she is lost
1t is to be remembered that it is thei
very degradation which renders it nee
essary that vicious women should hav,
the protection Of good women. The,
can not be left to the care of bruta
| men tn he Mt once temnferS and viz