Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-04-14

lowed the medical course; anu tile same
remarks apply to the famous rival Is.
tablishment Mt Padua. But the most
noted Of all the medical schools Of the
medical aye was the one Mt Salerno.
Here women were well to the front,
being engaged In the preparation OF
drugs and In the practice u medicine
among patients Of both sexes. One In.
cident which stands recorded In the
annals of the school Il IN itself sui.
fcient 10 ,show the position which
they then held. a distinguished
abbot, who had spent all his
life IN professional study, and
wa deeply vered ia Nil the medical
wisdom u the day, joutncyed TO Sal.
emo In 1863 fer the expires purpose NJ
discussing scientific topics with the
-avants there assembled. lie found, u
j. said, "no one crudite enough b. re-
ply to hl- Propositions, save certain
woman Of great learning"
But ~ realize the extent 10 which tho
functions Of the physician were then
LEFT IN feminine hands we must turn,
not 10 these great public establishments,
but TO thu domain of private life.
Skilled professional advice was rare
aud difficult to obtain aud the women Of
toned to combine the roles OF medical
adviser AMI nurse. The treating Of
disease according 10 the rough aud
Oflentim.- supcrtitious methods
then Ia vogue. was In fact regarded
~ one ~ the natural and proper
duties OF their scx, anu the cd.
ucation of girls always Included
n certain trimming In practical mod.
cine and sufgery-particularly IN that
part ~ surgery which dealt In the
dressing u wounds. Their fathers,
brothers, husbands, were then con.
ttnntly In watfare, or IN tho scarcely
les dangerous exercise Of jnust and
tourney, aud Il was impossible 10 tell
when or how often tho useful knnwl.
edge thus acquired might he called
into request. Thus they had alwaya
10 hold themselves ready for emUr.
gcncy and disaster. and the lives of
those nearest and dearest 10 thom often
enough depended upon their presence
OF mind, tact aud skin.
~ ROMANCE.
The poets and romance writer's OF
the time make such frpucnt mention
Of the employment Of women In this
way, that we could not here lind room
for n hundrcdth part Of the references
which lie ready to our hands. ono or
two Instances Will, however, serve our
present end. In QUE u the most pop
ulnr Of the knightly romances, we read
how "Gernrd ne Nevers was wounded
ana carried into castle. Then"
says the old French narrative, "a
maiden Of the household took him in
charge. aud cared for him No well that !
In shott space he began greatly 10 |
mend. Before the month wns out he |
was entirely cured" similarly Ia the |
Romance " "f.lie de Saint Giiesn the |
tair koscmonde causes Eliep, ruvlous. |
~ wOundcd, 10 he carried Into her own /
chamber, where she takcs sin her fair /
white hands precious herbs nom the
collier" aud "applies them 10 his
wounds" Aud once again Ia the |
famous and beautiful old story Of eau.
cas.in and Nicoletlc," We fnd the fol- |
lowing account: "Nicol.tte, alarmed, |
Inquired Of him concerning the cause
OF his sDiicflDgs. She probed the |
shoulder to iind out II II were dislocat.
cd, and operated NJ well that she put II |
again In place. Her hands afterwards |
applied 10 the wound certain flowers |
aud sanitary herls, the virtues whereof |
were known TO her."
THEIR pIsApriAHAsCE.t
IL was the gradual development and
consolidation u n specialized medical
profession, aud the changed social com
ditiOns which were initiated at the
dawn OF the modern era which were
principally operative in bringing about
the disappearance Of the women ply.
sicians Of the earlier days II IL indeed
true that long after Europe had passed
out OF the darkness Of the middle ages
into that morning twilight which her.
aided the coming Of the day. women
were still occasionally 10 bc found de.
voting themselves 10 medicine OF 10
other branches OF intellectual activity
then almost monopolized by men. It.
ally produced several famous women
doctors during the eighteenth century,
and England anu Germany have con.
tlnuei to furnish casual examples down
10 quite recent times, but these were
only exceptions, noticeable for the
very reason Of their rarity. II has been
lcit for the present generation TO take
up the ancient traditions OF which we
have spoken, by It's demand that wo-
mon should be admitted TO medical
practice ON an equal footing with men
"A demand which, DIR. Olcutt has well
said viii result, not In the Introduction
OF new order OF things, but rather In
the restoration OF a lost privilegc.-De.