Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-01-20
THE LEGISLATURE.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18TH.

In the Senate number of bills were in.
troduced; also number of Senate bills
were passed, among them the fOlloWing:-
10 authorize the sale of the real estate OF o
married woman who is minor; to amend
the Code in relation to protest as evidence;
to enable married women to sell and con-
vey their interest in real estate in certain
cases without their husbands uniting in the
deed; to amend section 3I91 of the Code in
relation to licenses to attorneys to practice
law.
In the House, Mr.. Philip F. Brown, of
Botetouft, introduced bill to impose a fine
upon saloon. keepers for selling liquor to
drunken people and minors. 1t provides
that if bar keeper sell liquor to person
already drunk he shall be fined not less than
$25 for each offence.
Any person who may surreptitiously or
otherwise carry drink to minor shall, at
the discretion of the court, be fined not less
than So nor more than $25. The same rule
applies to persons supplying liquor to drunk
en- men.
FEMALE PHYSICIANS IN AsYLUMs.
The bill providing for the appointment of
female physicians in asylums came up on
its third reading at 1890 O'Clock. Mr..
George W. Koiner, of Augusta, the patron
of the bill, in advocating the same made
the following statement: The object of the
bill is to add to the comfort, the treatment
and the protection of that most unfortunate
class Of people-the insane females in the
asylums-who are the prey to their uEre-
strained passions, appetites and mental de-
lusioDs, and entirely dependent upon the
care and protection of the State. Mr.. Koi-
ner read number Of extracts from the re-
ports of superintendents from other States,
where female physicianP have been for
many years with most gratifying results.
He cited the Morristown asylum, where the
superintendent of the female department
with all her assistants are female physi.
clans, who have over one Thousand female
patients in their care without any mechani.
cal restraint. He quoted statements oil
eminent physicians that the diseases pecu
liar to females, which so often produce in.
sanity, can be more successfully treated By
female than by male physicians. MIR. Koi.
ner added that the bill could do no harm
and would certainly produce great deal o.
good. 1t WAS the Christian duty of the
members of the Legislature to put every
measure of comfort and efficient treatment
within the reach of these unfortunate fe
ma le inmates of insane asylHms. The in
congruity of female physicians attending
the insane males was apparent to every
body, and it was equally true as to ths
treatment of insane females by male physi
clans. A law of this kind would shut on
sources of scandal that sometimes emsnat,
from the asylums, much to the relief of thu
friends of the inmates and the officers an(
employees of the institutions. He referred
to the great satisfaction given by the EN-
ployment of female physician in the Wes
tern Asylum to the people of that section
DIR. Callie Lee Haynes, of South Carolina
was unanimously elected by the board o
directors. He called attention to the nu
merous petitions sent in from different part
Of the Stste; one largely signed by tn,
faculty of the University OF Virginia, in ia
vor of the passage of the bill, which wal
also advocated by ths secular and religious
press of nearly the eDtire State.
Mr.. Saunders followed in few remarks
in which he heartily advocated the passag,
of the measure. He gave numerous in
stances where wome so had accomplished re
markable records at colleges to show tina
female physicians can bs as competent a
men.
Speaker. .Cardwell (Mr. Ryan: lin the chair
opposed the bill ca the ground that it wa
unnecessary, as the boards of visitors of th
asyums have the authority to employ sucl
assistants as they need. The Speaker sal
that the appointment of female physician
, would be reflection upon our male doctors
J if female physicians were to be put in th
asylums then they ought to be put in ou
households. He was opposed to wome
{ following such avocatiOns in life, and said
? "Let our southern women occupy the nc
BILE positions of mothers, sisters, teachers
q and also in the highest circles of society.
= Mr.. Cardwell added that all the delicat