Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-07-27
WOMEN PHYSICIANS FOE WOMEN
INSANE.

The following is an extract from an edi-
torial in the Staunton News, which has
been one of the ablest and most persistent
Of Virginia advocates Of women physicians
for the women insane:
''There is one more-step to take in this mat
ter before we reach the proper level, and that
is to put all male physicians in the male
wards, and leave none butfemale physicians,
subject only to the Superintendent in the
female wards. 1t will take less time and
labor to bring this about than the advance
already made. After it is accomplished, peo-
pie will wonder that any other system should
ever have prevailed.
That lone more step" will most certain
ly be taken, and there will be no relaxation
of effort on the part of the friends of that
step until it is taken. In the mean time
let us look at another step that needs to be
taken. One of the strongest, indeed the
very strongest argument, used by the OPP
ponents of the woman physician bill, inside
and outside OF the legislature, has been
that such bill should not be compulsory
that it should be left to the discretion of
the Boards. Well it has been left to the
discretion of the Boards for now about
four years. About four years ago the en-
lightened Board Of the Western Lunatic
Asylum elected a woman physician. Since
then the Board has reelected her once or
twice and increased her salary. Has any
board OF any other asylum in the State in
those four years followed the example of
the Western Board? Not one On the con-
trary at each meeting of the legislature
since, there have been furnished from the
inside of those asylums from the male med
ical stats, arguments, letters, aud oral
protests against the employment of women
physicians in insane asylums. It is fair to
infer that the antagonistic opinions of the
male medical staff dominated those boards
and will continue so to do.
A few weeks ago the woman physician
at the Western State Hospital here resigned
She did SO to marry very prominent edu
Gator of Staunton who preferred that she
should be at the head Of his household to
holdiDgan official position elsewhere. Last
week her successor was elected. The Board
Of Directors elected competent woman
physician to fill her place, an election which
was approved by the Superintendent of the
the hospital. Is anybody hopeful enough
to believe that this renewed example will
be followed by the Boards of the other Viz
ginia hospitals for the insane? If there
are any we confess We are not among them.
This reform is Only to be accomplished by
a public opinion crystalized into the more
palpable form of a Iaac, anu no effort will
be relaxed by its friends until there is q
law on the State statute books, pro
viding fol- women physicians in every in
sane asylum in the State where there are
women patients and such women physi-
clans to be on precisely the same official
footing on the medical staff Gs the male
assistant physicians are.
In the mean time every man and woman
in Virginia who has klnswoman patient
in the Western State Hospital will thank
the Board aud it's excellent Superintendent
for their share in putting woman physi-
clan on the staff. Their action as we have
heard Of it is the result of wisdom, human
lty au3 G desire to give these helpless
women under their charge Tile advantage
OF every progressive step that is taken i'll
the profession of caring for the insane.