Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-04

entire forenoon in his clinic. He was
most courteous and addressed all his
remarks to me. l am convinced that if
in any way women could demonstrate
even here their ability to do surgical
work, they would be received as in our
own country. Unfortunately, the op-
portunity for work is denied them.
In Turkey, although we find the
status of women quite differe Mt, the
surgeons did not seem at all Mortified at
the idea of woman surgeon. l was
admitted into the hospitals without a
question and shown the greatest cour-
tesy. In Europe everywhere they seem
to be prepared for all sorts of startling
novelties from America and everything
american" is accepted as a matter of
course. AS for the woman question,
they all understand that Yankee land"
is woman's heaven and | am sure they
would not be startled in the least if
asked to receive woman as consul or
minister. When it comes to their own
women, however, it is quite a different
matter Women physicians have no
standing in Turkey DR.. Marie Siebold,
a Russian woman of truly magnificent
courage, has been practicing ten years
IN Constantinople. She has never been
allowed to take the state examination,
which would place her on an equality
with the men of her profession, and
carries on her work under a promise
from the Prime Minister of Turkey
guaranteeing her protection as long as
he is in power. Should he die, she
might be obliged at any moment to
leave the country and sacrifice the
result of ten years of hard work. And
this is land where women physicians
are so sadly needed! For it is only in
the most extreme cases that man ply
scian is allowed to examine a Turkish
woman. DR.. Siebold told us that many
sadly neglected cases had fallen into
her hands, where women had been in
valids for years for the lack of ordinary
medical care. In spite of all the OBJ
stacles thrown in her path, she has
large practice among women and child
ren. She has absolutely no professional
affiliations and it was pathetic to see the
Joy with which she received our visits
and the pleasure it gave her to converse
with DR.. Sem, whom she had long
known through his writings. She has
had years Of training in the best uni
versities, but she does not dare to per-
form the simplest operation as she has
no one to assist her whom she can trust.
She is going to the Moscow Congress, as
she says, to "feast her starved SOUL" so
we will meet her again. How little we
American women realize and appre-
ciate our opportunities. We sit at a
continuous banquet and wot not of our
starving sisters. The fate Of this poor
| little woman has SO stirred our SYM
| pathies that we feel as though we must
| rescue her from he1 living tomb. All
| honor to DR.. Marie Siebold, and may
| she be the means of opening up the
way in Turkey for an army of women
physicians, nowhere on this wide world
| more needed.
The women Of Turkey have absolutely
no position, as far as we could discover,
| anything resembling women's club is
unknown. They seem to amuse them
selves, however, in their own way and
spend hours gossiping over a cup of tea
and through the fumes of the cigarette.
Turkish women are prohibited from
working to earn money. 1t is consid
cred the most horrible disgrace upon a
man if he allows any female member of
| his family to earn money. Turkish men
care for their women relatives to the
| most remote degree. as a sacred duty.
| 1t was quite laughable to hear DR.. Sic
bold tell Of a very estimable young man
of her acquaintance who could not
marry even one wife, because, forsooth,
he was obliged to support his mother,
several sisters, an aunt and an unlim-
tied number of cousins. We were told
that many Of the high class Turkish
women We're exceedingly intelligent
and spent hours in the study Of the
sciences and languages, unbeknown to
that august parsonage, the master Of
the haTem. The size of the harem in
each individual case seems to be en-
tirely matter of money, as no restric
tions are placed on the number of wives
man may possess. The women are,
| however, not entirely without their
rights Each wife is entitled to her
own apartments, which means COM
plete suite of rooms and no wife is OBJ
| iiged to receive another even into the
same house with herself unless she so
chooses. Turkish women, however,
seem to have settled down to taking the
situation philosophically, as the custom
is to have the entire harem under one
roof. IF the Sultan is required to fur
nish the same accommodations to his
wives, it is no wonder that he requires
many palaces We were told that he
| had recently taken new wife, amid
great festivities, possibly as a celebra-
ton of his late victories over poor little
| Greece.
The GrecoTurkish war appears more
over, to have consisted more III talking
than in fighting. The only evidence of
recent hostilities we saw anywhere dur
/