Punch (58.1870)

March 19, 1870.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

113

ASCLEPIUS HIS DAUGHTERS.

/ / i : . _ • \\\ Punch,— If you pleas0, Sir, I

ff /J h .4 t? v^lM mean other ladies than Panakeia,

'//llf'l ''- 1 ' MP Hygeia and ^gle.

■//[ ■ ' J V v.. \\™™| In a paper read before a meeting

TT^' Wam over which the Eabl of Suaftes-

•r~IJ I l rn^j^i™Mw bury presided, at the Architectural

^Mk'^t^^'-YmmWM Gallery, Conduit Street, on the

U^'W^l^fC^^ subject °^ " Medicine as a -Prot'es-

^^^^ffi^^^^^^^^^m Iwii^ " They were on the eve of a great
JP^mI Jliim wJaHHBffl^ revolution in medical polities, and it
JwlSm ^Oilla vffiB?fa3r¥ was noPe<^ tnat a bill would he intro-
^^k^^XWS^^^^^v duced this Session making it necessary
^JjV^jf ij^R^^^^^y to pass only one state examination for
' UitJ^^^ jdr^ the three kingdoms in order to obtain

_ —^t-j ^ a licence to practise. He suggested

<>=S=>-^^1_;;~ that ladies should petition to be per-

« -S?3^ i - niitted to go up for this examination,

and, as our Government was a most
liberal and able one, he thought this mignt be granted."

According to a report of the speaking which ensued :—

" Mis9 Faithftjll urged that the supporters of this movement ought not
to be subjected to the opposition they received, inasmuch as they were not
advocating an idea which was novel, hut were only desirous to return to a
work which was essentially womanly, and which was practised by the sex in
times long past."

Then spoke another lady, with the advantage of a special knowledge
of 1 he subject in hand :—

" Miss Garrett addressed a few observations to the meeting in favour of
every encouragement being given to women who desired to enter the medical
profession. She cautioned them, however, that, to become proficient in the
healing art, they must devote many years to perseverance and study."

The necessity, Sir, of persevering study will, alone, we may be sure,
suffice to keep all women out of the medical profession but a very few.
There is therefore no sort of occasion for the opposition to the move-
ment on behalf of their eligibility to be members of that profession,
offered, conceivably, by no men out of it but fools, and by none in it
but trades-unionists; men of narrow-minded views and Broadheaded
principles. Assuredly, Mr. Punch, rather, every encouragement should
he given to women desirous to enter the profession of medicine.
Paterfamilias is a goose if he do not encourage any daughter of his,
endowed with intellect, industry and resolution, who may evince a turn
that way. No daughter can Paterfamilias get so thoroughly off his
hands as a self-supporting one. Open the door of every secular pro-
fession to every woman qualified to enter it. Open the bar even,
forensic as well as tabernary, only insist on the wig and gown—the
regulation gown—let the law of judicial vision be the same for female
counsel as for male. Why should not Queen Victoria have a regi-
ment of Amazons as well as the King of Dahomey, or his Majesty
of Siam ? Only because if she might have them she would probably
not get them. Fighting women are very exceptional, though a late
pugilist, now in Valhalla, used to boast that he had a wife who could
beat any man of her weight in England. What law exists to prevent
women from being chimney-sweeps ?—but there are not any. Nobody,

clever girl, who, having to live somehow, would like to live single, or
at any rate, having a soul of her own as well as a body, would hate to
sell herself in the marriage-market, it would by no means debar such
an one, matrimonially disposed, from matrimony. For what young
medical man wanting a partner, could do better than choose a medical
lady duly qualified (in every respect) for partnership? And every
non-medical man thinking to take a wife, would find his account in
taking a doctress who would know better than by continually breaking
the natural laws, to let herself in for everlasting headaches, fain tings,
hysterics, and other ailments, rendering herself a perpetual plague to a
husband, and running him up doctor's bills. Finally, the father of a
family of children, whose mamma was a medical gentlewoman, would
enjoy the advantage, instead of suffering the expense, of having a
doctor always in the house.

That the Legislature will compel the Medical Council to grant a
diploma to every lady who can satisfy their examiners is the hope of

Yours truly,

Celsus Excelsior.

EN VOILA BIEN ASSEZ.

Compare Creuzot with the greatest and best-managed English iron-
works. Look at t he state of the workmen and their families in the light
of such statistics as these—which have not been contradicted even
by M. Bochefort, or any other of M. Schneider's bitterest
enemies :—

"To begin with the accommodation provided for the workmen; we are
assured that there is for every man, woman, and child a space equal to
11 metres superficial, or 32 cubic metres—considerably more than the inhabi-
tants of Paris enjoy. No fewer than 700 gardens are let by the Company, at
the rate of two f rancs per annum. The Company have constructed nearly ten
miles of streets and over two miles of boulevards ; they have provided public
fountains yielding 500 cubic metres of water per day. Messrs. Schneider
have founded five commercial and industrial schools, 15 free schools, and
10 nurseries for children of tender years. These establishments have received
in one year 4629 children, and only 29 who have not profited by these oppor-
tunities remain in ignorance. The school fee is 75 cents, per month for the
children of workmen, and a franc-and-a-half for other children, but some
700 children are received gratuitously. The education given comprises
reading and writing, French, history, arithmetic, geography, drawing,
geometry, mechanics, physics, and chemistry. The adult schools are attended
by about 500 workmen, and there are four special classes for smiths, turners,
finishers, and modellers. A library of some 2300 volumes, comprising all
kinds of works, has been provided. Two Catholic chmrches have been built
by the Messrs. Schneider, who have also provided for Protestant worship.
The smallest wages earned at Creuzot amount to 3f. 45c. per day. In 1848 the
sum was 2f. 50c. A grown man may rise to 8f. in the workshops, and 13f. in
the blacksmiths' shop. The population in 1836 was but 2700 souls ; at the
last census 28,872, showing a rate of increase four times as great as the
average of France. The number of convictions for offences of all kinds is
considerably less than the average; and for offences against morality the
ratio is less than half the average. The savings' bank contains the deposits
of 1770 workmen, amounting in all to eleven millions of francs. A further
sum of two millions is invested in the works by 540 workmen, but can be
withdrawn at any ti,me. No fewer than 450 workmen having ceased to
labour, possess among them no less than three millions of property, which, if
invested in land or houses, at Creuzot, realises something like 7 per cent "—

And then say whether the late strike is not indeed best described by
help of the name of the agitator who is said to have been at the bottom

women irom oeing commey-s weeps r-our, mere are not any in oooay, of it_Assr. A more asiniae quarrelling of workmen with their bread
even m the good old times, ever heard of a climbing girl. Only fools | anH hnttfir lt wmild hp dlffimiirHtn P.nTU,ftrvfi.
rush m where angels fear to tread, and women, all but very rare mad-
women, fear to tread the rough ways they are unfitted for. We, Sir ;
you, and 1, and Mr. Disraeli, are on the side of the angels.

But medicine is not one of those rough ways for a female practitioner,
except now and then when its path is the way across country; she
having been called up at night.

Women are no more unfitted to practise medicine than they are to
practise music. True we have no female Handels, Mozarts, and
Beethovens. Neither are we likely to have a female Harvey,
Hunter, or Abernethy. Women do not originate things. But it is
unite possible we may have a female Sydenham, or Halford, or even
a female Astley Cooper.

The medical science, Mr. Punch, acquired by a lady-doctor here and
there might prove a leaven which would leaven the whole lump so to

speak, with apology for calling the fair sex a lump. And the lump A Game Chicken.

sadly wants leavening When it had got properly leavened there! Fad Qid (go s u Gent) L ^ 1lie Cohnd has won tLe
^J^^?^^S^.6 Grand National £ a neck. You owe me a pair of gloves.

Echo CEcumenicalis.

Scisne aliquid de Jesuit a?—Ita.
Habetne fidei thesaurum?—Aurum.
Sed magnopere amat divinum.—Vinum.
Haud sestimat terras.—Erras.
Beipublicee est utilis atque bonus.— Onus.
Plus alio est affectuum dominus.—Minus.
Sed veritatem ex profundo fodit.—Odit.
Judicium tuum nimis est severum.— Verum.

ways of being made beautiful for ever; also an end of low dresses in
high life and high latitudes. The death-rate from bronchitis and
consumption would largely decrease.

There would likewise be an end of Daffy and Dalby, and all
manner of domestic quackery in those upper regions where future men
and women make the noises which pious JEneas heard, the first thing,
m the lower. Moreover, we should hear much less of those noises,

Gent. 1 do. What sort ?
Girl. Boxing gloves.

And mark. Whilst the medical profession would be a resource for a | Up as a Fungus

0 imitatob.es, sebvum pecus !

Owing to the popularity gained by Cometh Up as a Flower, some
simious writer will perhaps produce a tale under the title of Cometh