a mortal antipathy-第31节

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throw　her　head　back；　and　feel　as　grand　as　a　queen。　　I　have　seen　more

than　one　girl　act　very　much　in　that　way。　　Are　not　most　of　us　a　little

crazy；　doctor；just　a　little？　　I　think　so。　　It　seems　to　me　I　never

saw　but　one　girl　who　was　free　from　every　hint　of　craziness。〃



〃And　who　was　that；　pray？〃



〃Why；　Euthymia；nobody　else；　of　course。　　She　never　loses　her　head；

I　don't　believe　she　would　in　an　earthquake。　　Whenever　we　were　at　work

with　our　microscopes　at　the　Institute　I　always　told　her　that　her　mind

was　the　only　achromatic　one　I　ever　looked　into；I　did　n't　say　looked

through。…But　I　did　n't　come　to　talk　about　that。　　I　read　in　one　of

your　books　that　when　Sydenham　was　asked　by　a　student　what　books　he

should　read；　the　great　physician　said；　'Read　〃Don　Quixote。〃'　I　want

you　to　explain　that　to　me；　and　then　I　want　you　to　tell　me　what　is　the

first　book；　according　to　your　idea；　that　a　student　ought　to　read。〃



〃What　do　you　say　to　my　taking　your　question　as　the　subject　of　a　paper

to　be　read　before　the　Society？　　I　think　there　may　be　other　young

ladies　at　the　meeting；　besides　yourself；　who　are　thinking　of　pursuing

the　study　of　medicine。　　At　any　rate；　there　are　a　good　many　who　are

interested　in　the　subject；　in　fact；　most　people　listen　readily　to

anything　doctors　tell　them　about　their　calling。〃



〃I　wish　you　would；　doctor。　　I　want　Euthymia　to　hear　it；　and　I　don't

doubt　there　will　be　others　who　will　be　glad　to　hear　everything　you

have　to　say　about　it。　　But　oh；　doctor；　if　you　could　only　persuade

Eutbymia　to　become　a　physician！　　What　a　doctor　she　would　make！　　So

strong；　so　calm；　so　full　of　wisdom！　　I　believe　she　could　take　the

wheel　of　a　steamboat　in　a　storm；　or　the　hose　of　a　fire…engine　in　a

conflagration；　and　handle　it　as　well　as　the　captain　of　the　boat　or　of

the　fire…company。〃



〃Have　you　ever　talked　with　her　about　studying　medicine？〃



〃Indeed　I　have。　　Oh；　if　she　would　only　begin　with　me！　　What　good

times　we　would　have　studying　together！〃



〃I　don't　doubt　it。　　Medicine　is　a　very　pleasant　study。　　But　how　do

you　think　practice　would　be？　　How　would　you　like　being　called　up　to

ride　ten　miles　in　a　midnight　snow…storm；　just　when　one　of　your　raging

headaches　was　racking　you？〃



〃Oh；　but　we　could　go　into　partnership；　and　Euthymia　is　n't　afraid　of

storms　or　anything　else。　　If　she　would　only　study　medicine　with　me！〃



〃Well；　what　does　she　say　to　it？〃



〃She　does　n't　like　the　thought　of　it。　　She　does　n't　believe　in　women

doctors。　　She　thinks　that　now　and　then　a　woman　may　be　fitted　for　it

by　nature；　but　she　does　n't　think　there　are　many　who　are。　　She　gives

me　a　good　many　reasons　against　their　practising　medicine；　you　know

what　most　of　them　are；　doctor；and　ends　by　saying　that　the　same

woman　who　would　be　a　poor　sort　of　doctor　would　make　a　first…rate

nurse；　and　that；　she　thinks；　is　a　woman's　business；　if　her　instinct

carries　her　to　the　hospital　or　sick…chamber。　　I　can't　argue　her　ideas

out　of　her。〃



〃Neither　can　I　argue　you　out　of　your　feeling　about　the　matter；　but　I

am　disposed　to　agree　with　your　friend；　that　you　will　often　spoil　a

good　nurse　to　make　a　poor　doctor。　　Doctors　and　side…saddles　don't

seem　to　me　to　go　together。　　Riding　habits　would　be　awkward　things　for

practitioners。　　But　come；　we　won't　have　a　controversy　just　now。　　I　am

for　giving　women　every　chance　for　a　good　education；　and　if　they　think

medicine　is　one　of　their　proper　callings　let　them　try　it。　　I　think

they　will　find　that　they　had　better　at　least　limit　themselves　to

certain　specialties；　and　always　have　an　expert　of　the　other　sex　to

fall　back　upon。　　The　trouble　is　that　they　are　so　impressible　and

imaginative　that　they　are　at　the　mercy　of　all　sorts　of　fancy　systems。

You　have　only　to　see　what　kinds　of　instruction　they　very　commonly

flock　to　in　order　to　guess　whether　they　would　be　likely　to　prove

sensible　practitioners。　　Charlatanism　always　hobbles　on　two　crutches；

the　tattle　of　women；　and　the　certificates　of　clergymen；　and　I　am

afraid　that　half　the　women　doctors　will　be　too　much　under　both　those

influences。〃



Lurida　believed　in　Dr。　Butts；　who；　to　use　the　common　language　of　the

village；　had　〃carried　her　through〃　a　fever；　brought　on　by　over…

excitement　and　exhausting　study。　　She　took　no　offence　at　his

reference　to　nursery　gossip；　which　she　had　learned　to　hold　cheap。

Nobody　so　despises　the　weaknesses　of　women　as　the　champion　of　woman's

rights。　　She　accepted　the　doctor's　concession　of　a　fair　field　and

open　trial　of　the　fitness　of　her　sex　for　medical　practice；　and　did

not　trouble　herself　about　his　suggested　limitations。　　As　to　the

imaginative　tendencies　of　women；　she　knew　too　well　the　truth　of　the

doctor's　remark　relating　to　them　to　wish　to　contradict　it。



〃Be　sure　you　let　me　have　your　paper　in　season　for　the　next　meeting；

doctor；〃　she　said；　and　in　due　season　it　came；　and　was　of　course

approved　for　reading。









XIII



DR。　BUTTS　READS　A　PAPER。



〃Next　to　the　interest　we　take　in　all　that　relates　to　our　immortal

souls　is　that　which　we　feel　for　our　mortal　bodies。　　I　am　afraid　my

very　first　statement　may　be　open　to　criticism。　　The　care　of　the　body

is　the　first　thought　with　a　great　many；in　fact；　with　the　larger

part　of　the　world。　　They　send　for　the　physician　first；　and　not　until

he　gives　them　up　do　they　commonly　call　in　the　clergyman。　　Even　the

minister　himself　is　not　so　very　different　from　other　people。　　We　must

not　blame　him　if　he　is　not　always　impatient　to　exchange　a　world　of

multiplied　interests　and　ever…changing　sources　of　excitement　for　that

which　tradition　has　delivered　to　us　as　one　eminently　deficient　in　the

stimulus　of　variety。　　Besides；　these　bodily　frames；　even　when　worn

and　disfigured　by　long　years　of　service；　hang　about　our　consciousness

like　old　garments。　　They　are　used　to　us；　and　we　are　used　to　them。

And　all　the　accidents　of　our　lives；the　house　we　dwell　in；　the

living　people　round　us；　the　landscape　we　look　over；　all；　up　to　the

sky　that　covers　us　like　a　bell　glass；all　these　are　but　looser

outside　garments　which　we　have　worn　until　they　seem　a　part　of　us；　and

we　do　not　like　the　thought　of　changing　them　for　a　new　suit　which　we

have　never　yet　tried　on。　　How　well　I　remember　that　dear　ancient　lady；

who　lived　well　into　the　last　decade　of　her　century；　as　she　repeated

the　verse　which；　if　I　had　but　one　to　choose；　I　would　select　from　that

string　of　pearls；　Gray's　'Elegy'！



　　　　'For　who　to　dumb　forgetfulness　a　prey

　　　　　This　pleasing；　anxious　being　e'er　resigned；

　　　　　Left　the　warm　precincts　of　the　cheerful　day；

　　　　　Nor　cast　one　longing；　lingering　look　behind？'



Plotinus　was　ashamed　of　his　body；　we　are　told。　　Better　so；　it　may　be；

than　to　live　solely　for　it；　as　so　many　do。　　But　it　may　be　well

doubted　if　there　is　any　disciple　of　Plotinus　in　this　Society。　　On　the

contrary；　there　are　many　who　think　a　great　deal　of　their　bodies；　many

who　have　come　here　to　regain　the　health　they　have　lost　in　the　wear

and　tear　of　city　life；　and　very　few　who　have　not　at　some　time　or

other　of　their　lives　had　occasion　to　call　in　the　services　of　a

physician。



〃There　is；　therefore；　no　impropriety　in　my　offering　to　the　members

some　remarks　upon　the　peculiar　difficulties　which　beset　the　medical

practitioner　in　the　discharge　of　his　laborious　and　important　duties。



〃A　young　friend　of　mine；　who　has　taken　an　interest　in　medical

studies；　happened　to　meet　with　a　very　familiar　story　about　one　of　the

greatest　and　most　celebrated　of　all　English　physicians；　Thomas

Sydenham。　　The　story　is　that；　when　a　student　asked　him　what　books　he

should　read；　the　great　doctor　told　him　to　read　'Don　Quixote。'



〃This　piece　of　advice　has　been　used　to　throw　contempt　upon　the　study

of　books；　and　furnishes　a　convenient　shield　for　ignorant　pretenders。

But　Sydenham　left　many　writings　in　which　he　has　recorded　his　medical

experience；　and　he　surely　would　not　have　published　them　if　he　had　not

thought　they　would　be　better　reading　for　the　medical　student　than　the

story　of　Cervantes。　　His　own　works　are　esteemed　to　this　day；　and　he

certainly　could　not　have　supposed　that　they　contained　all　the　wisdom

of　all　the　past。　　No　remedy　is　good；　it　was　said　of　old；　unless

applied　at　the　right　time　in　the　right　way。　　So　we　may　say　of　all

anecdotes；　like　this　which　I　have　told　you　about　Sydenham　and　the

young　man。　　It　is　very　likely　that　he　carried　him　to　the　bedside　of

some　patients；　and　talked　to　him　about　the　cases　he　showed　him；

instead　of　putting　a　Latin　volume　in　his　hand。　　I　would　as　soon　begin

in　that　way　as　any　other；　with　a　student　who　had　already　mastered　the

preliminary　branches；who　knew　enough　about　the　structure　and

functions　of　the　body　in　health。



〃But　if　you　ask　me　what　reading　I　would　commend　to　the　medical

student　of　a　philosophical　habit　of　mind；　you　may　be　surprised　to

hear　me　say　it　would　be　certain　passages　in　'Rasselas。'　　They　are　the

ones　where　the　astronomer　gives　an　account　to　Imlac　of　his　manag