410 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[November 23, 1872. 
plead guilty to this charge; but no one chooses a pro¬ 
fession without some regard for his, or her, personal 
feelings, and we may feel assured that a woman who 
willingly undergoes all the study and all the practical 
work demanded in hospitals may he trusted to have 
nerve enough for even an alarming crisis in after prac¬ 
tice. Then, as to moral courage, as to whether a wo¬ 
man can have the heart to resolve on some painful treat¬ 
ment, and to carry it out firmly, steadily, and tenderly 
withal, not ceasing for the trying cries of her patient or 
the possible entreaties of those around her, we believe 
that there are many such gentle, yet firm-minded, wo¬ 
men who will not shrink from duty merely on account 
of its disagreeableness. Again, few medical men, even 
those who bear the highest reputation, ever undertake 
an operation of extreme difficulty without the advice and 
co-operation of a brother professional, and we cannot 
suppose that any medical man would refuse his counsel 
and assistance because the individual seeking it was a 
woman instead of a man. Another objection frequently 
urged is that the training and profession of a doctor are 
utterly incompatible with the duties and responsibilities 
of a wife and mother. We are quite willing to admit 
the force of this objection in many cases; nor can we 
conceive a more undesirable and pitiable state of things 
than exists in the home where husband and children are 
neglected while the wife and mother, forgetful of her 
duties and truest pleasures, is engrossed with other pur¬ 
suits, studies, and cares. We contend, however, that 
this is no valid objection against the admission of such 
women as desire it to a medical career. We know that 
all women do not marry, some, perhaps, never have the 
chance, and some, by a peculiar idiosyncracy, have no 
inclination. Now there can be no possible objection to 
these women entering the medical profession, and throw¬ 
ing into this channel all the energy and enthusiasm that 
will otherwise be frittered away in profitless pursuits, 
that can give no solid pleasure, but which tend more 
than any other circumstances to make them those pecu¬ 
liar, crabbed, and disappointed specimens of humanity 
called “old maids.” Supposing, however, that a female 
medical student or a lady-doctor marries. Will she be 
a worse wife or a worse mother F Have her studies made 
her more or less competent for the general duties of life ? 
We assume, of course, that she gives up all special pro¬ 
secution of the profession as a matter of gain or constant 
occupation. We believe that she will make a better wife 
and be a better mother. The knowledge of the healing 
art will still remain, and husband, children, and friends 
may be the gainers by her kind and gentle ministra¬ 
tions. The arguments in favour of giving women a 
medical education are many. A sick man longs for the 
gentle touch and friendly sympathy that none can be¬ 
stow so well as a woman. Woman, indeed, is man’s 
natural nurse; she is the first that soothes his infant 
ailments; she is the one who composes his limbs and 
closes his eyes for the last long sleep. A woman’s hand 
is peculiarly adapted for some operations, those especially 
where a small soft hand is preferable, and less liable to 
entail injury than one of larger size and rougher mould. 
In all circumstances knowledge is power, and in some 
cases the mere tying of a handkerchief and tightening 
the impromptu ligature with a twig may suffice to stay 
inordinate haemorrhage from a divided artery, when the 
patient must assuredly die were assistance delaved many 
minutes. We do not mean that all women who study 
medicine should practise for gain; in the higher ranks 
it were most undesirable that a woman should do so; 
but no one is the worse for knowing what should be 
done in cases of emergency and knowing how to do it. 
No one will be more thankful than the doctor to have 
all things made ready to his hand. The last argument 
we shall adduce to-day is, that taught or untaught wo¬ 
men will ever be employed, especially by the poorer 
classes, in one most important branch—midwifery. It 
is only necessary to look back on the past annals of mid¬ 
wifery in England, and the constant mal-practices by 
native midwives in this country, to make us all agree 
that, so far as this branch at least is concerned, women 
must be scientifically and thoroughly taught. A series 
of articles published in ‘ The Lancet ’ for April, May, 
and June last, will show us something of the horrible 
barbarities common in England so long as midwifery 
was practised by the so-called midwives. Here, in 
India, there is scarcely a medical man who could not 
confirm a well-known practitioner’s statement to us, 
“They bring here women whom they have actually 
killed by their ignorance and cruelty, and then expect 
us to deliver them in safety, though the womb is rup¬ 
tured, or other fatal injuries inflicted !” 
DEODORIZATION OF EXCRETA BY SEAWEED 
CHAR.—CONFERENCE AT SOUTHSEA. 
On the invitation of Colonel Synge, Commanding- 
Royal Engineer at Gosport, a party of gentlemen as¬ 
sembled at the Southsea Pier Hotel on Thursday, for the- 
purpose of considering a scheme for the removal and 
utilization of refuse by carbon. 
Among the propositions laid down by the promoters- 
of the scheme are these:—That a dry deodorant is 
preferable to water, inasmuch as the former transmutes- 
the obnoxious and dangerous substances to which it is- 
applied; that the application of water to refuse is extra¬ 
vagant in practice and erroneous in theory; that the- 
difficulties and objections to the earth system (such as 
its un-remunerativeness and the tendency to attract 
worms and flies) disappear with the use of charcoal 
that by the use of charcoal bulk is diminished, and. 
application and removal are thus facilitated; that 
deodorization is instantaneous and complete ; that 
the use of charcoal is more remunerative than that 
of earth, the material possessing an intrinsic value, 
and taking up completely and within a limited com¬ 
pass all the valuable qualities in the refuse; that 
charcoal may be obtained at about 30s. a ton, and that 
after use the compound can be sold for manure or re¬ 
burnt ; and that by proper appliances for burning the- 
mixed contents of closets, etc., in closed retorts, and. 
saving the volatile products, the supply of charcoal, 
after the first, can be kept up without any fresh impor¬ 
tation. All that is necessary in the application of char¬ 
coal is a layer of carbon to receive the deposit and 
another to cover it. With regard to the value of the* 
refuse, it is alleged to be, according to the best autho¬ 
rities, 8s. Ad. per head per annum, while the carbon by 
which it is carried retains its own value. 
The closet is in the first instance charged with sea¬ 
weed or peat charcoal. When collected in sufficient, 
quantity, the mixed compound is distilled in a retort; 
ammoniacal liquor, tar, and gas are yielded; and from 
the former, sulphate of ammonia and acetate of lime are 
obtained. Animal charcoal remains in the retort; and 
with this the process is carried on. The produce of a 
year’s working on a population of 20,000 is estimated at- 
£4680, and the expenses at £2530, which would leave: 
a balance of £2150 to cover management, sales, inci¬ 
dental expenses and profit. 
In the discussion which took place, the disadvantages- 
of the water-closet system were pointed out by several 
speakers. Mr. Stanford and Mr. W. R. W. Smith said 
that the carbon system had been applied in a ship¬ 
building yard in Glasgow, and the latter gentleman said 
he had been in the vault and found it entirely free from: 
smell; the excreta disappeared; the whole mass be¬ 
came black, and could not be distinguished from the char¬ 
coal, and when it was dry it was inodorous. It was 
also stated that when char was used, there was an ab¬ 
sence of the flies and insects that accompany the earth, 
system. On the other hand, it was urged by one or two- 
speakers that some of the evils arising from the water- 
closets are capable of being remedied, and that the 
carbon system required more care than would be given 
by servants and uneducated people. 
