Medical morals, illustrated with plates and extracts from medical works : designed to show the pernicious social and moral influence of the present system of medical practice, and the importance of establishing female medical colleges, and educating and employing female physicians for their own sex / by George Gregory.
- George Gregory
- Date:
- 1852
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Medical morals, illustrated with plates and extracts from medical works : designed to show the pernicious social and moral influence of the present system of medical practice, and the importance of establishing female medical colleges, and educating and employing female physicians for their own sex / by George Gregory. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![Think of this, reader. What a trade for boys to learn and nun to follow ! What is it but a vast system of legalized prostitution? Thus the medical profession is doing more to undermine public v irtue than all the ministers of the gospel, and the moral reform societies, can do to preserve it. Velpeau's Obstetrics, Dr. Meigs's edition, Philadelphia, says, The touch has always been looked upon as the compass of the accoucheur; but this has not hindered some persons, Pusos among others, from vigorously objecting to its employment. Roussel says ' that accou- cheurs ought to expunge from their books the impertinent directions that they give concerning the touch.' According to him, the opera- tion is too alarming to the modesty of a respectable woman, and too contrary to good morals. This is a correct view of the matter. But, instead of expunging the directions, or dispensing with the examinations, which are necessary, the better remedy is, to place the books and this sort of practice in the hands of women. In order to quiet this alarm to the modesty of women, various deceptions and impositions are practised upon their ignorance and credulity. For instance, Denman's Midwifery says of this examina- tion, When instituted at the time of labor, it is popularly called taking a pain, which explains the opinion entertained of it by women ! And the London Practice of Midwifery, American edition, says, An examination per vaginam is the way in which medical men express it to each other, but it must never be mentioned in this way to a woman ; to her it must always be called trying or taking a pain ; this is at once suggesting the occasion of the exam- ination, and the relief it will procure in taking the pain away ! ! From the same work are taken the following directions for a little management to save time : — A patient, after the waters are discharged, requires a little man- agement. It is not just [to ourselves] to stay with her; and yet it is necessary, if we leave her, to leave her in confidence. Therefore we may give her the idea of making provision for whatever may happen in our absence. We may pass our finger up the vagina, and make a moderate degree of pressure for a few seconds on any part of it, so that she may just feel it; after which, we may say to her, ' There, ma'am, I have done something that will be of great use to you in your labor.' This she trusts to ; and if, when she sends for us, we get there in time, it is all well; if later than we should be,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2112422x_0032.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
