The services of regularly qualified lady physicians are now eagerly sought, not only in the United States, where they in later times first proved their capability, but also in foreign countries.  Medical universities, the sage faculties of which once frowned with scorn upon “women who would be guilty of the indelicacy of pushing themselves into the medical profession,” now gladly open their doors to them; the more candid of the professors admitting that the “indelicacy,” not to say indecency, is upon the side of men who would push themselves into the sick-chamber of a woman, and make inquiries of her concerning symptoms peculiar to her sex, when there are women who are competent to attend to her case.

Little by little the mists of superstition and error, incident to barbaric times, are being dispelled by the genial light of a brighter day.  Even now, genteel ignorance is not esteemed the acme of feminine perfection, except by those theorists who would degrade woman mentally, that they themselves may thus acquire so much a higher elevation—­at least in their own imaginations—­as to stand to them in God’s stead, or, at the very least, to be a semi-deity whose superior wisdom is to be worshiped.

The facilities for acquiring a good common education, of late years afforded to the masses, in which there was not so wide a distinction made between the sexes as formerly, have accomplished much in removing old-time prejudices; as the searching examinations of these public schools have fairly tested the capabilities of both boys and girls, and have established the fact that, with equal opportunities, the girls were fully equal to the boys in mental ability and attainments.  Grudgingly, girls have been allowed to enter the grammar and higher schools; and here, too, by their proficiency, they have proved their right to enter.

There was a great outcry raised when the first genuine university which admitted women, allowed them to pursue precisely the same studies as young men.  It was predicted that almost unheard-of evils would ensue.  Woman, if they succeeded, would be unfitted for her “sphere,” and become unwilling to soothe, with tender hand, the suffering and the distressed, etc.  The wail was terrific.  The experiment, however, succeeded.  Women not only commenced a real collegiate course, but pursued it to the end, graduating with honors; and, despite prophecy, college-bred women made faithful wives, judicious mothers, and good housekeepers.  A cruel war ravaged the fair fields of a portion of the United States, bringing with it its attendant train of misery.  What was the employment of ladies who had graduated in universities in this crisis of their country?  Had their knowledge of Latin and Greek made them either inefficient or hard?  The weary, wounded soldier in the hospitals would testify that the kind hand of an educated and refined woman bathed his feverish temples, while her gentle voice breathed into his ear the glad tidings