ial
treatment for affections in any of the hospitals under the care
of male physicians. While we realize that great advantages would
have come to these poor unfortunates by proper treatment, we feel
that no male physician having due regard for his own reputation,
should attempt to treat an insane woman for uterine diseases by
means used in private practice, or even in hospitals with sane
women. And this shows the importance of women physicians for
women insane. One of the most intellectual and prominent women of
this State was, 30 years ago, on account of domestic application,
an inmate of our then champion hospital for the insane, for
several months, during all of which time her sufferings were, to
use her own words, indescribable, and yet she was not once asked
in relation to her physical condition. Let us turn aside from
this, and glance at the last annual report of Dr. Alice Bennett.
She reports 180 patients examined for uterine diseases; 125 were
placed under treatment; 67 treated for a length of time; 60
benefited by treatment. While Dr. Bennett does not say that their
insanity was caused by the uterine disease, or that they were
cured by curing that affection, she observes that in some cases
the relief of the mind kept pace with the progress of cure of
the uterine affections. I have, perhaps, written more than was
needed on this subject, but I am so anxious that we shall have
women doctors in every hospital for the treatment of insane
women, and know, too, what influence yourself and good Mrs.
Stanton can exert by turning your attention to it, which I am
sure you will as you become informed in relation to the facts,
that I could not stop short of what I have said. I have prepared
a full account of our struggles with the State Society during six
years to obtain for women doctors their proper recognition by the
profession, and also the obstacles and opposition we encountered
in our attempt to procure the law empowering boards of trustees
to appoint women to hospitals for the insane of their sex. It
will give me pleasure to send them to you if they would be of any
use to you.

Respectfully, HIRAM CORSON.

As I am within a week of my 82d birthday, and am writing while my
heart is beating one hundred