T

HOSE who have been interested in the modern movements to enlarge the scope of female activity, and in particular to facilitate the opportunities of women to enter upon the study and the practice of medicine, may be willing to give attention to the following notes:

Even in ancient times, Jewish women may have been engaged in medical practice. Many of the popular medical recipes of the Talmud are ascribed to the foster mother of Rabbi Abaye, whose name has not been preserved.* At the time of Josephus we are told about "one Joseph the son of a female physician. . .

The Ladies of Salerno (as Withington† "courteously" translates Mulieres Saleritanae), stand out conspicuously in the history of medieval medicine. But they do not stand isolated. There were women physicians elsewhere, and prominent among them were certain Jewesses.

In Sicily Virdimura, the wife of Pasquale, the physician of Catane, was examined in 1376 by the physicians of the Royal Court and obtained permission to practice medicine throughout the kingdom, in consideration of the praise universally given her. She stated that she desired to devote herself to the treatment of the poor, who were unable to pay the large fees of other physicians.††

One of the most interesting notes on Jewish doctoresses is found in the early records of Marseilles. In 1326, an agreement was entered into between Sara de Saint Gilles, widow of Abraham, and Salvet de Bourgneuf, the son of Davin. Sara agreed to teach Salvet "artem medicine et phisice" for the period of seven months; and she further agreed to board, lodge and clothe Salvet, and in return the pupil was to relinquish all fees, which he might receive, and turn them over to his instructress.

But it was in the German States that Jewesses were often found in the practice of medicine and especially as oculists.

R. Judah b. Asher, who was born in Germany in 1270 and died in Toledo in 1349, tells us in his testament

"and it happened when I was three months old I suffered with my eyes and did not get better. When I was three years old, a woman endeavored to cure me but she increased my blindness so that I was confined to the house for one year because I could not see my way, until a Jewess came skilled in the healing of the eyes and she treated me for two months when she died. Had she lived another month, I might have regained my eye-sight fully. But for the two months she treated me I might never have seen any more. Blessed be God who showed me wonders with His mercy and opened my eyes to see the works of His hands."'*

opera

Did the former belong to those "female oculists who operated more quickly than one can describe the tions; many patients, however, became blind."** Archbishop John II, of Würzburg, in 1419, granted a license to a Jewish "Ertztin," Sarah of Würzburg, to practice medicine throughout the bishopric. She paid an annual tax of 10 florins. The license was as follows:†

"Concerning the Jewess, the doctoress franchised for (the past) three years; 1419. We, John, etc., make known, etc., as heretofore agreed upon, that Sarah the Jewess, the doctoress is to pay annually for the Golden pence, two florins, and in addition also ten florins for taxes and as a voluntary contribution (lipniss). Thus we shall let it stand for the time as thus agreed upon for the next three full years so that she may practice her profession without interference on our part or of those belonging to us, unconditionally and should anyone intend to prosecute her or actually do so, against such one we shall take action to the best of our ability so that he be stopped, unconditionally. Dated the spring of 1419."

Sarah must have enjoyed great influence and her practice must have been very lucrative, for there is a record of an act of the princely court installing her into all the estates of Friedrich von Riedern; this document was signed by the entire Frankonian nobility to secure her in her new possessions and reads as follows:

"Letter patent to Sarah, Jewess of Würzburg, in all the lands of which Friederich von Riedern, dwelling at

*From The Testament of R. Judah, Edited by Schechter, Pressburg, 1885, p. 8.

**Baas, Outlines of the History of Medicine, New York, 1889, p. 339, quoting Benedetti.

†Heffner, Die Juden in Franken, 1855, where a copy of the original documents in quaint old German will be found.

"We, Reinhardt von Masspach, Bishop at Würzburg and Judge of the Duchy in Franconia make known to all people with this letter that Sarah the Jewess, the doctress of Würzburg has gained through legal procedure and after proper charges and verdict the usufruct of his body and his possessions and upon all that is his in the Duchy of Franconia, whatever it may be called and wherever it may be situated or named. We declare the said Sarah, the Jewess in usufruct of all the above named possessions with the force and power of this letter, etc."

In the Archives of Frankfort-on-the-Main there is recorded the payment of one florin to Barbara, the daughter of the deceased physician, for medical attention to the soldiers who had fallen at Wissenkirchen in 1394.*

The Jewish women physicians were no less the objects of opposition and vituperation than their brothers; as an instance we may mention the complaints of a Doctor

*There is quite a list of Jewish doctoresses who practiced their profession in Frankfort-on-the-Main. The first one mentioned is Selekeid in 1393. Serlin or Zerline is referred to in 1428 and 1431 as the oculist. In 1435, a "Judenercztin" is obliged to leave the city. An anonymous female oculist is mentioned in 1436. In 1439, we learn that "Judenercztynne" shall leave the city or pay the taxes like other Jews. An anonymous female oculist, who, in 1446, was treating the toll-master of the bridge, was relieved from paying a special tax. A Jewish doctoress, in 1457, was forbidden to remain in Frankfort unless she paid the "nachtgeld (a tax paid by rabbis, cantors, etc., and less than usual Jewish taxes-but conditional on their not engaging in money dealings). A Jewish doctoress is mentioned in the records of 1494-99 as being relieved of paying the "Schlafgeld" (a tax paid by strangers sojourning in the city), “damit sie hie bliben moge," in order to induce her to remain. But, in 1494, a Jewess, an oculist, is forbidden from practicing upon a sick officer.

**Kriegk, Deutsches Buergerthum im Mittelalter, Frankfort, 1868, where (p. 34) a list of Jewish physicians of Frankfort previous to 1500 is to be found.

to "disgraceful Jews and Jewesses.

Toward the end of the 15th century, Bernardinus, of Siena, was engaged in his violent denunciation of the Jews. One of the tragic results was the martyrdom of the Jews of Trent, and this has kept from oblivion the name of a Jewish physician, Brunetta, a most clever woman of whom the fanatical Bernardinus complains that (through her professional ministrations) she entered the homes and intruded into the councils of the Christians (about 1475). At the trial of the Jews for their alleged murder of the child, Simon of Trent, Brunetta was charged with having furnished the needles used to draw the blood.**

The anonymous "Book of Morals," printed in 1542, . in Judueo-German, was dedicated to all women and maidens, but especially to the "Honorable and modest Morada, the woman practicing the liberal art of medicine in Günspurz ("Zuvorans der erbarn un' züchtigen frawen fram Morada doktorin der freien kunst der arznei wonhaftig zu Günspurg.”)†

Unlike some of the "Ladies of Salerno" their Jewish sisters did not leave us any writings and indeed we know little about them except their popularity.

*Horovitz, p. 10.

**Grætz, 2nd Germ. Ed., vol. 8, p. 236 and 256.

†Güdemann, Erziehungswesen, etc., vol. III, p. 113. Since writing the above I find that Kayserling has identified Morada with the learned humanist, Olympia Morata, not a Jewess, born in 1526; she lectured at Ferrara, married a German physician and took up her home in Germany. (See Kayserling, Jued. Frauen, 1879.)

HARRY FRIEDENWALD, M. D.

Baltimore, Md.

RECENT article in the MEDICAL

PICKWICK, entitled "How Dr. Jones Came Back" has come to the attention of "Dr. Smith." As the latter's views concerning the medical aspect of the war are somewhat at variance with those of Dr. Jones, his biographer thought it might be of interest to record some of them as follows: On the day after his honorable discharge from the Army, Dr. Smith resumed the practice of medicine. He was fortunate in having had an assistant to keep his office open during his absence of 28 months in the Army. That he had not dreamed of such good fortune, can easily be imagined as he had entered the service during the first week of the war. It did not require more than two or three weeks to feel at home again in civilian clothes, though a number of months elapsed before he was able to settle down and attempt any serious studying or constructive medical work. His outdoor army life had been physically beneficial and he felt repaid for his absence from practice in the many new friends he had made and the varied and fascinating experiences he had had.

To show that Dr. Smith's opinions of the Regular Army were based upon a reasonably long experience, a few words regarding his military record should be mentioned. Before the war, Dr. Smith had attended four camps of instruction for officers of the Medical Reserve Corps, where he laid the foundation of intimate friendships with some of the gentlemen of the regular establishment. During the war, Dr. Smith had first served at a General Recruit Depot, and then at his own request had been ordered to attend one of the camps of instruction for medical officers. Perhaps Dr. Smith was an optimist by nature or perhaps army life was congenial to him; at all events, he enjoyed every bit of his service at training camp, in spite of sweltering weather and other minor inconveniences. While such an experience may have been a little strenuous for some of the "elderly, fat and wind-broken" members, it certainly seemed invaluable for the great majority of those who attended this camp. This was later proved to the satisfaction of Dr. Smith, when he became a commander himself. He found that many of his most valuable and adaptable officers were those who had undergone this training.

*"How Dr. Jones Came Back," by James Bayard Clark, Medical Pickwick, May, 1920.

Later in one of the large cantonments, Dr. Smith (then Major) served successively, at the base hospital, as adjutant, chief of one of the large services and as military instructor. instructor. For a brief period he was also the Camp Surgeon. Giving lectures on the care of government property or on jurisprudence or insurance, or conducting drills, would hardly be considered the best means of adding to one's medical experience. Someone from the Reserve had to perform such duties, however, as the needed instructors of the regular corps were not available. Dr. Smith's experience culminated with the command (as Lieutenant Colonel) of a base hospital in France.

Let us now return to the case of Dr. Jones, who suffered from mental depression, due to brooding over the treatment of the "Reserve" at the hands of the (regular) Medical Corps. His malady it may be mentioned was ultimately cured after he had purchased a donkey named "Colonel" to whom, in the presence of his young son, he unburdened his mind. Dr. Jones' biographer has spoken of a young "Colonel" (regular) in command who was especially keen to try out many methods of surgical care, as well as at the same time to administer the executive side of the Hospital." Such a person did not come to the attention of Dr. Smith, who found that the regular officers were often pushed to the limit of their endurance to attend strictly to their administrative duties alone. As a C. O., himself, Dr. Smith had tried to follow the example of one of his former commanders for whom he had the very highest regard. This was to treat all alike, with fairness, and to avoid unnecessary interference with the details of the professional work. He had carefully chosen the chiefs chosen the chiefs of the different services and departments and had then given them the task of organizing their own units, a plan that had resulted in obtaining efficiency and at the same time the good will of his subordinates.

Dr. Smith did not share the view of Dr. Jones that the Medical corps (regular) had used the Reserve Officers as a steed on which to "ride to higher rank and its own personal glory." In regard to rank it was to be expected that the regulars, who had devoted their lives to the study of warfare, should be the administrative leaders and attain the high rank that corresponded to their heavy responsibilities. But would not Dr. Jones admit that the Reserve Officers also rose rapidly in rank and all in the course of one or two years? That many officers who served overseas failed of merited promotion, he, of course, felt was most regrettable and unfortunate.

Because some "regulars" were selfish and unwilling to give any credit to reserve officers for their accomplishments, it seemed hardly right to condemn them all as a class. Dr. Smith certainly knew of reserve officers in positions of command who were equally as selfish and equally disliked by their subordinates. On the other hand, Dr. Jones apparently forgot the many shortcomings of Reservists that were overlooked by the regulars in command. Dr. Smith knew of more than one case where the reserve officers had conducted themselves improperly but had nevertheless been dealt with most leniently by their superior officers in the Regular Army. With a single exception, the officers of the Regular Army under

whom Dr. Smith had served had measured up well as officers and as men, especially in view of the heavy burdens they had suddenly been called upon to carry.

During the war Dr. Smith not only felt kindly toward most of his superiors in the Regular Army but had also the most grateful feelings toward the various welfare associations, from everyone of which he had accepted favors. He even had no kick to register against the Y. M. C. A. But Dr. Smith, as has been said, was probably an optimist.

New York, N. Y.

HOWARD FOX.