Letter to Ladies, in Favor of Female Physicians for Their Own Sex.

Boston: The [New England Female Medical] College, 1856. Gregory here argues for educating women as midwives, as was done in Europe, to minimize embarrassment & thus reduce the risk of childbirth; he co-founded the Boston Female Medical College in 1848, which changed its name to The New England Female Medical College by 1852. The pamphlet, first published in 1850, had a second edition in 1854 and this third edition of 1856. Includes numerous accounts of problems caused when women resisted being seen by male doctors, problems in childbirth from the stressful presence of men, comments on medical education, success of untutored "colored" women as midwives in the southern US, competence of women in surgery equal to that of men, brief comments on practices in other countries, historical anecdotes of midwives in early America. Paper wraps, as pictured, spotted & stained, with one larger stain affecting the fore-edge of the cover & first 28 pages, light creasing, particularly at the corners, minor edgewear, small chip & short tear with ancient mend to smudged rear cover, pages with sporadic light creasing & minor foxing; no names or marks apart from the stains. 48 pages; plus, on/in the covers, a list of trustees, managers & professors at the school, comments on the pamphlet from earlier readers and the press.. Third Edition. Paperback. Good. 5¾" by 9½".