Life, 1885-12-24 · page 3 of 19
Life — December 24, 1885 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Belinda, M.D." by Mark Mallow This satirical poem mocks a fifteen-year-old girl named Belinda who aspires to study medicine, a highly unconventional ambition for a woman in the early 20th century. The accompanying illustration depicts her surrounded by medical and scientific instruments in a whimsical, somewhat chaotic manner. The satire targets both Belinda's youth and gender, suggesting her professional ambitions are incompatible with feminine interests and romantic expectations. References to her "golden" hair, blue eyes, and concerns about future suitors mock the idea that a woman could seriously pursue medicine. The poem's conclusion questions whether she can overcome romantic distraction to actually complete her medical training, casting doubt on women's capacity for serious professional commitment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
361 ELINDA is fifteen, Hath hair of golden sheen, And her eyes Are'the regulation blue, Such as we ‘re accustomed to Idolize. She hath a winning grace, Complement of such a face Of fifteen ; And this dainty little body Is determined that she ‘ll study Medicine. Was ever thought so crazy Entertained by such a daisy Of the field ? Surely not; but still the notion Of professional devotion Will not yield. On the beach at Narragansett She doth scan the London Lancet, And I ween Through her reading comprehensive She is “up” on that expensive Cocaine. She doth cultivate affection For Lequard and vivisection ; Though as yet She doth draw her skirt around her When she passeth by a flounder In a net. And I wish you could behold her In the lee of some big boulder At her ease, In profound preoccupation, Getting points on circulation, If you please. Ah, this winsome little gold-head ! When the wingéd years have folded On the scene Of this fancy, will the thronging Of her lovers set her longing For fifteen? If, at length, she must confess To a cardiac distress Which an elf With a bended bow hath brought her, Can she then, tho’ Galen taught her, Cure herself ? Mark Mallow, comicbooks.com