At this juncture the policeman who had charge of Bleecker Street and the one from Broadway came running up to the scene. On learning the complaint of the men, they commanded silence and ordered the crowd to disperse, telling them that they knew the doctors in that hospital treated the patients in the best possible way, and that no doctor could keep everybody from dying some time. CHAPTER XXI _Social success--Growth of private practice--Professional recognition--Consulting staff of leading medical men for Infirmary--Occasional opening of some dispensary clinics to women students who there introduce a needed reform--Incident of Dr. J. Marion Sims, and why a woman was not appointed assistant surgeon in the New York Woman’s Hospital of which he was chief--Second mobbing of the Infirmary following death of a patient--Definite beginning of training of nurses--Trying experience of two fires in neighborhood--Dr. Zakrzewska’s health begins to show effects of overstrain--Inquiring visitors from all parts of the United States and even from England. (Twenty-nine years of age: 1857-1859.)_ During the winter of 1857-1858, our entrance into the social circles already mentioned was an immense help to the spreading of the idea of women physicians through our meeting what was then called the “higher kind of Bohemians,” among whom were preëminently women artists, aspiring journalists and dramatic students. Although we medical women were not cordially accepted, as only a few of them dared to make our acquaintance, our repeated weekly appearances (as one or more of us made it a point to attend these receptions, no matter how tired we were) familiarized these small publics with the thought that women doctors are as good as anybody. The fashion then was to attend these “socials” regularly; and _social_ they became. They were not stiff and meaningless as is the present fashion, where one goes once or twice during the whole season, shakes hands with the hosts, says some nothings, meets friends and foes and says more nothings, shakes many hands without knowing why, and takes some refreshment in thimble cups, which is no refreshment so scanty is it in quantity and so poor in quality, mere elegant nothings only pretty to look upon. No; in those years, receptions meant intellectual recognition, social grace, conversation, and enjoyment in whatever suited the different tastes, whether a song, or some music, or a quiet game of whist in a retired corner; and no “refreshment” to make a show of pretense, but simply plenty of good ice water. Among these good people, of whom many have since become of eminence in literature and in art, we gradually developed professionally a small clientele who, if not paying in lucre, paid with grateful remembrance in speaking of us, spreading the idea of us and occasionally writing little articles concerning the New York Infirmary for the leading papers and journals.