during the remainder of his life, as closely in accord with the laws
of life and health as circumstances under his control will allow him
to do. One who pursues this course, with a genuine regard for principle
and a love for right, may confidently expect to receive the reward of
obedience for his faithfulness. We would recommend such to obtain and
study the best works upon hygiene, put in practice every new truth as
soon as learned, and become missionaries of the saving truths of hygiene
to others who are suffering from the same cause as themselves, or who
may be in danger of falling into the same evil.
A CHAPTER FOR BOYS.
Boys, this chapter is for you. It is written and printed purposely for
you. If you do not read another word in the book, read these few pages
if you are old enough to do so. Read each line carefully and thoughtfully.
You may not find anything to make you laugh--possibly you may: but you
will be certain to find something of almost inestimable value to you
in every line.
Who are Boys?--Boys are scarce now-a-days. In the days of Methuselah,
male human beings were still boys when nearly a century old; twenty-five
years ago boys were still such until well out of their "teens"; now
the interval between infancy and the age at which the boy becomes a
young man is so brief that boyhood is almost a thing of the past. The
happy period of care-free, joyous innocence which formerly intervened
between childhood and early manhood is now almost unobservable. Boys
grow old too fast. They learn to imitate the vices and the manners of
their seniors before they reach their teens, and are impatient to be
counted as men, no matter how great may be their deficiencies, their
unfitness for the important duties and responsibilities of life. The
consequence of this inordinate haste and impatience to be old, is
premature decay. Unfortunately the general tendency of the young
members of the rising generation is to copy the vices of their elders,
rather than the virtues of true manliness. A strong evidence of this
fact, if there were no other, is the unnaturally old-looking faces which
so many of our boys present. At the present time the average boy of
twelve knows more of vice and sin than the youth of twenty of the past
generation.
It is not so much for these human mushrooms, which may be not inaptly
compared to toadstools which grow up in a single night and almost as
speedily decay, that we write, but for the old-fashioned boys, the few
such there may be, those who have not yet learned to love sin, those
whose minds are still pure and uncontaminated. Those who have already
begun a course of vice and wickedness we have little hope of reforming;
but we are anxious to offer a few words of counsel and warning which
may possibly help to save as brands plucked from a blazing fire, those
whose moral sense is yet alive, who have quick and tender consciences,
who aspire to be truly noble and good.
What are Boys for?--This question was answered with exact truthfulness
by a little boy, who, when contemptuously accosted by a man with the
remark, "What are you good for?" replied, "Men are made of such as we."
Boys are the beginnings of men. They sustain the same relation to men
that the buds do to full-blown flowers. They are still more like the
small green apples which first appear when the blossoms drop from the
branches, compared with the ripe, luscious fruit which in autumn bends
the heavy-laden boughs almost to breaking. Often, like the young apples,
boys are green; but this is only natural, and should be considered no
disgrace to the boys. If they grow up naturally they will ripen with
age, like the fruit, developing at each successive stage of life
additional attractions and excellent qualities.
Boys the Hope of the World.--A nation's most valuable property is its
boys. A nation which has poor, weakly, vicious boys will have still
weaker, more vicious and untrustworthy men. A country with noble,
virtuous, vigorous boys, is equally sure of having noble, pious, brave,
and energetic men. Whatever debases, contaminates, or in any way
injures the boys of a country, saps and undermines the very foundation
of the nation's strength and greatness. Save the boys from vice and
crime, give them good training, physically, mentally, and morally, and
the prosperity of the nation is assured.
Man the Masterpiece.--When a skillful artist perfects a work of art,
a painting, a drawing, a statue, or some other work requiring great
talent and exceeding all his other efforts, it is called his masterpiece.
So man is the noblest work of God, the masterpiece of the Almighty.
Numerous anecdotes are told of the sagacity of dogs, horses, elephants
and other animals, of their intelligence and ingenious devices in
overcoming obstacles, avoiding difficulties, etc. Our admiration and
wonder are often excited by the scarcely less than human wisdom shown
by these lowly brothers of the human race. We call them noble animals;
but they are only noble brutes, at best. Compared with man, even in
his most humble form, as seen in the wild savage that hunts and devours
his prey like a wild beast, a lion or a tiger, they are immeasurably
inferior. And in his highest development, man civilized, cultivated,
Christianized, learned, generous, pious, certainly stands at the head
of all created things.
Boys, do you love what is noble, what is pure, what is grand, what is
good? You may each, if you will, become such yourselves. Let us consider
for a moment
How a Noble Character is Ruined.--A noble character is formed by the
development of the good qualities of an individual. A bad character
is formed by the development of bad traits, or evil propensities. In
other words, sin is the cause of the demoralization of character, the
debasing of the mind, the loss of nobility of which we see so much around
us in the world. Sin is the transgression of some law. There are two
kinds of sins: those which are transgressions of the moral law, and
those which are transgressions of physical laws. Both classes of sins
are followed by penalties. If a person violates the laws of health,
he is just as certain to suffer as though he tells a falsehood, steals,
murders, or commits any other crime. Perfect obedience to all of
nature's laws, including of course all moral laws, is necessary to
perfect health and perfect nobleness of character. The nature of these
laws and the results of transgression will be understood after we have
taken a hasty glance at
The Marvelous Human Machine which we call the body. All the inventions
and devices ever constructed by the human hand or conceived by the human
mind, no matter how delicate, how intricate and complicated, are simple,
childish toys compared with that most marvelously wrought mechanism,
the human body. Let us proceed to take this wonderful machine in pieces
and study its various parts and the manner in which they are put
together.
The Two Objects of Human Existence.--The objects of this wonderfully
formed mechanism are two: 1. The maintenance of an individual life;
2. The production of similar individuals which shall also have the power
of maintaining individual lives. The same may be said of every plant
that grows, and every animal. Each tree, plant, and shrub has some
useful service to perform while it lives, in addition to the production
of seed from which other plants may grow. For example, the object of
the majestic oak which towers high and broadly spreads its leafy
branches is not to produce acorns merely, but to give place for birds
to build their nests, to present an inviting shade for cattle, and to
afford protection in a variety of ways to numerous living creatures
which need such aid. The same may be said of all vegetable growths,
each particular plant having its peculiar purposes to fulfill, and all
together acting as purifiers of the air for the benefit of man and lower
animals.
The principle is equally true as applied to lower animals, as is
evidenced by the numerous ways in which domestic animals are utilized.
Indeed, it seems that the prime purpose of life, not only with all lowly
living creatures, as plants and animals, but with man as well, is to
live and act as individuals. But the important function of reproduction,
or producing other similar individuals, though incidental, is
necessary to the perpetuation of the race or species.
In order that an individual human being may live and develop, it is
necessary that he should eat, drink, digest, and assimilate, and that
he should be able to move about, to perceive,--that is, to hear, see,
feel, smell, taste, determine weight and distinguish temperature,--to
think, and to express ideas in language. In order to keep his vital
machinery in order, it is necessary that the body should also be able
to repair injuries which may occur in consequence of wear or accident,
and to remove out of the way wornout material which would otherwise
obstruct the working of the delicate machinery of which his body is
constructed. Each of these functions requires special organs and
apparatuses to carry on the work; and these we will now briefly
consider:--
The Nutritive Apparatus.--This consists of organs for the purpose of
taking in food or nourishment, digesting it, and distributing it
throughout the body wherever it is needed. These are chiefly the mouth
and teeth for receiving and chewing the food, the stomach and intestines
for digesting and absorbing it, and the heart and blood-vessels for
distributing it to the body.
The Moving Apparatus.--For the purpose of producing motion, we have
the muscles and the bones, by which the food is received, masticated,
and swallowed, the blood circulated, the body moved about from place
to place, and speech, expression, respiration, and many other important
functions performed.
The Thinking and Feeling Apparatus.--The brain and nerves afford the
means of thinking and feeling, also giving rise to all the activities
of the body by the production of nerve force. To aid the brain and nerves,
we have special organs provided, termed the organs of special sense;
as the eye for sight, the ear for hearing, the nose for the detection
of odors, the tongue for tasting, the skin and the mucous membrane for
the sense of touch.
The Purifying Apparatus.--Waste matter accumulates in the body so
rapidly that it is necessary to have abundant and efficient means to
remove the same, and prevent death by obstruction. This work is
performed by the lungs, liver, kidneys, skin, and mucous membrane.
Each organ and tissue possesses the power to repair itself. Animal heat,
which is also necessary to life, is not produced by any special set
of organs, but results incidentally from the various other processes
named.
The Reproductive Apparatus.--As there is a stomach to digest, a brain
to think, a pair of lungs to breathe, etc., so there are special organs
for reproducing the species or producing new individuals. These organs
have been carefully described in the preceding portion of this volume,
so that we do not need to repeat the description here. Unlike all the
other organs of the body, they are intended for use only after full
development or manhood has been attained; consequently, they are only
partially developed in childhood, becoming perfected as the person
becomes older, especially after about the age of fourteen to eighteen,
when puberty occurs. The lungs, the stomach, the muscles, and other
organs must be used constantly from the earliest period of infancy,
hence they are developed sufficiently for efficient use at birth. The
fact that the sexual or reproductive organs are only fully developed
later on in life, is sufficient evidence that they are intended for
use only when the body has become fully mature and well developed.
How a Noble Character and a Sound Body Must Be Formed.--By obeying all
the laws which relate to the healthy action of the body and the mind,
a noble character and a healthy body may be formed. Any deviation from
right will be sure to be followed by suffering. A boy who carefully
heeds the advice of good and wise parents, who avoids bad company, who
never indulges in bad habits of any sort, who cultivates purity, honesty,
and manliness, is certain to grow up into a noble, lovely youth, and
to become an intelligent, respected, virtuous man.
The Down-Hill Road.--In every large city, and in small ones too, even
in little villages, we can scarcely step upon the street without being
pained at meeting little boys who have perhaps scarcely learned to speak
distinctly, but whose faces show very plainly that they have already
taken several steps down the steep hillside of vice. All degrees of
wickedness are pictured on the faces of a large proportion of the boys
we meet upon the streets, loitering about the corners, loafing in hotels,
groceries, and about bar-room doors. Everywhere we meet small faces
upon which sin and vice are as clearly written as though the words were
actually spelled out. Lying, swearing, smoking, petty stealing, and
brazen impudence are among the vices which contaminate thousands and
thousands of the boys who are by-and-by to become the _men_ of this
country, to constitute its legislators, its educators, its supporters,
and its protectors. Is it possible that such boys can become good,
useful, noble, trustworthy men? Scarcely. If the seeds of noxious weeds
can be made to produce useful plants or beautiful flowers, or if a barren,
worthless shrub can be made to bear luscious fruit, then may we expect
to see these vicious boys grow up into virtuous, useful men.
But the vices mentioned are not the worst, the traces of which we see
stamped upon the faces of hundreds of boys, some of whom, too, would
scorn to commit any one of the sins named. There is another vice, still
more terrible, more blighting in its effects, a vice which defiles,
diseases, and destroys the body, enervates, degrades, and finally
dethrones the mind, debases and ruins the soul. It is to this vice that
we wish especially to call attention. It is known as
Self-Abuse.--Secret vice, masturbation, and self-pollution are other
names applied to this same awful sin against nature and against God.
We shall not explain here the exact nature of the sin, as very few boys
are so ignorant or so innocent as to be unacquainted with it. To this
sin and its awful consequences we now wish to call the attention of
all who may read these lines.
A Dreadful Sin.--The sin of self-pollution is one of the vilest, the
basest, and the most degrading that a human being can commit. It is
worse than beastly. Those who commit it place themselves far below the
meanest brute that breathes. The most loathsome reptile, rolling in
the slush and slime of its stagnant pool, would not bemean itself thus.
It is true that monkeys sometimes have the habit, but only when they
have been taught it by vile men or boys. A boy who is thus guilty ought
to be ashamed to look into the eyes of an honest dog. Such a boy naturally
shuns the company of those who are pure and innocent. He cannot look
with assurance into his mother's face. It is difficult for any one to
catch his eye, even for a few seconds. He feels his guilt and acts it
out, thus making it known to every one. Let such a boy think how he
must appear in the eyes of the Almighty. Let him only think of the angels,
pure, innocent, and holy, who are eye-witnesses of his shameful
practices. Is not the thought appalling? Would he dare commit such a
sin in the presence of his father, his mother, or his sisters? No, indeed.
How, then, will he dare to defile himself in the presence of Him from
whose all-seeing eye nothing is hid?
The Bible utters the most solemn warnings against sexual sins. The
inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone
for such transgressions. Onan was struck dead in the act of committing
a vileness of this sort. For similar vices the wicked inhabitants of
Palestine were destroyed, and their lands given to the Hebrews. For
a single violation of the seventh commandment, one of the most notable
Bible characters, David, suffered to the day of his death. Those who
imagine that this sin is not a transgression of the seventh commandment
may be assured that this most heinous, revolting, and unnatural vice
is in every respect more pernicious, more debasing, and more immoral
than what is generally considered as violation of the commandment which
says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," and is itself a most flagrant
violation of the same commandment.
Those who imagine that they "have a right to do as they please with
themselves," so long as no one else is immediately affected, must learn
that we are not our own masters; we belong to our Creator, and are
accountable to God not only for the manner in which we treat our
fellow-men, but for how we treat ourselves, for the manner in which
we use the bodies which he has given us. The man who commits suicide,
who takes his own life, is a murderer as much as he who kills a
fellow-man. So, also, he who pollutes himself in the manner we are
considering, violates the seventh commandment, although the crime is in
both cases committed against himself. Think of this, ye youth who defile
yourselves in secret and seek to escape the punishment of sin. In Heaven
a faithful record of your vile commandment-breaking is kept, and you
must meet it by-and-by. You are fixing your fate for eternity; and each
daily act in some degree determines what it shall be. Are you a victim
of this fascinating vice, stop, repent, reform, before you are forever
ruined, a mental, moral, and physical wreck.
Self-Murderers.--Of all the vices to which human beings are addicted,
no other so rapidly undermines the constitution and so certainly makes
a complete wreck of an individual as this, especially when the habit
is begun at an early age. It wastes the most precious part of the blood,
uses up the vital forces, and finally leaves the poor victim a most
utterly ruined and loathsome object. If a boy should be deprived of
both hands and feet and should lose his eyesight, he would still be
infinitely better off than the boy who for years gives himself up to
the gratification of lust in secret vice. For such a boy to become a
strong, vigorous man is just as impossible as it would be to make a
mammoth tree out of a currant bush. Such a man will necessarily be
short-lived. He will always suffer from the effects of his folly, even
though he shall marry. If he has children--he may become
incapable--they will be quite certain to be puny, weak, scrofulous,
consumptive, rickety, nervous, depraved in body and mind, or otherwise
deprived of the happiness which grows out of the possession of "a sound
mind in a sound body."
Let us notice a little more closely the terrible effects resulting from
this most unnatural and abominable vice.
What Makes Boys Dwarfs.--How many times have we seen boys who were born
with good constitutions, with force and stamina sufficient to develop
them into large, vigorous men, become puny dwarfs. At the time when
they ought to begin to grow and develop more rapidly than ever before,
their growth is checked and they cease to develop. They are, in fact,
stunted, dwarfed, like a plant which has a canker-worm eating away at
its roots. Indeed, there is a veritable canker-worm sapping their
vitality, undermining their constitutions, and destroying their
prospects for time and for eternity. Anxious friends may attribute the
unhappy change to overwork, overstudy, or some similar cause; but from
a somewhat extended observation we are thoroughly convinced that the
very vice which we are considering is the viper which blights the
prospects and poisons the existence of many of these promising boys.
A boy who gives himself up to the practice of secret vice at an early
age, say as early as seven to ten years of age, is certain to make himself
a wreck. Instead of having a healthy, vigorous body, with strong muscles
and a hardy constitution, he will be weak, scrawny, sickly, always
complaining, never well, and will never know anything about that joyous
exuberance of life and animal spirits which the young antelope feels
as it bounds over the plain, or the vigorous young colt as it frisks
about its pasture, and which every youth ought to feel.
Scrawny, Hollow-Eyed Boys.--Boys ought to be fresh and vigorous as
little lambs. They ought to be plump, rosy, bright-eyed, and sprightly.
A boy who is pale, scrawny, hollow-eyed, dull, listless, has something
the matter with him. Self-abuse makes thousands of just such boys every
year; and it is just such boys that make vicious, shiftless, haggard,
unhappy men. This horrible vice steals away the health and vitality
which are needed to develop the body and the mind; and the lad that
ought to make his mark in the world, that ought to become a distinguished
statesman, orator, clergyman, physician, or author, becomes little
more than a living animal, a mere shadow of what he ought to have been.
Old Boys.--Often have we felt sad when we have heard fond mothers
speaking in glowing terms of the old ways of their sons, and rather
glorying that they looked so much older than they were. In nine cases
out of ten these old-looking boys owe their appearance to this vile
habit; for it is exceedingly common, and its dreadful effects in
shriveling and dwarfing and destroying the human form are too plainly
perceptible, when present, to be mistaken. Oh! this dreadful curse!
Why will so many of our bright, innocent boys pollute themselves with
it!
What Makes Idiots.--Reader, have you ever seen an idiot? If you have,
the hideous picture will never be dissipated from your memory. The
vacant stare, the drooping, drooling mouth, the unsteady gait, the
sensual look, the emptiness of mind,--all these you will well remember.
Did you ever stop to think how idiots are made? It is by this very vice
that the ranks of these poor daft mortals are being recruited every
day. Every visitor to an insane asylum sees scores of them; ruined in
mind and body, only the semblance of a human being, bereft of sense,
lower than a beast in many respects, a human being hopelessly lost to
himself and to the world!--oh, most terrible thought!--yet once pure,
intelligent, active, perhaps the hope of a fond mother, the pride of
a doting father, and possibly possessed of natural ability to become
greatly distinguished in some of the many noble and useful walks of
life; now sunk below the brute through the degrading, destroying
influence of a lustful gratification.
Boys, are you guilty of this terrible sin? have you even once in this
way yielded to the tempter's voice? Stop, consider, think of the awful
results, repent, confess to God, reform. Another step in that direction
and you may be lost, soul and body. You cannot dally with the tempter.
You must escape now or never. Don't delay.
Young Dyspeptics.--If we leave out of the consideration the effects
of bad food and worse cookery, there is in our estimation no other cause
so active in occasioning the early breaking down of the digestive organs
of our American boys. A boy of ten or twelve years of age ought to have
a stomach capable of digesting anything not absolutely indigestible;
but there are to-day thousands and thousands of boys of that age whose
stomachs are so impaired as to be incapable of digesting any but the
most simple food. The digestion being ruined, the teeth soon follow
suit. Hardly one boy in a dozen has perfectly sound teeth. With a bad
stomach and bad teeth, a foundation for disease is laid which is sure
to result in early decay of the whole body.
In this awful vice do we find a cause, too, for the thousands of cases
of consumption in young men. At the very time when they ought to be
in their prime, they break down in health and become helpless invalids
for life, or speedily sink into an early grave.