Adolescence of the Female.
Adolescence of the female embraces the period of life from the age of
twelve or fourteen, to twenty-one years.
At about the twelfth or fourteenth year of the girl's life a marked
change comes over her form, features and mental state. Unlike the male,
the forms which in him are angular, become in her rounded, symmetrical
and beautiful, and the characteristic feminine proportions are well
marked; she becomes more graceful in her movements, her voice grows
sweeter, more mellow, more powerful and capable of registering a higher
tone. New feelings and desires are awakened in her mind. Her deportment
becomes more commanding and less frivolous, and the girl is lost in the
woman.
If she has been so fortunate as to have escaped all the dangers and
baneful influences of infantile and childhood life, she is womanly
indeed, and we behold her with an unburdened conscience, clear
intellect, artless and candid address, good memory, buoyant spirits,
a complexion bright, clear and, as the poet declares, "beautiful
exceedingly." Every function of her body is well performed, and no
fatigue is experienced after moderate exertion. She evinces that
elasticity of spirit and gracefulness of body, and happy control of her
feelings which indicate healthfulness of both mind and body. Her whole
time is given up to her studies, duties and amusements; and as she feels
her stature increase and her intellect enlarge, she gladly prepares for
her coming struggle with the world--though in a manner becoming to her
sex. This, too, is no fanciful sketch, but is realized in thousands of
cases every year. It is one which parents feel proud to witness in a
daughter, and one in which the daughter takes a modest delight. We have
said that every function of her body is well performed. The functions of
the female body, which in a state of health are perfectly free from
pain, are very numerous and, in the four years from fourteen to
eighteen, she accomplishes an amount of physiological cell change and
growth which Nature does not require of a boy in less than twice that
number of years. It is obvious, therefore, that a girl upon whom Nature,
for a limited period and for a definite purpose, imposes so great a
physiological task, will not have as much power left for the tasks of
school as a boy, of whom Nature requires less at the corresponding
epoch. The functions of circulation, respiration, digestion,
perspiration, nutrition and menstruation, though involuntary, are all
important, dependent one upon another, and all develop at the proper
time. Puberty is the proper time for the appearance of menstruation, one
of the most important and sacred of her functions. It should not be
feared, dreaded or regarded as a nuisance; it forms a part of herself;
and she never commands the respect and forbearance of her friends, or
even of her enemies, more than when it is known that she is "unwell." It
serves in many ways as a blessing to her, rather than an inconvenience.
Let no young girl be alarmed, as, owing to the negligence of her parents
or guardians, many are, at the first appearance of this flow of blood
from the genital organs. She should keep more quiet than usual, at these
times, until the flow disappears, which it will do in a few days. In a
state of health these appearances occur every twenty-eight days and the
young lady should exercise extreme caution at such times, in avoiding
unnecessary fatigue, exposure to cold, getting wet, suddenly cooling off
when heated, etc. One of the reasons why so many suffer at this time is
due to the want of proper knowledge and care, also for the want of a
proper feeling about the matter. I have known young ladies to be guilty
of the almost incredible crime of trying to arrest the flow by plugging
up the vagina and by resorting to other means, that they might attend a
dancing party or some pleasure excursion. Such a procedure is sure to be
followed by the direst retribution to the offender. Nature never allows
her laws to be so trifled with. Some experience a deep mortification on
account of this function; some think it a very great inconvenience and a
nuisance--an obstacle to their pleasure; others feel unhappy and vexed
about it. In truth, every woman should consider it a privilege and
should regard menstruation as it really is, a blessing from heaven; and,
when rightly performed, a help to lend loveliness to her character,
beauty to her expression, music to her voice, and gracefulness to her
form and movements.
Mothers or guardians should instruct young girls in good time as to the
expected menstrual function and prepare their minds for its advent. They
should also be carefully instructed in regard to the external use of
water--of its attendant danger, lest they chill themselves sufficiently
to arrest this flow, which should continue uninterruptedly until the
function is complete. Too many lives have been sacrificed by suppressing
the monthly flux; external ablutions should be plentiful, but only
sufficient, as in the case of boys, for cleanliness. If menstruation
should not become healthfully established at the proper time of age,
consult a judicious physician who will see that any abnormal condition,
preventing such consummation, is properly removed. "The principal organs
of elimination, common to both sexes, are the bowels, kidneys, lungs and
skin. A neglect of their functions is punished in each alike. To woman
is intrusted the exclusive management of another process of elimination,
viz.: the catamenial function. This, using the blood for its channel of
operation, performs, like the blood, double duty. It is necessary to
ovulation, and to the integrity of every part of the reproductive
apparatus; it also serves as a means of elimination for the blood
itself. A careless management of this function, at any period of life
during its existence, is apt to be followed by consequences that may be
serious; but a neglect of it during the epoch of development, that is,
from the age of fourteen to eighteen or twenty, not only produces great
evil at the time of the neglect, but leaves a large legacy of evil to
the future. The system is then peculiarly susceptible; and disturbances
of the delicate mechanism we are considering, induced during the
catamenial weeks of that critical age by constrained positions, muscular
effort, brain work, and all forms of mental and physical excitement,
germinate a host of ills."[H]
[H] Clarke: "Sex in Education."
Here I must be allowed to protest most solemnly against the use of
injections into the vagina for the so-called purpose of cleanliness.
Vaginal syringes are constructed and used now by thousands and the
sufferings of the human race are increased thereby ten thousand fold
proportionately. The vagina, like all organs supplied with a mucous
membrane, is self-cleansing. Water, or any other fluid thrown into this
organ, has a tendency to disorder the mucous follicles, to dry up their
secretions and thus prevent the efflux of some of Nature's necessities.
From this cause alone there will be a reaction upon the vaginal walls,
upon the neck of the uterus and the uterus itself; the ovaries also
become disordered; the lungs sympathize as well as the throat and
bronchial tubes, producing hoarseness, hacking cough and a host of
troubles following in their train. Nervous headaches of fearful
intensity are frequently produced from this unnatural course of
procedure. Moreover, water thrown into the vagina, to wash it out, day
after day for a considerable time, absolutely produces a leucorrhoea
most persistent in character. This is the confession of young ladies to
me in making inquiry as to the origin of their trouble, and I have found
that the discharge was unknown to some of them till after the use of
these injections. It stands to reason that such unnatural washings
should be followed by a retribution equal to the error committed,
because, as before stated, Nature's laws cannot be perverted without a
penalty. A girl should never, under any pretext whatever, resort to such
unhallowed means for the cure or alleviation of leucorrhoea, ulceration,
or for any disorders that affect these parts. By so doing she is really
forming a basis for innumerable future ills. If the girl is well, she
has none of these disorders, for they all arise from constitutional
derangements. As all must acknowledge, it is a self-evident fact--that,
_if a woman is well, every part of her must be well also_; no one organ
can, unaided, get up a disease by itself. In all troubles of this
nature, as well as of any other, consult a judicious physician.
There are objections, however, of even a graver nature than those urged
above against the use of such instruments. They often excite sensations
in the parts to which they are applied, that should remain perfectly
dormant in the unmarried state. After awhile these sensations,
increasing in frequency and influence, serve to prostitute the mind and
the young lady may become ruined for life. I am stating facts that can
be proved by multitudes of living witnesses to-day in cases and
confessions that have come under my own observation. On remonstrating
against this habit, some remark, "But it feels so nice, doctor!" Of
course, ablutions of the _external_ organs are perfectly right and
proper and should be resorted to daily. To the reflecting mind no more
need be said about this matter. Those who wish to live in harmony with
the order of their creation and thereby preserve the freshness of
health, will not have recourse to such means as add new derangements to
the system.
To preserve feminine charms as the girl develops into womanhood, much
depends upon her mental state. She must not allow herself to bear malice
towards anyone, must not plot evil or attempt to "pay off others in
their own coin," as it is called, or seek revenge in any way; but she
must ever cultivate a forgiving disposition, good thoughts and good
feelings towards everyone. There is always danger of meeting both rude
and lewd girls, and that too in places where least expected; they may be
found in schools of all kinds and are occasionally met with in the
houses of one's own friends. Not very long since a charming young lady
wrote me from a neighboring city, that while sharing a bed with another
girl, she experienced a very strange sensation induced by the improper
liberties of her bed-fellow; and so persistent were these troublesome
sensations, although occupying a bed by herself ever after, she thought
it proper to seek my advice. Now this was a good and pure-minded girl
who might easily have been ruined but for her inherent love of chastity;
and so our daughters are always in danger of being contaminated. A
perfectly pure and chaste mind, unsullied by impure thoughts or acts,
and cultivated by the exercise of all the Christian virtues, lends
enchantment to the eye, sweetness of expression to the face, music to
the voice, and gracefulness of carriage. Cultivation of merely external
manners will not do; they must spring from the mind and thence they
shine throughout the whole, in every fibre and movement of the body.
Such an one is truly beloved wherever she goes; she has a real affection
for her father and mother, brothers and sisters; and she is fully
prepared to appreciate and love one of the opposite sex whose purity of
life and nobleness of mind fully corresponds to her own.
To retain this charm of excellence will cost her many a trial and her
temptations will be innumerable and very great. But her perceptive
faculties are keen, and at the first suspicion of anything wrong she
must have the moral courage to say: "No! that is not allowable, it is
not right," or, "this is impure and its tendency is to vice." Whatever
the temptation may be, in thought or in deed, let no one persuade her
into wrong-doing--not even her _apparently_ best friend; for it would
only be an appearance of friendship if he tempted to anything of a
vicious nature. She will be beset with hosts of admirers, some of them
pure and having honorable intentions; but (I am sorry to sound the note
of warning here,) others will come with the most dishonorable intentions
possible, though with an air of sincerity, and apparently as artless as
doves. Study all men long and carefully, keeping them meanwhile at a
respectful distance; never allow one to sit near with his arm about your
waist or to hold your hand in his; never allow him to kiss you--_the
vilest of loathsome diseases may be communicated by a kiss_ viz.:
_syphilis_. Do not allow any approach or touch beyond what is customary
in the best of society at a social gathering. Many a young lady with an
angelic form and spotless soul within, full of the best intentions and
of the purest character, giving bright promise of a brilliant future,
has been ruined for life by trusting herself alone with some of these
apparently wise and good, yet really vile men.
Young women have not, as a rule, any sexual propensity, or amorous
thoughts or feelings. If they have been properly educated and cared for,
they are, before marriage, perfect strangers to any such sensations; and
yet any young lady who falls, does so by her own hand and she has no one
else to blame for it. _Remember_ that the Lord, in the beginning, never
suffers temptations beyond one's strength to overcome. If she falls
ultimately, it results from allowing an impure seed to be planted in the
mind at first, which she then nourishes for a time and only in the end
it bears its fruit.
As time passes, a young lady forms an acquaintance with gentlemen, and
at length she favors the addresses of one who is particularly agreeable
to her. After this acquaintance has ripened into love, and she has
become convinced of the purity of his heart, she enjoys being with him,
in sitting by his side, and is unhappy in his absence. When betrothed,
owing to her great and pure love for him, she takes pleasure in
receiving such marks of affection from him as are shown by a tender
father or brother, but nothing more. After marriage, she feels that she
is really his and that he has become a part of herself--that they are no
more twain but are one flesh. All this has transpired without her hardly
suspecting such a quality in herself as an amorous affection. Still she
more than ever loves him, more than ever desires to be near him until
finally their union is fully and truly consummated by the marriage act.
At no time in her life does a woman make a greater sacrifice of her
feelings than at this time, and she does it solely for her pure and
fervent love for him. This is right and proper, and is in accordance
with the laws of order in the creation of the two sexes in the human,
animal and vegetable kingdoms throughout the world.
I wish here to have some "Plain Talk," that the true object of this book
may be more fully understood and its mission more successfully
accomplished. Unless willing to make the above sacrifice, no woman
should ever marry; because she would not then be fulfilling the
marriage covenant. Besides, she would be false to her husband and this
falsity might cause his moral and physical destruction; his health would
suffer and his manhood become dethroned, because her conduct would
utterly controvert the immutable laws of nature. Nature's laws cannot
possibly be set aside without the infliction of a severe penalty. The
healthy young woman will have no difficulty in preserving her chastity
intact, so long as she cultivates that purity of mind to which she is
naturally prone. She should never allow herself to read immoral stories
or books having in the slightest degree even, such a tendency;
theatrical plays with loose morals should also be avoided, and light,
silly novels are very pernicious to the imaginative mind of the young.
On the other hand useful reading stores the mind with high and noble
thoughts, whence spring good and useful deeds.
Unfortunately there are a variety of morbid conditions to which the
female is liable, so that sexual desires arise in spite of every effort
to keep aloof from them--even though there is not the slightest guilt in
mental or bodily transgression. These are owing to disordered conditions
of the sexual system, just as other disorderly desires arise, and are
often _inherited_--remember this all parents!--or they may be caused by
some morbific influences, as are other diseased conditions of the body.
Many a time have I had pure-minded young ladies apply to me for medical
aid in these matters, confessing that they had impure thoughts which
they knew were wrong, but of which they could not rid themselves. In
such cases there are physical symptoms of some kind that incite these
thoughts and feelings. The proper medical and hygienic treatment always
restores order in such functional derangements and the sexual
disturbances of the mind disappear. I have repeatedly cured nymphomania
by curing physical, or constitutional symptoms. In one case which came
under my care, nymphomania appeared in a married woman in the seventh
month of her pregnancy, and so fearfully did her mania rage that it
threw her into convulsions. Her physical and sensational symptoms led me
to the choice of the medicine that cured her, so that she was happily
delivered of a fine, healthy child at full term and no trace of the
disease has ever appeared since. Too often young women err and give way
to such feelings in resorting to _self-abuse_ for relief, or to the
caresses of the opposite sex, when they are ruined forever. It is never
safe to temporize or to tamper in this way with such sensations. Women
have heads and brains, as well as men, and rational faculties, too.
Every digression allowed, only paves the way for others, with less and
less resistance, and more and more ruinous results. Let a judicious
physician be consulted at once in all cases where a morbid condition
seems to excite immoral thoughts and sensations.
The effects of self-abuse upon woman, is as disastrous as masturbation
upon males. A few hours after its commission, or the next day at
furthest, she feels languid and dragged out, sleepy, unfit for reading
anything solid, or studying, and unfit for social enjoyment with others;
she looks pale and haggard; often she feels giddy, particularly when
rising in the morning, with many other discomforts too numerous to
mention here. And is it true that some young ladies, the sweetest and
fairest of our race, play with one another in an immodest and indecent
way, teaching immorality to the pure and innocent? I fear it is, I
_know_ it is. Such things need not, must not, and will not be tolerated.
This little book will go about in all classes of society confirming and
strengthening the pure in heart in their purity and enlightening the
ignorant who will joyfully hail the good news; all will join hands in
one popular cry against indecencies and indulgences of an impure nature;
and the vilest man even will be taught to fear and respect the combined
world of chaste female influence. So it must be and eventually will be;
but woman, naturally pure and lovely woman! the greatest part of this
work must be done by you.