In this book the writer thereof seeks to convey to women--particularly
to young wives and women expecting to be married--certain important
facts of knowledge, certain necessary information, which all such women
should possess, but which few are given the opportunity to acquire.
It would seem to require no argument to convince a rational individual
that before a woman is capable of intelligent motherhood she should be
made acquainted with the physiological processes which are involved in
the sexual functions leading to the state of motherhood; but we are
confronted by the fact that few young women are given such instruction.
It is a strange thing that while even the ordinary school child is made
acquainted with the physiological processes concerned with the processes
of digestion, respiration, circulation, elimination, etc., and while
such education is highly commended, yet at the same time not only are
the young of both sexes reared as if there was no such thing as sexual
functions in existence, but even full-grown adults are left to pick up
their instruction on sexual subjects from chance sources--often polluted
sources.
Even those about to enter into the important offices of matrimony and
parenthood are permitted to assume those duties and responsibilities
without intelligent and scientific information or knowledge being given
them. What would we think of expecting a woman to cook, without previous
experience and without even the most elementary instruction on the
subject? What would we think of expecting any person to undertake any
important task or duty without experience or instruction regarding the
same? And yet we seem content to allow young women to enter into the
important relationship of marriage, and to undertake the important
office of motherhood, often in absolute ignorance of the physiological
processes involved, and the physical laws governing the same.
All this absurd practice and custom results simply from the antiquated
notion that it is "not nice" to speak or think of the subject of the sex
functions. The subject has been considered "taboo" by our particular
section of the human race since the Middle Ages, because the ascetic
ideals of that dark period of human history brought forward a totally
false and unnatural conception of sex as fundamentally impure. If the
results were not so deplorable and often tragic, this condition of
affairs would be a fit subject for laughter and scornful ridicule. But,
alas! on the part of the thoughtful observer of this state of things
there is rather great wonder and amazement accompanied by the feeling of
deep sorrow.
It cannot be honestly denied that in our present age, and period of
modern civilization, and particularly among the Anglo-Saxon branch of
the race, the question of the sex functions is associated with impurity,
at least so far as the popular mind is concerned. In previous
civilizations the subject was accorded its proper place, and was
discussed sanely and thoughtfully, without any sense of shame or
impurity. The Middle Age ideals of celibacy and asceticism brought about
the public conception of the human body as a thing impure--something to
be modified, tortured, subdued and reviled; and a corresponding
conception of sex as a vile, impure thing above which the pure in heart
rose entirely and completely, and which those of a lesser spiritual
ideal were permitted to indulge with a due sense of their degradation
and weakness. It was considered a most worthy thing to lead an ascetic
life with its accompaniment of disdain and punishment of the body. It
was considered most pious and spiritual to forego the ordinary human
relations of sex, marriage and parenthood. From these distorted
conceptions naturally evolved the idea that sex, and all connected with
it, was a subject unclean and impure in itself, and to be avoided in
thought, conversation and writing. Not only the ordinary sex relations
of human life were placed under this taboo, but also the phenomena of
birth and parenthood. Not only did these incidents of life grow to be
considered impure, but they became that which to many was still worse,
that is to say, they became to be regarded as "not respectable."
Ignorance regarding the plain elementary facts of sexual physiology is
undoubtedly the cause not only of much immorality among young people of
both sexes, but also of many unhappy and inharmonious marriages. The
intelligent portion of our race is now beginning to realize very keenly
the fact that the first requisite of sane marital relations and
intelligent parenthood is a practical and clear knowledge of the
physiology of sex; education concerning the sexual organism, its laws,
its functions, its normal and healthy conditions, its anatomy, its
physiology and hygiene.
The average physician of experience in general or special practice can
tell tales of almost incredible ignorance on the part of young women who
have recently entered into the relationship of marriage. In some cases
the ignorance is more than a mere absence of knowledge--it consists too
often of false-knowledge, untruthful ideas concerning matters of the
most serious import. It is sad enough to think how such persons may work
results harmful to themselves, but it is even sadder still to realize
that these same ignorant young women must eventually gain their real
knowledge through sad experience--experience paid for not only by
themselves but also by their children. It is a hard saying, but a true
one, that the knowledge of many young wives and mothers is to be gained
by experience paid for by their (as yet) unborn children.
The writer of the present work is one of the rapidly growing number of
thinking persons who believe that the time has come to educate the race
concerning the importance of sane instruction concerning the functions
of sex. He, and those who think as he does, believe that the time has
come to "Turn on the Light!" They believe that the importance of the
subject will be realized by all intelligent persons, once that their
attention is directed to the subject, and once they have considered it
apart from the old prejudices and distorted customs. When public opinion
on this subject is reformed, then will the taboo fall away from the body
of truth; then will the subject take its place among the "respectable"
topics which may be considered, discussed, and taught, without loss of
caste or prestige.
In a few decades, perhaps even much sooner, it will be regarded as quite
reprehensible to permit young persons to enter into the relationship of
marriage without a sane, practical knowledge of their own reproductive
organism and the functions thereof, and of their physiological duties to
themselves, to their companions in marriage, and to their children born
or to be born. We may even see the practical application of the somewhat
startling prophecy of Newell Dwight Hillis, D. D., who said: "The State
that makes a man study two years before a license as druggist is given;
that makes a young lawyer or doctor study three years before being
permitted to practice; ought to ask the young man or young woman to pass
an equally rigid examination before license is given to found an
American home, and set up an American family."
While the information above alluded to should be given alike to the
young husband and the young wife, it cannot be doubted that the latter
is the one of the pair who is most in need of this kind of instruction.
While both the young man and the young woman require this instruction,
the need is the greater in the case of the young woman, by the very
nature of the case. The sex functions and processes play a much more
important part in the life of the woman than in that of the man, the
protests of some of the modern feminists to the contrary notwithstanding.
The careful student of the sex life of men and women frankly confesses
that in both the physical and the psychical realm the sex offices make a
greater demand upon the time and attention of the woman than of the man.
The love-life of the woman is far fuller and more absorbing than is that
of the man. Unhappiness concerning her love-life renders the remainder
of the life of the average woman of comparatively little account; while,
with a happy love-life she will put up cheerfully with the absence of
many other things which are usually regarded as necessities for
happiness. As a writer has said: "Essentially, a woman is made for
love--not exclusively, but essentially; and a woman who has had no love
in her life has been a failure."
The same rule operates on the physical plane. As the same writer has
said: "Physically, the woman is also much more cognizant of her sex and
much more hampered by the manifestation of her sex nature than man is."
The manifestation of the incidents of menstruation is a constant
reminder to the woman that she is a creature of sex. The phenomenon of
pregnancy is, likewise, something from which the man is free. And,
finally, the menopause, or "change of life," with its incidents greatly
influencing the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the woman,
is Nature's final word to the woman that she is the active pole of
sex-life. As the above-quoted writer has said: "Altogether it cannot be
denied that woman is much more a slave of her sex-nature than man is of
his. Nature has handicapped woman much more heavily than she has man."
And so, in this book, the young woman--the young wife--is directly
addressed, her companion and mate being referred to only indirectly.