The average age at which menstruation begins in the negro women of
Africa is from 10 to 13. In Algeria puberty occurs at 9 or 10 years.
Among the Australian indigens, menstruation commonly begins as early as
8 years, and at the very latest at the age of 12 years. The data
available concerning the indigens of the Oceanic Archipelago are
extremely variable and inexact, but we cannot go far astray in stating
the age of puberty among these to be from 10 to 13. In tropical South
America girls begin to menstruate from the age of 9 to 14 years. The
Indian women of North America begin to menstruate at the ages of 12, 13,
14, or even as late as 18 or 20. In the Arctic zone of North America and
in Greenland the onset of menstruation is delayed till 17 and even till
23 years.
As regards the position in life and the upbringing years it has been
shown by numerous observers that among the well-to-do classes, whose
mode of living is luxurious, and whose social circumstances allow free
play to the imagination, menstruation begins at an earlier age than
among the working classes, whose life is one of want and privation.
According to the statistical data of _Mayer’s_ regarding 6,000 women,
menstruation began:
_In women of the upper _In women of the lower
classes._ classes._
At the age of 13 years 11.73 per cent. 7.06 per cent.
At the age of 14 years 23.90 per cent. 13.33 per cent.
At the age of 15 years 22.83 per cent. 14.56 per cent.
At the age of 16 years 14.10 per cent. 16.53 per cent.
At the age of 17 years 9.60 per cent. 13.33 per cent.
From this table we learn that in nearly one-fourth of the girls of the
upper classes puberty occurs at the age of 14, whilst in girls of the
lower classes barely one-sixth begin to menstruate at this age. The
average age at the first menstruation in girls belonging to the upper
classes is seen to be 14.69 years, but in girls belonging to the lower
classes, 16.00 years. According to other observers the average age at
the first menstruation is:
_Brierre de _Tilt._ _Krieger._ _Ravn._
Boismont._ (_London._) (_Berlin._) (_Copenhagen._)
(_Paris._)
Amongst gentle folk 13y. 8m. 13y. 5½m. 14y. 1m. 14y. 3m.
and the rich
Amongst the 14y. 5m. 14y. 3½m. 15y. 5m. 15y. 5½m.
well-to-do middle
classes
Amongst the lower 14y. 10m. 16y. 8m. 16y. 5½m.
classes
Comparative observations on women living in towns and women living in
the country show also that in the former, menstruation begins on the
average at an earlier age. According to _Brierre de Boismont_, the
average age at the first menstruation is:
In Paris 14 years, 6 months.
In small towns 14 years, 9 months.
In country districts 14 years, 10 months.
Similarly it was found by _Ravn_ that menstruation first occurred:
In Copenhagen at the average age of 15 years, 7 months.
In industrial towns 15 years, 4 months.
In country districts 16 years, 5 months.
_Mayer_ states that the average age at which the first menstruation
occurs is:
In townswomen 15.98 years.
In countrywomen 15.20 years.
In Italy, according to _Calderini_, in a thousand instances,
menstruation begins at the age of 14 in 280, at the age of 15 in 219, at
the age of 13 in 205, at the age of 12 in 116, at the age of 16 in 89,
at the age of 17 in 55, at the age of 18 in 14, at the age of 11 in 7,
at the age of 10 in 6, and at the age of 20 in 6 instances. In girls
attending town schools, the first menstruation most commonly occurs in
the months of June and August; but in girls attending country schools
most commonly in the spring months.
A certain hereditary predisposition is so far determinant in the matter
of the early or late onset of the first menstruation, that from a
knowledge of the age at which menstruation began in the mother, we are
able with great probability to predict the age at which it will begin in
the daughter. Among fifty cases which I investigated with this point in
view, I found forty-one in which the daughters of mothers who had begun
to menstruate early began themselves to menstruate early, usually indeed
in about the same year of life; or conversely that when the mother had
begun to menstruate late, late onset of menstruation was usually to be
observed in the daughter also. _Tilt_ relates a case in which a woman
began to menstruate at the age of fourteen, and her daughter and
granddaughter both began to menstruate at the same age. _Courty_
observed a mother who began to menstruate at the age of eleven, and
whose eight daughters all began to menstruate at the same age.
Gynecologists agree in stating that girls of sanguine temperament and
powerful constitution begin to menstruate earlier than weakly and
phlegmatic individuals. _Tilt_ describes a peculiar ovarian temperament,
in which menstruation begins early; such women have as a rule striking
nervous sensibilities, with a dark complexion and glistening, longing
eyes, always surrounded by dark rings.
The opinion is general that in girls with black hair, dark eyes, thick
skin, and dark complexion, menstruation begins earlier than in blondes
with blue eyes and delicate white skin. _Brierre de Boismont_ states in
this connection that not fair hair only, but also chestnut-tinted locks,
indicate a late onset of menstruation. _L. Mayer_ found that:
_Of blondes._ _Of brunettes._
17.20 per cent. 18.84 per cent. began to menstruate at the age of 14
16.89 per cent. 18.02 per cent. began to menstruate at the age of 15
15.14 per cent. 16.59 per cent. began to menstruate at the age of 16
According to the same author, the average age at which menstruation
begins is:
In blondes 15.55 years.
In brunettes 15.26 years.
As regards race, it is well known that in Jewesses menstruation begins
at an early age. According to _Joachim_ the age of puberty varies very
greatly among the different races inhabiting Hungary. The first
menstruation appears:
In Slavonic girls between the ages of 16 and 17
In Magyar 15 and 16
In Jewish 14 and 15
In Styrian 13 and 14