DEVELOPMENT.
DEVELOPMENT.
The development of the child within the uterus of the mother
represents a chapter in the life history of every individual so
important in its relations to maternity and paternity that every young
man should be acquainted with at least its general features.
As stated in the chapter on Reproduction, every living organism begins
life as a single cell, or globule of protoplasm. In the case of the
human subject, the cell from which each child begins its development
is formed by the fusion of two cells or globules of protoplasm, one
furnished by the mother, and called the ovum, or egg; the other
furnished by the father, and called the spermatozoon. The egg is very
much larger than the spermatozoon, and contains enough yolk material
to afford nourishment for the embryo for a number of days.
When the ovum reaches the finished state, which is called "maturity,"
it leaves the ovary, and is carried along the fallopian tube (see
accompanying figure) into the uterus, where it usually finds a
lodgment in the upper part, as shown in Figure I. Once the minute ovum
has been caught in the projections of the velvety inner surface of the
uterus, this thick velvety lining of the uterus in the neighborhood of
the ovum begins a rapid growth, gradually enveloping the rapidly
expanding ovum, as shown in Figures I and II of the accompanying
plate.
Within the ovum there are taking place some of the most marvelous
changes in the whole life history of the individual. The nucleus of
the fertilized egg, and the protoplasm which surrounds it, divide into
two cells, then into four, eight, sixteen, etc. These divisions follow
each other in such rapid succession that there are many hundreds of
cells by the end of the first twenty-four hours. These cells soon
begin to arrange themselves into layers and groups, which, step by
step, develop the different tissues and organs of the body.
By the end of thirty days the little embryo, about as large as one
inch of the end of a lead pencil, would be recognized as the embryo of
some mammalian animal, but it would be quite impossible to say whether
it would develop into a human being or some other animal, if it were
seen quite apart from its immediate surroundings. By the end of
another thirty days, however, the little embryo has multiplied its
size several times, and has reached a form instantly recognizable as
the young of the human kind, as shown in Figure IV. It still, however,
retains the vestige of a little tail, which within the next thirty
days will have been completely absorbed.
[Illustration: THE FEMALE ORGANS OF GENERATION]
Note that the little two months embryo has projecting from its abdomen
a large structure which is labeled "cord." This cord is a part of what
is called the umbilical cord, and it is this that joins the embryo
to the mother. Note in Figure III the large stalk of this cord passing
upward from the body of the embryo and merging into the structures in
the top of the uterus. Note further that there are little branching
structures passing from the base of this stalk up into the base of the
uterus. These branching structures are loops of blood-vessels, and
they form part of the placenta, or "afterbirth." Through this cord the
embryo receives its nourishment from the mother. The blood of the
mother bathes these loops of blood-vessels, and the embryo absorbs
from the mother's blood the nourishment which builds its bones,
muscles, brain, spinal-cord, and glands. From the same source the
embryo receives the oxygen necessary for the maintenance of its life.
From the third month on to the end of the nine months, the amount of
material which the mother must provide for the development of the
child within her womb amounts to no small draft on her physical
resources. It is not at all uncommon for a mother in the later months
of pregnancy to become quite pale, her blood having been impoverished
to provide material for the development of her child.
MATERNITY.
What has been said above regarding the contributions which the
maternal organism must make toward the development of the offspring
must have impressed on the mind of the reader that _maternity means,
first of all, sacrifice_.
This sacrifice begins when the girl first enters upon womanhood.
With the expulsion of the ripened ovum comes, each month, a week of
special physical drain, when work must be lightened and vigorous
exercise curtailed, when exposure to cold or dampness may mean loss of
health.
Under these circumstances a woman should at this time deny herself the
pleasure of dancing; of skating or swimming; of sleigh-rides or
cross-country walks and the young man should make it less difficult
for her by acquiescing without question or demur in her request to be
excused from such recreation.
It is a fact that more sacrifice is involved in maternity among the
more highly cultivated nations of the human race than is true of
aboriginal peoples, or among the lower animals. Conditions of modern
life, and particularly urban life, leave the female organism less able
to endure the drafts made upon the system by maternity, so that to
bear a child may mean not only the sacrifice of comfort, but even the
sacrifice of health.
The highly sensitive, delicately adjusted nervous system of the woman
is perhaps more profoundly influenced than any other part of her
being. This manifests itself particularly in a heightened degree of
sensitiveness. It goes without saying that the pregnant woman
deserves at the hands of all who come in contact with her, and
particularly at the hands of her husband, most considerate and
sympathetic treatment. Her little whims and vagaries, however
unreasonable, must always be treated seriously, and with delicate and
tactful consideration. The members of her family, particularly the
husband, owe it to her and to her child to keep her in as happy a
frame of mind as possible.
When we consider the real significance of maternity to the race, to
society, and to the family, we must feel that, of all human relations,
maternity is the most sacred, and that no condition should be allowed
to mar it, and no consideration to take precedence of it.
PATERNITY.
After the husband had contributed the male sexual cells, or
spermatozoa, in this wonderful process above outlined, it might seem
that there is little he can do, except to wait, while nature carries
on the process. The reader will remember, however, from the chapter on
Reproduction, that the contribution of the spermatozoa only initiates
the sacrifices that the paternal organism must make in this process.
Are there any demands on paternity between the time of conception of
the new life and its birth?
As already mentioned under the preceding topic, the pregnant mother
needs gentle and loving care. She needs to have her little whims and
foibles overlooked. She needs to be protected, so far as possible,
from every influence that might depress or make her unhappy. She needs
to be guarded against any unusual physical exertion, and above all,
she needs at this time more than at any other time, the manifested
affection and sympathy of her husband.
There is another sacrifice, if it may be so called, which the husband
is called upon to make during the pregnancy of his wife, namely, _to
abstain absolutely from sexual intercourse during the period of
pregnancy and for two or three months following_. This means
practically one year of continent living. All other animals observe
this period of continence. Nature demands that man observe it in
common with other animals. Man is the only animal that has
transgressed this fundamental law of nature. The retribution which
nature metes out to the transgression of this law is various.
Sometimes, but rarely, the sexual excitement on the part of the woman
may cause an abortion, or a miscarriage. The more usual result makes
itself manifest in the drain on the nervous energy of the woman. When
we consider that maternity in the human race involves greater
sacrifice than in any other animal, it would seem that the addition of
this last demand, namely, of satisfying the sexual desires of the
husband during the period of pregnancy, might prove "the straw that
breaks the camel's back," and result in the more or less complete
nervous breakdown of the woman. The author submits this question to
all fair-minded men: Is it not due to the wife that she be not asked
to satisfy the recurring sexual desires of the husband during the
period when her life and its energies are so sacred to the race, to
society, and to the family?
The author submits this question because some men are known to
transgress this law of nature. Fortunately the proportion of men who
thus transgress is not large.
Let us stand for these things: (1) _An equal standard of purity for
men and women_, (2) _A strenuous, virile, continent manhood_, (3)
_Sexual temperance in wedlock_.
APPENDIX
APPENDIX.
Personal conferences and correspondence with young men regarding the
solution of their problems have brought out several questions that are
so frequently repeated as to make it evident that the answering of
them would serve the purpose of clearing up certain questions or
doubts, more or less important in the minds of many young men. It has
been decided to group these answers in an appendix rather than to
incorporate them in the body of the book, as many of them seem not
quite relevant to the topics outlined under the several chapters.
1. _How do we know that during the nocturnal emission the products of
the testes are not present?_
The spermatozoa found in the nocturnal emission, if present at all,
are found to be very much less active than the spermatozoa of semen
secreted during sexual excitement. The seminal vesicles are not
receptacles for the testicular secretion. The ampullæ seem to serve
that purpose in a limited degree.
Considering all these facts, it seems to be a tenable conclusion that
the few and sluggish spermatozoa seen in the product of the nocturnal
emission are those that have, from time to time, collected in the
ampullæ, and that during the time immediately preceding the nocturnal
emission the testes are not actively releasing nascent spermatozoa.
This function of the testes seems to be reserved for periods of
conscious sexual stimulation.
2. _How may one control too frequent emissions?_
If emissions are too frequent for the individual case, they are
followed by depletion and malaise. Even if they occur as infrequently
as once in two weeks and are followed by the above symptoms, they must
be considered as too frequent, or abnormal in that case. On the other
hand, they may occur as frequently as twice a week in plethoric robust
individuals, and especially in men who have had frequent sexual
intercourse, and who have for some reason discontinued it. And even
though they occur as frequently as twice a week, if they are followed
by a feeling of relief and wellbeing, they must not be considered as
too frequent for that individual under the conditions.
So the frequency limit of nocturnal emissions is more or less
independent of the time and quite dependent upon the reaction of the
individual to the emission. If, following the criterion above
outlined, one finds that his emissions are too frequent, because of
accompanying depletion and malaise, this frequency may be modified
either by changes of the diet or by changes of hygiene.
For a more extended discussion, see text above on nocturnal emissions.
3. _Do the organs of reproduction actually develop after the age of
seventeen or nineteen or even to the twenty-fifth year as is the
case with the physical and mental powers?_
The brain of an individual adds no nerve cells after a very early age.
The brain increases only very slightly in size and weight after the
age of puberty, and then only under special conditions and this
increase in weight and size is not due to the addition of any new
cells, but simply to a slight increase in the bulk of those cells
already present. In a similar way the sexual apparatus undergoes,
during the period of puberty (fifteen to seventeen) a very rapid
growth, reaching by the end of the period of puberty (seventeenth or
nineteenth year) their full size.
4. _Are enlarged veins in the scrotum dangerous?_
Enlarged veins of the scrotum represent dilatation of the veins of the
epididymis. These are thin walled vessels that respond to any
increased internal blood pressure, perhaps showing a special tendency
in this direction during that period of rapid growth of the sexual
apparatus in the early part of the adolescent period. If the
enlargement is only moderate, it may disappear, or at least become
spontaneously arrested in its growth, in which case it need cause no
concern. If these veins, however, dilate until they form a
considerable mass, known as VARICOCELE, they may affect the sexual
apparatus deleteriously in two ways: (1) The increased weight in the
scrotal sac may cause the sac to become elongated and to annoy the
subject by its traction on the spermatic cord. This lengthened scrotum
with its contents may also be exposed to mechanical pressure or even
to injury from the clothing, etc., which would not occur if the
scrotal sac were short, holding the testes close to the body. (2) Of
far more importance is the danger of the varicocele gradually
encroaching by pressure upon the testis, perhaps to cause a partial
atrophy of that gland. This condition is a comparatively rare one, and
inasmuch as it seldom occurs in both testes, the possibility of
causing sterility on the part of a man is remote.
The extension of the scrotum and the "bearing-down" sensation may be
relieved through the wearing of a suspensory bandage. Such a bandage
may be obtained at any drug store or surgical instrument house, and if
properly fitted, will usually relieve any such discomfort as described
above. If the varicocele is quite large, the subject will do well to
consult a competent surgeon and to take his advice.
5. _Is the emptying of the seminal vesicles thru nocturnal emission a
universal phenomenon among continent men?_
The nocturnal emission is not a universal method of emptying the
seminal vesicles. Some continent men never have nocturnal emissions.
The reason may be sought in one of two directions: (1) The usual cause
of absence of nocturnal emissions is to be found in the fact that in
the man in question the seminal vesicles are periodically drained by
_involuntary diurnal emissions_, occurring usually when the
individual is at stool. These emissions are likely to occur once in
two to four weeks and take the place of the nocturnal emission. (2)
Rarely we find virile, continent men whose vesicular secretion is so
scanty that they are never conscious of its emission.
6. (a) _Should a man who for three to six years of his boyhood
practiced masturbation think of wedlock?_
(b) _If one has not lived a pure life but has reformed, may he ask a
pure woman to be his wife?_
Such questions as these are very frequently asked and with most
serious motives. A vast majority of boys and young men who practice
self-abuse, do so either wholly ignorant of the fact that it is wrong
or cognizant only in a vague way of the evil of the practice.
To consign a man to the Hades of homelessness and the sorrow of
childlessness because through ignorance he lapsed from purity during a
few months or years of his life, would be meting out a retribution far
in excess of the sin. If nature intended such a retribution to be
meted out she would have led the way by causing an atrophy or some
other form of disease in the subject who had abused his sexual organs.
But nature does not do that. If the young man who, from his twelfth to
his eighteenth year, has practiced masturbation, is shown the error of
his way and breaks the habit absolutely, nature quickly comes to his
rescue and rehabilitates his virility completely, unless he has been
guilty of extreme excess in the habit. This rehabilitation of virility
after self-abuse is usually experienced in from one to three years,
according to the case and the extent of the practice.
The complete mastery of a habit after it has through years been
forging its chains about the youth, is in itself no small victory and
should go a long way towards extenuating his lapse. The young man who
can conquer himself and learn to lead a pure life, free from his early
habit and above reproach not only in his acts toward womankind but
also in all his thoughts of woman deserves his well-earned reward. He
deserves the respect of all pure women and should be able to win the
love of one whom he may with clear conscience ask to be his wife, and
with whom he may confidently expect to build a typical home.
7. _Should a man have intercourse for any purpose other than for
procreation?_
In the normal course of events, if intercourse is indulged in for
procreation only, it would come as often as once, perhaps twice in a
month; that is, either just before the menstrual period of the woman
or just after, the woman being most easily impregnated at these two
periods.
A man who has led a continent life before marriage should have no
difficulty in controlling his sexual appetite to that extent. If the
sexual intercourse occurs as infrequently as once or twice in a month,
the man, by living thus continently, will find it much more easy to
maintain his continence during the twelve-month period after his wife
becomes pregnant before he can properly have intercourse with her
again, than would be the case if he had had sexual relations much more
frequently.
That the man desires intercourse much more frequently than as above
outlined and that the woman, in the vast majority of cases, does not
desire intercourse except for procreation and about as frequently as
above indicated is, without any reasonable doubt, due to hereditary
tendencies. Under primeval conditions, and in fact, until
comparatively recent times, the vast majority of mankind were
polygamous, the strong men of the race--those who procreated their
kind--having as many wives as they could support and protect, the weak
men of the race being crowded aside, sometimes castrated, to become
the burden bearers for the strong.
Under conditions of polygamy the woman is rarely subjected to sexual
intercourse for other than procreative purposes, and even granting
that the man has intercourse for procreation only, if he had twelve
wives, he would be having it twelve times as frequently as any one of
them. That these experiences on the part of a long line of maternal
ancestors should lead the women of today to desire sexual intercourse
for procreation only, is easy to understand; that the impulses
transmitted along the paternal line of ancestors should lead the men
of today to desire intercourse far more frequently than this can,
under monogamous conditions be indulged, is also easy to understand.
8. _How frequently may sexual intercourse be indulged, in the marriage
state?_
If one is to overstep the bounds mentioned above, i.e., to indulge in
sexual intercourse once or twice in a month for procreation only and
not at all during the period of pregnancy and childbed period, the
limit is then set, not by strictly normal and anthropological
considerations, but by the health of the individuals. The author has
seen young married couples who had carried their sexual intercourse to
such extremes as seriously to deplete the physical vigor and menace
the health of both parties. Just how frequent indulgence will have
this effect in any particular case is impossible to say. In some cases
twice a week may have this effect; in other cases once in twenty-four
hours might be borne for a considerable time. In any case the
condition is an unnatural one and is certain to bring a natural
retribution in some form--either broken health, or sterility of the
wife, and depleted powers of the husband, or weak and sickly children,
separated by long intervals.
9. _How long is it possible for a young man to waste his vital fluid
and yet be able to raise healthy children?_
This question cannot be answered in other than most general terms. The
author has known one case of a young man who, for several years,
practiced masturbation several times a day, so far depleting his
powers that he could not walk erect, his muscles were flabby, his
testes were very soft and small, his eyes shifty, his hands clammy and
his mind incoherent in its working. He seemed to be a candidate for
the asylum and would probably have gone there if radical means had not
been adopted to break him of the habit. He was broken, however,
absolutely, and never performed the act after his nineteenth birthday.
Within three years he had completely recovered his virility. He had
nearly doubled in weight and in lung capacity and a large part of his
increased weight was in great bulk of muscle of high tonicity--muscle
which he had gained by heavy physical work upon a ranch. His sexual
organs had completely regained their tonicity and without doubt, their
virility. He had so far recovered mentally that he finished a course
of professional study and entered with great success upon the practice
of his chosen profession.
On the other hand, a middle-aged man consulted the author regarding
the sterility of his wife. After examination, it was found that the
husband had practiced masturbation about twice a week from the age of
puberty to his twenty-fourth year, when he was married. He assured the
author that at the time of his marriage his testicles were, as far as
he had known, similar to the testicles of other young men, and that
during his married life he had never had intercourse with his wife
more frequently than once in a month, but that during that time he had
noticed a gradual atrophy of the testes. At the time of the
examination only small atrophied remains of these testes could be
discovered. The sterility of the wife was due, without any question,
to the absolute impotence of the husband, and so far as the history of
the case would suggest, there was no other assignable cause of this
impotence than the eight years of masturbation.
From these two cases, it must be evident that no rules can be laid
down. In one case the subject recovered fully from a case of extreme
masturbation; in the other-case, a habit that would not be called
extreme resulted in impotence. It must be evident that the practice is
a dangerous one after puberty, as no individual can tell to which of
the above cases his may be similar.
10. _Granting that masturbation is harmful through loss of semen, is
there any compensation for this loss of semen in case of intercourse
with a woman?_
There is no doubt that an emission of semen following sexual
excitement is a draught upon the virile powers of the male animal. If
this sexual excitement is the artificial one cultivated by the
masturbator, the depletion seems to be more marked than is the case
with the normal, natural stimulation incident to sexual intercourse.
Some have suggested that the reciprocal influence of the woman can in
some way compensate for the vital fluid contributed by the male. It
is hardly likely that such a reciprocal influence is other than
psychical, but that is certainly sufficient to account for any
difference in these two forms of sexual gratification.
Nature calls upon the male animal to make a contribution for
procreation, which contribution is, always has been, and, in the very
nature of the case, always must be a certain tax upon the powers of
the male animal. When the intercourse is indulged for procreation
only, the male animal can well afford to make the contribution. Even
with that, the contribution which the male makes to procreation is
incomparably less depleting for him than are the contributions which
the female makes for her.
11. _Will vital fluid flow with every sexual intercourse?_
If vital fluid is present, and if the sexual intercourse is carried to
the point of causing an orgasm, there would, in all normal conditions,
be an emission of semen or "vital fluid."
12. _Is there any way to regulate intercourse so as to control the sex
of the offspring?_
While there are many theories upon this subject no one of them is
generally accepted by medical men.
13. _Will an intense and continuous desire on the part of a young man
for sexual intercourse cause a loss of seminal fluid?_
An intense and continuous desire for sexual intercourse will, without
question, cause an active secretion on the part of the testes, an
increased secretion on the part of the seminal vesicles and an active
secretion on the part of the prostate gland and of Cowper's glands.
The secretion from Cowper's glands will make its way along the urethra
and appear at the opening of that duct, probably soiling the linen of
the subject. The accumulated semen from the other glands will tend
rather to aggravate than allay the sexual desires. Such a condition of
the sexual apparatus is likely to cause a nocturnal emission,
relieving this tension and emptying the gorged gland ducts. If the
nocturnal emission does not occur, the sexual desires are certain to
return to occupy the waking hours more or less completely. If the
nocturnal emission does occur, it will carry away not alone the
vesicular secretion, but also more or less of the nascent spermatozoa
and other constituents of the vital fluid. Seasons of intense and
prolonged sexual excitement are in a high degree inimical to
continence, and even though the subject does not fully submit to his
inclination, his nocturnal emissions, which are likely to come
frequently, carry away the product of the testicular secretion,
thereby depleting to a certain extent, his virility. It is hardly
necessary to urge the importance of resisting these onslaughts of
sexual passion in their very incipiency.
14. _How may the habit of masturbation best be brought under
control?_
The first thing to accomplish is the purification of the thoughts. The
most effective way to purify the thoughts is to divert them to a pure
and strictly non-sexual subject--e.g., _pure mathematics_. The young
man who is trying to break this habit will do well to follow very
closely the rather strenuous regime outlined under hygiene in the body
of the book. If his condition is complicated because of the presence
of a very long loose foreskin, he will be wise to have this removed by
the simple operation of _circumcision_. If he should awake in the
night and feel the temptation to resort to his old habit, he should
resist the temptation in its first stage and instantly put his mind on
some subject quite foreign to his sexual apparatus. If he does not
succeed by force of will in diverting his mind from himself, the best
thing to do is to arise, dress and walk. If walking will not do it let
him run, and keep moving in the open air, under God's blue sky until
he is so tired he can hardly put one foot before the other. Then if he
will retire to his room, he will probably have no further difficulty
at that time.
15. _What influence has dancing upon the young man's solution of his
sexual problems?_
It hardly seems possible that a virile, husky young man, in his early
twenties, could be subjected for several hours to the conditions of
the modern dance hall, where he is brought into very close physical
contact with young women, dressed to expose their secondary sexual
features, perfumed to excite in a man his hereditary sexual
instincts; held so close to his partner in the round dance that he is
conscious of every movement of her limbs, and all of these under the
influence of artificial light and music--I say, it is hardly possible
for a virile young man to be subjected to all these conditions without
experiencing an extreme sexual excitement. That such an experience
often repeated not only does not simplify the young man's problem, but
seriously complicates it is not a matter of doubt on the part of
anyone who has studied these problems. All specialists in this field,
without a single exception, concur in the belief that the dance is a
device of the devil so far as the young man is concerned. That the
young women are, for the most part, quite innocent of the effect of
all these conditions upon their young men friends is also believed by
those who have studied the problem. If they were conscious of it, a
large majority of them would not longer consent to be the party to
such unfortunate conditions. The Square Dance, the Virginia Reel and
similar dances of the times of our grandparents are not remotely to be
compared in this matter with the modern Round Dance.
16. _May lost Virility be regained by use of "Remedies" or medicines
of any kind?_
No. Positively and absolutely, _No_. Many such nostrums are advertised
in the public prints. Many are sold by charlatans and quacks. No
reputable physician would hold out to his patient the hope that any
drug could bring back lost manhood.
_Lost manhood or lost virility may be regained by right living only._
The prescription for right living is as follows: _Live a continent
life_ and follow _a strenuous and sane regime of personal hygiene_,
such as outlined in chapter V above.
17. _Is the production of semen modified by nutrition?_
The production of semen is greatly modified by the state of nutrition.
Remember in this connection that semen is partly from the testes
(Spermatozoa) and partly from the vesicles and prostate. The formation
and release of spermatozoa is only slightly modified by the condition
of nutrition; while the rate of secretion from the vesicles is greatly
modified in quantity. This accounts for the fact that well nourished
men who eat heavily are very likely to experience frequent nocturnal
emissions, when living continently.
LECTURES
by the
Author of Reproduction and Sexual Hygiene.
THE YOUNG MAN'S PROBLEM.
Heard by 20,000 men last year.
WHAT IS SAID ABOUT IT.
The Young Men's Christian Association of Philadelphia.
Walter M. Wood, General Secretary
October 17, 1908.
To Whom it May Concern:
It is with great pleasure that I pay a tribute of appreciation
to the excellent service of Dr. Winfield S. Hall, in his
presentation to audiences of young men of the vital problems of
sexual hygiene.
With the intelligence of a trained and experienced physician,
with the thoroughness and frankness of an expert teacher and
with the delicacy and motive of a Christian gentleman, he
presents the "Young Man's Problem" in such a way as to make him,
in my judgment, one of the most helpful counselors of young men
on the American platform today.
Sincerely,
W.M. WOOD.
University of Notre Dame.
Winfield Scott Hall, M.D.,
Northwestern University Medical School.
My Dear Dr. Hall:
In your lecture on "The Young Man's Problem" and in your book on
"Sexual Hygiene" you are doing a great service for the rising
generation. I am convinced that one great source of vice is
ignorance about the matters touched upon in your lecture and
book. Priests are constantly giving instruction on these same
points, but it is a distinct advantage to have their teaching
reinforced by a distinguished physician, expressing himself with
the plainness of the laity and speaking always in a most
reverential spirit. For students seventeen years of age or more
your presentation of this difficult subject will be a God-send,
for it abates curiosity, dissipates ignorance, warns of perils
and arouses a manly desire for a clean life.
Very sincerely yours,
JOHN CAVANAUGH, C.S.C.,
President.
Central Department, Young Men's Christian Association, Chicago.
October 21, 1908.
Dr. Winfield S. Hall, Northwestern University Medical School.
My Dear Dr. Hall:
Our committee wants to know if we cannot arrange a date with you
this year to deliver your lecture on "The Young Man's Problem."
I also want some more of your books on Reproduction and Sexual
Hygiene.
I cannot forbear to express my very hearty appreciation of the
splendid service you have done and are doing to the young
manhood of our country in this lecture and this book. I have
never heard a presentation of the subject which takes hold so
deeply upon thoughtful men, and your book is by all odds the
best thing in print on this subject. Your scientific, yet
popular method and the absence of vague moralizing are
convincing and inspiring in their effects. I trust we may hear
you this year.
Very truly yours,
HERBERT W. GATES,
Secy., Religious Work.
THE SECRET OF MANHOOD
Given to many audiences of boys in High-School, Academy, Y.M.C.A. and
Summer Camp.
The Institute and Training School of Young Men's Christian
Associations, Chicago and Lake Geneva.
October 7, 1908.
Dr. Winfield S. Hall, Northwestern Medical School, Chicago, Ill.
My Dear Dr. Hall:
I want to express my appreciation of your talk to boys on Sexual
Hygiene. I listened with the greatest of interest to your
presentation before the Boys' Conference at Lake Geneva the past
summer and it seemed to me that both in substance and in form of
presentation you hit the nail on the head in a way I had never
before seen it done. I believe that your contribution to boys in
this direction is to be even greater than that which you have
been making to young men.
Sincerely yours,
FRANK H. BURT,
President.
State Agricultural College of Colorado.
Dr. Winfield S. Hall,
Fort Collins, Colo., October 27, 1908.
Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago.
Dear Doctor:
I wish to testify to the value of your lecture to boys from 12
to 16 years of age. You have touched a vital subject in a most
original way that impresses every boy that hears you. You lead
up to your "Secret of Manhood" in a manner that holds the
attention, impresses the truth you want to teach, so that it is
sure to be of lasting good.
This lecture I regard as the very best of its kind, which I have
ever heard.
Sincerely yours,
W.H. OLIN.
Vice Dean, State Agricultural College of Colorado.
Princeton Township High School.
Princeton, Ill., October 6, 1908.
Dr. Winfield S. Hall of the Northwestern University Medical
School recently gave a talk to our high school boys along
physiological lines, setting forth very scientifically but
plainly many delicate and important truths which every boy
should know. Dr. Hall is a master of his subject and his manner
is so dignified and yet sympathetic that he commands respect and
holds the closest attention. I feel sure that such a talk given
to boys and young men does a great amount of good.
Sincerely,
H.S. MAGILL, JR.,
Principal.
International Committee, Young Men's Christian Association.
W.S. Hall, M.D., Chicago, Ill.
Chicago, Ill., October 4, 1908.
My dear Doctor:
I am more than glad to speak a word in commendation of your
lecture to boys on the "Secret of Manhood." To me it is the most
sane, safe and logical presentation of a much avoided subject
that I have ever heard. The boys at the Lake Geneva Conference
were strongly impressed without the undue excitement and morbid
curiosity that so often accompany the presentation of the
subject of "Personal Purity." And not only were the boys
benefited, but all the fifty boy workers present, representing
the entire Central West, had nothing but words of highest praise
for the way you handled the subject before two hundred older
boys.
I am glad that you are getting out material for a booklet on the
"Secret of Manhood," and shall be pleased to see the manuscript.
We are much in need of such a thing and believe the
International Committee can aid you in getting it out if
necessary. Yours cordially,
F.A. CROSBY,
Boys' Work Secy., International Committee. Y.M.C.A.
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