Vol. 60, 1909 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 223
in spite of protests, forced her attendance a most deleterious effect upon the health of
upon her recitations until the close of school, the individual, then are we indeed in need
She left school one of the most chloric of eve possible preventive measure for we
women I have ever seen. When physi- are fast becoming a race of mjopics. Right
cians set such examples, do you wonder here let me say, some of onr colleges are
why parents do not rise up in righteous in- making a very serious mistake in allowing
dignation? Speaking generally, there are traveling opticians to do the refracting
several defects of school life that are espe- work of their pupils. The medical profescially
reprehensible. Theendeavor to accom- sion should protest against this in no un:
'
'
I
plish a maximum of work in a minimum measured terms. Practically all of the disof
time; the classification—the weak must orders of young women are increased durkeep
up with the strong—the dullard with ing college years. A word as to self abusethose
mentally bright: the lack of instruc- I have tried in every way to ascertain
tion along practical lines and a know-ledge
of one's own functions; the fact that no
whether this was a prevalent habit, as some
authorities have claimed; I have only been
leniency is shown during the menstrual enabled to learn of one case in nearly 5000
period; the cram of examinations; grading young women, and this was a paranoiac
according to per centages; inadequately who was later sent to an asylum, hence I
equipped gymnasiums; the absence of regu- conclude most emphatically, self abuse does
lar, daily systematic exercises, etc. Most of
our colleges for women are now insisting
not existin the average normal Southern girl
of mature years. I have said nothing, purupon
high curriculums. There can be no posely, about the evils of dress, the natural
objections provided education and physical imprudence of women, their neglect of
development are properly corrrelated. While themselves, etc., believing that these condimost
of the teachers in our colleges for tions can be remedied by a sufBcient num.women
are women, I have found more of
them unamenable to reason than men—not
ber of heart to heart talks with the girls
themselves. The infrequency of marriage,
because they do not believe these truths, late marriage and the sterility of college
ibut because, they say; "Well, I had to un- women, I believe to be largely due to higher
dergo the same thing, and I've gotten along ideals among our college bred women. It
! alright. '
' Xine
out of ten of these women are is more difiBcult for them to secure mates of
iirrascible, peevish, snappish old maids and similar ideals. Their sterility is due to no
!to any fair minded man or woman thei-' unwillingness to bear children, but the un-
'pitiable condition appeals for sympathy, fortunate lack of development which seems
In the "teens" is woman's great time for to be concomitant with higher education.
(Storing up force, nerve energy, and cellular
jactivity— nature's most strenuous elTort is
Ibeing put forth. If the cells are poorly
As wifehood and motherhood are the true
ends of womanhood, we should see that our
women are developed to their fullest extent
nourished, if nerve energy is wasted, if physically, then there will be no evil results
vital force is exhausted, ill health is inevit- from the highest mental development. Eduable,
sterility results, or in later life there cational efforts should be directed more to-
I
il is a weakened progeny. The only person wards woman's ultimate end in life
||who can remedy this is the physician and and every woman should have as a part of
'he can only do it by a careful study of each her training in life a knowledge of herself
Ipupil. The college physician then is a ne- and a knowledge of ihe processes of gesta-
'cessity, and the necessity for the medical tion. If left to her, I am sure she had
inspection of all schools can be as readily rather be taught how properly to clothe,
.proven. Observations extended over sev- care for and feed her offspring than to cogieral
years show that 3.S% of our girls are tate over differential calculus or to meditate
received in college already suffering from over the religious beliefs of the ancients,
some chronic trouble. That this is due She should at least be taught hygiene, sanilargely
to defects in the public and high tation, physiology, biology, botany, zoolo-
'Schools, there can be no doul)t—probably gy, domestic science, scientific cooking,
unsanitary conditions and indulgences at nursing and infant feeding. They should
home are in part to blame, but this can not be taught more largely out of doors. All
account entirely for the increase of digest- colleges and high schools should be equip-
'ive disorders, anaemias, etc. The past year, ped with good gymnasiums, and physical
on entering college, 7,S out of 2.Si) girls ex- culture exercises should'be regular and sysamined,
gave a history of marked menstrual tematic, under well trained instructresses,
disturbances, i. e. ,50%. 10% gave a his- Possibly I .should apologize to you for not
•or\ of antecedent tubercular history. IdO quoting from Christopher, McDonald, Hall,
s'irls out of the last .300 examined, or Kelly. Goodell, Playfair, or from some of
i.'^ 1 .^/?, showed defective vision. If Gould the recent writers before the American
is right in his contention that eye strain has Academy of Medicine, but no one of these