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diff --git a/old/52888-0.txt b/old/52888-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c05fdaf..0000000 --- a/old/52888-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2958 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's What Every Girl Should Know, by Margaret H. Sanger - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: What Every Girl Should Know - -Author: Margaret H. Sanger - -Release Date: August 24, 2016 [EBook #52888] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHAT EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - _What Every Girl Should Know_ - -[Illustration] - - BY - - Margaret H. Sanger - - AUTHOR OF - - “How Six Little Children Were Taught the Truth.” - - - - - SENTINEL PRINTING CO. - - PRINTERS AND - PUBLISHERS - - READING, PENNA. - -[Illustration] - - - - - Dedication - - - TO THE WORKING GIRLS - OF THE WORLD - THIS LITTLE BOOK - IS - LOVINGLY DEDICATED - - - - - Contents - - - CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. - - CHAPTER II. GIRLHOOD. - - Part I. Physical Growth. - - Part II. Mental Development. - - CHAPTER III. PUBERTY. - - Part I. General Organs, Uterus, Ovaries, Etc. - - Part II. Menstruation and Its Disorders. - - CHAPTER IV. SEXUAL IMPULSE. - - Part I. Masturbation - - Part II. Sexual Impulse in Animals—In Men. Its Significance in - Love. - - CHAPTER V. Reproduction. - - Part I. Growth of the Life Cell in the Uterus. - - Part II. Hygiene of Pregnancy—Miscarriage. - - CHAPTER VI. SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORANCE AND SILENCE. - - Part I. Continence in Young Men. - - Part II. Gonorrhoea. - - Part III. Syphilis. - - CHAPTER VII. MENOPAUSE. - - - - - What Every Girl Should Know - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - - INTRODUCTION - -Students of vice, whether teachers, clergymen, social workers or -physicians, have been laboring for years to find the cause and cure for -vice, and especially for prostitution. They have failed so far to agree -on either the cause or the cure, but it is interesting to know that upon -one point they have been compelled to agree, and that is, that -=ignorance of the sex functions= is one of the strongest forces that -sends young girls into =unclean= living. - -This, together with the knowledge of the rapidly increasing spread of -venereal diseases and the realization of their subtle nature, has -awakened us to the need of a saner and healthier attitude on the sex -subject, and to the importance of =sex education= for boys and girls. - -This need has shown itself so clearly that the question no longer seems -to be, “Is there need of instruction?” but, “Who shall instruct?” Shall -the mother or teacher instruct? When shall such instruction be given? In -childhood, or in puberty? These are the points now under discussion. - -To the writer the answer is simple. The mother is the logical person to -teach the child as soon as questions arise, for it is to the mother that -the child goes for information before he enters the schoolroom. If, -therefore, the mother answers his questions truthfully and simply and -satisfies his curiosity, she will find that the subject of sex ceases to -be an isolated subject, and becomes a natural part of the child's -general learning. A woman does not need to be a college graduate, with a -special degree in the study of botany, before she can tell her child the -beautiful truth of its birth. But she does need to clear her own mind of -prudishness, and to understand that the procreative act is natural, -clean and healthful; that all nature is beautified through it, and -consequently that it is devoid of offensiveness. - -If the mother can impress the child with the beauty and wonder and -sacredness of the sex functions, she has taught it the first lesson, and -the teacher can elaborate on these teachings as the child advances in -school. All schools should teach anatomy of the sex organs and their -physiology, instead of teaching the human body in the neuter gender as -has been done up to this time. - -The whole object of teaching the child about reproduction through -evolution is to clear its mind of any shame or mystery concerning its -birth and to impress it with the beauty and naturalness of procreation, -in order to prepare it for the knowledge of puberty and marriage. - -There must of necessity be special information for the pubescent boy and -girl, for having arrived at the stage in their mental development they -no longer take for granted what has been told them by the parents, but -are keen to form their own ideas and gather information independently. -It is right, therefore, to give them the facts as science has found -them. - -There are workers and philanthropists who say there is too much stress -put upon the subject of venereal diseases; that the young girl after -learning or hearing of the dangers she is likely to encounter in the -sexual relation, is afraid to marry and consequently lives a life -unloved and alone. - -“Your treatment of this subject is dangerous,” said a very earnest -social worker a few weeks ago. “Such knowledge will prevent our young -girls from marrying.” - -To which I replied that my object in telling young girls the truth is -for the definite purpose of preventing them from entering into sexual -relations whether in marriage or out of it, without thinking and -knowing. Better a thousand times to live alone and unloved than to be -tied to a man who has robbed her of health or of the joy of motherhood, -or welcoming the pains of motherhood, live in anxiety lest her sickly -offspring be taken out of her life, or grow up a chronic invalid. - -I have more faith in the force of love. I believe that two people -convinced that they love each other and desire to live together will -talk as frankly of their own health and natures as they do today of the -house furnishings and salaries. Their love for each other will protect -them from ill health and disease, and prompt them to procure of their -own accord, a certificate of health if each has the right information -and knowledge. - -There are, however, different phases of nature, the knowledge of which -binds and cements the love of two people, other than venereal diseases, -for these diseases are only symptoms of a great social disorder. - -Every girl should first understand herself; she should know her anatomy, -including sex anatomy; she should know the epochs of a normal woman's -life, and the unfoldment which each epoch brings; she should know the -effect the emotions have on her acts, and finally she should know the -fullness and richness of life when crowned by the flower of motherhood. - -This knowledge I shall endeavor to give in the following articles. -Fragmentary the articles must of necessity be, for there are volumes -written on each subject. - -I shall try to free the subjects from technicalities and give the -opinions of writers who have made these subjects their life studies and -also the facts as I myself have learned them. - -It is not my intention to thrust upon any one a special code of morals, -or to inflict upon the readers my own ideals of morality. I only presume -to present the facts for you to accept according to your understanding. - -The first subject will deal with the girl during the age when sex first -manifests itself, in that most fascinating, interesting and puzzling -period of a woman's life—the budding period, called girlhood. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - - GIRLHOOD—PART I. - - - The Physical Manifestations - -It has been said that the American girl between the ages of 12 and 18 is -the most neglected girl in the world. Just why this is so, it is -difficult to say, but I doubt whether she is alone in this neglect, for -this is known as the =adolescent period=, and it is only within the last -few years that the mental and physiological aspect of this period has -been at all considered, or its importance recognized in any part of the -world. - -The =adolescent period= is the time occupied between the ages of 12 and -22, when the physical development comes suddenly into prominence; when -the mental faculties become independently active, and the sex of the -individual strongly manifests itself. It is a period of the greatest -importance to the girl herself, for her physical, mental and moral -development during this time will have an important effect on her future -life. - -It is also a period of the greatest interest to the mother, provided -there is sympathy, confidence and understanding between them. Too much -importance cannot be attached to the necessity of an early confidence -between the girl and her mother before this period arrives for this will -give a girl a sense of superiority, a poise, an understanding of herself -and her nature. She will then be prepared for the changes taking place -within herself, and consequently be practically immune from the -influence of a bad environment, which otherwise might affect her in a -way detrimental to her health and happiness. Up to this period there is -very little manifestation of sex. - -Fortunately, we have come to recognize that healthy outdoor play is as -good for the little girl as it is for the boy, and the ideas of our -grandmothers' day—that boys were to play ball, ride horseback, swim, -shoot, etc., while the girl's play was restricted to sedentary pursuits, -such as sewing, doll playing, etc.—have been placed on the relic heap, -and the girl of today keeps pace with her brother in physical freedom -and activity. - -With the passing of those ideas passed also our ideal of the delicate -girl, with a cough, small waist and dainty appetite, and the girl -physically strong and healthy, with a broader view of life, has taken -her place. - -About the age of 12 there comes a sudden change in the girl, her dresses -are outgrown, her form assumes shape, her bust and limbs develop, and, -in the words of Stanley Hall, “hips, thighs, limbs, shoulders and arms -round out into contours more or less beautiful, curves always -predominating over angles.” Thus we come to realize that the little girl -has left us. - -The physical development is not alone in this work, for the mental and -moral instincts are developing so rapidly that it is difficult to -understand this new and lovely creature who is neither the child of -yesterday nor the woman of tomorrow. - -There is often very little patience shown the adolescent girl, for -neither parents nor teachers have been aware that this is a separate and -distinct stage—this passing from childhood into womanhood—and as such -must be recognized. - -Let us first take the bony structure. It is a well known fact that there -is not sufficient lime salts in the system to complete the bony -structure until the 25th year. The bones are not completely hardened, -which is one of the reasons that so many deformities have their -foundation laid at this time. - -The first and most noticeable change in the girl at this age is the -increase of height, which begins at the 13th year and ends about the -15th. There are girls who begin earlier and continue to grow for several -years after this age, but it is with the average we deal, and the growth -after the age of 15 is not so perceptible. - -Many girls show almost no other signs of womanly development until after -this growth has ceased. The bones at this time are soft enough to yield -to pressure (being cartilaginous), which makes the wearing of a corset -especially dangerous, for the pressure on the ribs interferes with the -development of the lungs and tuberculosis is more easily contracted. -Corsets should not be worn before the 21st year if possible, and then -very loosely, for tight lacing is more harmful at this age than a few -years later. Those who have made careful investigations of the harmful -effects of corsets claim that not only are the chest and walls of the -abdomen injured, but the development of the sexual organs is seriously -hampered, causing many functional diseases, commonly painful and -irregular menstruation, caused by arrested development of the cervix. - -The girl who scoffs at the idea of the Chinese women binding up their -feet, is doubtless ignorant of the knowledge that to bind up their own -thoracic and pelvic structures, i. e., the chest and abdominal portions -of her body, in tight corsets is doing greater harm to her health and -injury to her development than the binding of the feet could possibly -do. Ellis brings forth a few words on this subject which shows that the -habit of binding the feet of the Chinese women is based on the same -ideas as the European woman has when she deforms her waist—they are both -done for sexual attractiveness. - -A Chinese woman's foot is more interesting than her face—to her husband. - -No man of good breeding would look at a Chinese woman's foot in the -street; such an act is most indelicate. - -This question of corsets every girl should consider seriously. - -As this rapid growth begins, the girl often finds it difficult to hold -herself up straight, her shoulders become stooped, her head and neck are -thrust forward in a most ungainly manner. As she becomes conscious of -this, instead of correcting it, she is likely to slouch and assume the -most awkward habits. Her arms seem longer to her; hands, legs and feet -become new burdens to carry, and the desire to hide the hands behind the -back, to fold the arms, to bend one knee in order to lessen the length -of the body, and to lean on something while talking, are all signs of -this consciousness. - -With the invention of modern machinery and the monotony of specialized -work in the mills and factories, it is natural that this should bring -with it, if not entirely new diseases and deformities, at least a -greater number than have heretofore been known. Consider the little -children in the cotton mills, standing for long periods, with the weight -of the body thrown on one foot—a position, which causes curvature of the -spine. Again consider the young girls still in their “teens” bending -over sewing machines from morning until night from year to year; their -premium for this work is right sided lateral curvature. Sitting with one -leg crossed over the other as in sewing, carrying books under the arm to -and from school, lifting and carrying heavy burdens, bundles, or small -children, such as the abused and deformed “little mothers” spend their -play time in doing—all cause curvature of the spine. - -Curvature is one of the most common deformities. Any position which -throws the spinal column out of its natural line for any length of time -is likely to produce it. - -Regular exercise in the open air will do much to prevent this, together -with walking and dancing. If curvature is already noticeable, then it is -best to get professional instructions and follow them closely. - -Next to the rapid bony development, the changes in the heart and -circulation are most noticeable. The heart grows more rapidly during the -adolescent age than the arteries do, which increases the supply of blood -in the arteries and causes general circulatory disturbance of which we -see many outward signs such as blushing, nose bleed, headache, cold feet -and hands, anaemia, loss of appetite, or an appetite so capricious as to -drive one frantic trying to satisfy it, for it jumps from ice cream soda -to dill pickles, according to whim. Some of these symptoms require -special attention, particularly in the case of the girl at school or in -an office, who finds her work a great effort, tires easily, and becomes -pale and nervous. Such a girl should spend as much time as possible in -the open air, and build up on milk and eggs. Sometimes a simple iron -tonic will do much to overcome these disturbances. - -Pimples on the face are also very common at this period. Physicians -assert that with cleanliness of the skin and regularity of the bowels, -these symptoms will disappear without the aid of medicines or cosmetics. -The above mentioned symptoms are of great annoyance to the adolescent -girl, who is just developing pride in looking neat and keeping up an -appearance of daintiness, and she goes to unending trouble to rid -herself of facial blemishes, which often seem to grow worse and if -tampered with, leave ugly scars. - -The nervous system also undergoes great changes at this age, and the -growing girl is subject to various forms of nervous affections, -stammering, jerking, restlessness, etc. These are symptoms which, if -allowed to continue unattended, may develop into permanent disorders. In -short, the adolescent girl needs constant watchfulness and attention. - - - GIRLHOOD—PART II. - -The organs of sense are also awakened to activity in the adolescent -girl. The sense of smell becomes extremely acute; offensive odors are -=very= offensive, while pleasant ones are greatly enjoyed and desired. -Thus we find perfumes used lavishly in girlhood, and alas! too often -indiscriminately. - -With the development of the other senses the sense of color is awakened. -The girl, who, yesterday allowed her elders to choose clothing and -colors for her, at this time becomes most exacting in her own selection -of ribbons and dresses. Sunsets and forests have become beautiful, and -often the girl with artistic talent decides at this age to choose her -life work. Laces, jewelry, trinkets, ribbons and shop windows become her -world. Indeed, so great is her desire to possess ornaments that she has -been known to resort to petty thievery, when unable to avail herself of -the means to obtain them otherwise. Certain authorities, who have made -vice and kindred subjects a study, assert that it is this great desire -for trinkets, silk petticoats, etc., which induces girls to sell their -bodies and enter prostitution. Such authorities fail to see the economic -significance of these unsatisfied desires. There is something wrong with -a system of society which allows its women to sell their bodies for such -trifles, the desire for which is part of their natural development. - -Is flesh and blood and the virtue of the mothers of the future so cheap -in this land of plenty that it can be sacrificed for such passing whims? -It is impossible to suppress that inherent and natural desire in the -adolescent girl to adorn and beautify herself. She must and will do it. - -The girl of wealth, of the so-called upper class, can beautify herself -and adorn her body with the costliest jewels and fabrics. All eyes are -upon her in admiration of her exquisite taste and attractive appearance. -Yet this same manifestation in a working girl is condemned. Any attempt -on the part of a working girl to give expression to the desire to be -beautiful is considered “dangerous to her welfare”; is spoken of as her -“awful desire for trinkets.” - -The women of wealth set certain standards for themselves and their -class, but separate and distinct standards for the women of the working -class. It is about time the reformers and philanthropists do something -other than deal with the symptoms of the great social unrest, and some -of the latest reports of vice investigators have been compelled to face -some of the most fundamental causes, and acknowledged these causes. - -A craving for beauty and pleasure, dancing, music, singing and laughter, -an innate hereditary desire to adorn and beautify herself, which comes -down to her from primitive woman, together with a burning desire for and -love of romance, characterize the adolescent girl and often remain with -her far beyond the adolescent age. - -When the imagination is thus aroused it is not unusual to learn that the -young girl yields to it, tells strange tales about herself, and is, -therefore, often accused of lying. But this and petty thievery disappear -as reason and will power are developed. - -The change of voice in a girl is not so distinct as in a boy, but the -voice gradually becomes softer, fuller and of a more womanly pitch, -though the change is quite unnoticeable while it occurs. - -The hearing becomes keener, noises which a few months ago were -considered a joke are now disturbing (such as father's loud sneeze). -Music and singing have charms, which in childhood were unappreciated. - -Parents and teachers who do not appreciate the change taking place -within the girl at this period, have small patience with such doings, -calling her “giddy” and “affected” when in reality it is all part of her -development and can be guided and directed into beautiful channels. -Together with her personal adornment comes interest in her surroundings. -New and elaborate decorations furnish her bedroom, and toilet -accessories become objects of pride. Primitive colors are displayed, -largely in curtains, bed coverings, wall paper, etc., all of which -explain the independent ego in the stage of transition. - -There are many forms of disturbance which the girl suffers at this -period, such as hysteria and insanity, which, however, we will not dwell -upon here. Enough has been said on the subject to impress upon my -readers the cause of these physical and mental disturbances, and to -realize that special care and consideration should be given at this -particular age of the girl. - -The emotional nature also plays a most prominent part in the developing -girl, and justice, I feel, would not be shown her here, unless we cover -briefly this most interesting part of her nature. One of the strongest -emotions which very few girls, passing from childhood into womanhood, -escape, is the religious awakening of one kind or another. It is said by -some investigators that 80 per cent. of the conversions of women in the -churches take place before the age of 20. From 30 to 40 years only a -very small percentage occur—something like 1 or 2 per cent. - -It is also shown that more young girls join church than boys. Some girls -seem almost consumed by the desire to do good and be good in every -thought and word and act, and have been known to go through various -forms of self punishment, such as fasting, sacrificing pleasure, etc. -Again, others spend hours in absolute devotion to the neglect of health -and studies. It is very easily seen why the church takes its “flock,” -while still in the adolescent period, for at no subsequent time is the -girl's mind so plastic or impressionable. If the same girl who enters -the convent at 18 years had waited until 22, she would very likely not -have entered, for the mental changes are most intense from 16 to 18 -years of age. - -Another common emotional awakening of girlhood is the affections. In -boys this awakening causes them to gather together in gangs. They follow -their leader whom they greatly admire and obey. In girls it assumes a -more simple form, the devotion to a girl friend of her own age, and the -affection between them is deep and intense while it lasts. They tell -their most private thoughts in secret to each other, dividing all -honors, pleasures and gifts; they are almost inseparable, and I have -known a girl whose affection was so deep for her “chum” that she wore -mourning when the chum's father died. - -Another form of affection which the girl of this age manifests is that -for an older woman, often a teacher or neighbor. Parents sometimes look -askance at this relation, and rightly so, for a friendship can be -beneficial or harmful according to the character of the older woman. But -with all these interests there is nothing so all-absorbing or so -interesting to the adolescent girl as =herself=. She has become -conscious of =self=. Now she burns with ambition to go out into the -world and do mighty things. She feels sure she will be a great singer, -or a dancer, or, perhaps, an actress. Again, she feels she will write a -wonderful book—about herself—or at least she will be the heroine. Or she -will write a wonderful tragic play; or she will nurse on the -battlefields and care for the sick and dying. These, together with -thousands of other desires, burn in her mind, and can be increased or -lessened according to the character of the books she reads. The -literature placed in a girl's hands at this age has as great an -influence on her thoughts and acts as her companions. - -In early adolescence this self-consciousness manifests itself in -modesty, blushing, giggling, physical awkwardness, mentioned earlier on -this subject, all signs that the girl is conscious of that inner -self—the ego. - -It is at this stage when the mother tries to explain what the menstrual -period means to the girl that she is met with icy indifference. She -refuses to talk on this subject, or anything pertaining to the sex -subject, because she has just become conscious of her sex, and -everything connected with it seems offensively personal. - -She most likely has received her sexual information from some one else, -and the mother is astonished at the stubborn silence on the part of her -daughter. She fails to realize that some one else has that confidence -which belongs to her and which she should have gained many years -earlier. There is a strong tie between the adolescent girl and her -sexual informant. The influence of an older girl over a younger, between -whom there are confidences regarding sex, is surprisingly great. The -mind at this age is very susceptible to influences of any kind, and the -ideals instilled into a girl's mind are of paramount importance. - -These are only a few of the disturbances of the adolescent girl. But -they are sufficient for us to know that at the bottom of all these -disturbances is the mysterious influence of sex gradually unfolding -itself and finally claiming its own. - -At the time these emotions are in full sway along comes a newer and -deeper one. The boy with whom she has played for the past several years, -run races, played house, ball and games, one day looks into her eyes—and -something happens. - -Perhaps that look was accompanied by a pull at her hair, a pinch on her -arm, or a hit with an apple core, but the glance was one which awakened -within her a new instinct; the consciousness of sex, and upon her -horizon man appears. - -Those who have investigated boy and girl love affairs seem to be of the -opinion that they are invariably of short duration. Out of 100 high -school girls interrogated, two had married while at school, and one of -these had received a divorce shortly after. This goes to prove that the -boy a girl is willing to elope with, or even starve for at 18, is quite -forgotten at the age of 25. - -When girls marry between the ages of 19 and 20—the years when they are -developing in body, mind and character, they are at a loss to understand -themselves, because they are ignorant of the fact that the wonderful -instinct of sex is making itself felt. For thousands of years this -instinct has been in the germ of life. When they have reached that age -nature is preparing them to proclaim its right, to perform their natural -functions, to propagate. - -As the knowledge of the sex functions is one of the most important to -the health and happiness of the girl, we shall now consider the girl in -the period when nature has developed and prepared her to carry out its -plan, in the Age of Puberty. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - - PUBERTY—PART I. - -Puberty is the age at which the girl or boy becomes capable of -reproduction. Writers differ in the use of the word. Many use it to -denote the whole period of time during which the procreative ability -continues, which is usually from the fourteenth to the forty-fifth year. -There are still other uses of the word, but we will use it as the age -when the boy or girl becomes sexually matured or ripe, the first -indication of which is the menstrual flow in the girl and seminal -emissions in the boy. - -This sign of puberty is celebrated by initiations among the savage -peoples, mostly for the purpose of trying the powers of endurance in the -boy or girl. The boy is taken away among strange tribes, is subjected to -the greatest physical pain and hardship, and among some tribes is -circumcized. The girl is often subjected to a vaginal incision and -should she cry out or show any sign of suffering she is disgraced among -the women of her tribe and promptly expelled from the settlement. In -Ellis' Psychology of Sex the author relates of the Yuman Indians of -California how the girls prepare for marriage at the first sign of -menstruation by being wrapped in blankets and placed in a warm pit for -four days and nights. The old women of the tribe dance about them and -sing constantly; they give away coin, cloth and wheat to teach the girls -generosity, and sow wild seeds broadcast over the girls to cause them to -be prolific. These and various other initiations are practiced by nearly -all savage tribes. The boys and girls receive their sex knowledge at -this time, and are instructed in the duties of married life. - -The girls are fully informed of menstruation. It has been said the -knowledge of sexual relations is openly discussed and naturally taught; -that, therefore, it has no glamour for them, and in consequence the -women of these tribes are virtuous. - -Perhaps you will wonder what bearing all this has on What Every Girl -Should Know. I relate it only to show that the savages have recognized -the importance of plain sexual talks to their young for ages, while -civilization is still hiding itself under the black pall of prudery. - -When we speak of puberty it is necessary to have some knowledge of the -organs of reproduction and their structure. So far the physiology taught -in the public schools has not treated of these organs. In order to get -books on this subject a girl is met with the question: “Are you a nurse -or physician?” If not the books are denied her. Consequently the average -girl is kept in ignorance of the function of these organs, and is at a -loss to know where to go for clean information. It is necessary, -therefore, to give this information here, without mincing words, if -there is any benefit to be derived from the following subject. It is -very simple for the girl to learn the correct names of these organs and -call them by such names. They are the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, -vagina and breasts. The breasts were not always classed as reproductive -organs, but later writers recognize their relation to them, and as such -they are now included. - -Let us first take the ovaries, which are two small - -[Illustration: - - FIG. I. - - UTERUS—TUBES AND OVARIES. -] - - To the right the ovary and tube have been laid open. - - a—Uterus. - b—Ovary. - c—Fallopian Tube. - -glands about the size and shape of an almond, placed one on each side of -the extreme lower part of the woman's abdomen. They are imbedded in -large ligaments and tissues which also help to hold the uterus (the -womb) in place. Inside the ovaries are thousands of little eggs called -ovules, which have been there since the birth of the girl. It is claimed -there are from twenty to fifty thousand ovules in the ovary at birth. -The work of the ovary is to develop and mature these eggs, and send them -on to be fertilized. At the time of puberty, these eggs are all in -different stages of development. Those in the center of the ovary ripen -first and burst through the outer cover of the ovary (which is like a -capsule and at the time of menstruation becomes swollen and congested). -The ovule is caught by the fringy ends of the fallopian tubes which are -in a constant lashing motion, which motion sends the egg through the -tube to the uterus. - -The fallopian tubes are about four and one-half inches in length and -join the ovaries to the upper and outer angle of the uterus. Its duties -are to convey the ova from the ovary to the uterus. Sometimes the sperm -cell from the male comes up into the tube to meet the egg and it is -fertilized here. The union of the two cells usually occurs in the outer -end of the fallopian tube; but this is not the nest nature has prepared -for the egg's development, and unless it returns into the uterus it -causes serious trouble and an operation is necessary. Impregnation in -the tube is very rare, but it is possible. - -The uterus, often spoken of as the womb, is a hollow muscular organ into -which the egg comes from the tubes to be fertilized—four to eight days -from ovaries to uterus. After fertilization it remains here, is -nourished and developed until it can develop no more. Then it is thrown -out by the contraction of the muscles, which process we call the birth -of a child. The uterus is about three inches long, its shape is like a -pear with the small end downward. It is not fastened to any of the bony -parts, but is held in place by the ligaments and tissues, which also -allow it to move with different movements of the body. One of the most -interesting features about the uterus which is so small in its cavity is -that it can stretch to accommodate the growing child within it to the -length of nineteen to twenty-one inches. This is because it is one and -one half inches thick and composed of layers of muscles which are tough -and yet elastic. At the upper side of the uterus are the openings into -the fallopian tubes. At the small end of the uterus is another opening -leading into the vagina. It is through this opening the sperm of the -male comes in order to fertilize the egg. Thus you can readily see the -uterus is the nest or cradle where the egg is to live until it becomes -strong enough to subsist on other nourishment. - -The vagina is a muscular tube-like passage which extends from the small -part of the uterus (called the neck) to the outer surface of the body, -where its opening is usually partly closed in virgins by a thin membrane -or film known as the hymen. The walls of the vagina are also very thick -and elastic. This is sometimes called the birth canal. The hymen was for -years a subject for discussion in the professional world among -physicians. In my talks to girls I find it a subject of great interest -and often anxiety to many of them, for the average girl seems possessed -with the old idea that the presence of the hymen is necessary to marital -happiness. The time was not long ago when its absence was considered -cause for serious discord between husband and wife, and I have been told -that under the old law its absence was sufficient ground for divorce. - -Fortunately, modern science has thrown some light on this subject and -disproved the theory that its absence was necessarily due to a woman's -having had sexual relations. There are cases on record of women who have -lived four and five years in prostitution who were found with perfectly -preserved hymen. It is important to know that it differs in size and -shape in women. Also, that in some women it has been entirely absent -since birth. Many little girls and babies have no hymen. It can be -destroyed by accident or injured by operations, or examinations where -the physician did not use the greatest care. In some women it is easily -destroyed; in others it is more difficult. It is not at all uncommon for -a physician to find the hymen unruptured when he comes to deliver the -first born child. All of which goes to prove that neither its presence -nor its absence is necessarily the sign of virginity. - -Now that we have some idea of the situation of the reproductive organs -and their relations to one another we shall be ready to consider in -greater detail the ovule or egg in the ovary. - - - PUBERTY—PART II. - -Beginning with puberty the eggs from the ovary are expelled as they -ripen or mature. This process is called ovulation and occurs about every -twenty-eight days. It is closely related to menstruation, but it is not -menstruation as you will soon learn. Some writers say the egg is -expelled at other times than at the menstrual periods; another writer -asserts that one passes every six hours, alternating male and female. -There are many views and ideas on the subject of ovulation, but I will -tell you of the most generally accepted theory, that the egg is expelled -from the ovary every twenty-eight days. - -When the egg ripens, the ovary discharges it and sends it on to find its -way through the tubes to the uterus. Here we find the blood supply of -the uterus greatly increased in preparation for the egg. We find the -inner lining of the uterus becomes very soft and smooth so that the egg -can very easily find a place in which to lodge itself after it has been -fertilized. We also find that the cells swell and multiply, all in -preparation to welcome and nourish the incoming egg or ovum. If the egg -is fertilized by the male, it then remains in the uterus to develop. If -not, it is thrown out, together with all the preparation made to receive -it. The cells burst and discharge their contents; the mucus, blood, -cells and all come away in what is called the menstrual flow. - -At one time woman was thought to be the only creature which menstruated. -But science now tells us that all warm blooded animals which walk erect -menstruate. The discharge is chiefly due to the position which in -standing upright, throws the large part of the uterus higher than the -neck. In animals, such as dogs, cats, etc., the same process goes on, -but the position of these animals keeps the large part of the uterus -lower than the small part, where the blood is retained and then -reabsorbed into the system. - -This process goes on every four weeks in girls after they reach the age -of puberty and continues at regular periods as long as the egg is not -fertilized until the reproductive age is over, which is usually between -the forty-fifth and fiftieth year. If, however, the egg is fertilized -the menstrual flow ceases and this blood supply goes to nourish the new -life in the uterus. It does not appear again until after the birth of -the child, and usually ceases while the child depends upon the milk from -the mammal glands. - -The age at which this process (menstruation) first takes place in girls -differs in individuals. Climate has some effect upon it, for girls in -warm or Southern climates mature earlier than in colder places. In this -climate the average girl reaches puberty at fourteen years of age. Some -have been known to reach it as early as the eleventh and others not -until the eighteenth year, all in the same place and yet normal and -healthy, which shows there is no reason for anxiety if the girl does not -menstruate at fourteen, provided she is developing normally and is in -good health. During the first few years after its appearances the -periods are likely to be irregular. This is because the sexual organs -are not fully developed. Often the period does not occur after the first -time for three, five, eight months and sometimes a year. This -irregularity continues for two or three years. Cases of girls coming -from Europe have been known where the period was perfectly established -over there, but after arriving in this climate the menstrual flow did -not occur again for a year and over. Usually this irregularity lasts -only a few months, and when once it has become regular, there should be -no worry over its arrival a day or two earlier or later. - -The length of time the period lasts differs in women also. The average -length of time is four or five days, yet there are women in which it -lasts fully a week, and others but a few hours. The length of time -should not be of as much concern as the amount of discharge which is -expelled each time. It is, of course, difficult to estimate this, but -physicians claim that more than three protectives in twenty-four hours -should not be used. In all women the flow is most profuse during the -first two days. - -The care of the health should receive more attention during the first -two days than is usually given it. To the girl who has to work from -early morning until late at night, these two days are unusually hard on -her nerves and on her general health, and I regret that I have no new -message for her to help lighten the burden, which under the present -atrocious industrial system makes it so hard for her. - -Physicians say there should be no need of interrupting the regular -routine of the day at this time more than any other. There are a few -strong women to whom this period makes no difference, but the average -girl in this country spends two days of pain and discomfort. Out of -1,000 girls questioned, only 16 per cent. were entirely free from pain, -which proves that the time has come for women to cease being ashamed of -this function, and insisting upon at least one day's rest at the expense -of her employer. Some of the old biblical ideas instilling into the -man's mind, that a woman is unclean at this time has been the cause of -much hardship and many sneers endured by a woman during these periods. -The consequence has been that she will bear the most intense pain rather -than allow the men working with her to suspect that she is menstruating. -It is all nonsense and wrong, and it is time women should band together -in one great sisterhood to protect one another from being slowly drained -and exhausted of their powers of motherhood for the benefit of their -exploiters. Women who belong to unions should demand that this day be -given them and their sisters. Girls continue to suffer pains in the -abdomen and back, pains running down the limbs, headache, often nausea, -besides being nervous and irritable, yet hang on a strap in an -overcrowded street car, stand or sit all day in the shop or at the -machine and utter no protest. They know, too, they are not alone in this -suffering, for they see about them day after day hundreds of other women -enduring the same pain, yet they remain silent. - -How long will you endure this, working women? - -There is one thing to remember, that the greatest strain comes on the -nervous system at this period. One of the best ways to assist in -building up the nerve strength is in sleep and rest and for the girl who -dares not remain away from the shop fearing to lose her “job” the next -best thing is to get to bed early, for there's nothing that builds up -the exhausted nerves like sleep. - -Fortunately, the girl at school has some consideration shown her at this -time, and it is well that this is so, for until the period becomes -established there is special danger of overdoing in school work, which -often causes St. Vitus dance and other nervous disorders. - -I believe in the regular warm tub bath, or cold sponge followed by a -good rubbing all over the body at this time, together with nine or ten -hours' sleep, and light, nourishing food without stimulant. If the -bowels are active, it often lessens the pain considerably, and it is -very important that every girl attend to this if she has any regard for -her health. There are a few abnormalities of the menstrual function -which I will not take the space to state here. Before leaving the -subject, I wish to impress upon the reader that most abnormalities, such -as too little or too much flow, or very great exhausting pain are -usually caused, not by any disease of the generative organs, but more -often a disturbance of the general health, which can often be treated -and cured by building up the system. - -Every girl should learn the laws of menstruation and its hygiene and -have a full understanding of the same. The menstrual function occurs -only in the female at puberty, but at the same time there comes to both -boys and girls, or male and female, a mysterious and impelling -influence, which has great power over the lives of both during the -adolescent period unless they understand and control it. This is known -as the Sexual Impulse. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - - SEXUAL IMPULSE—PART I. - -The sexual impulse is the strongest force in all living creatures. It is -this that animates the struggle for existence; it is this that attracts -and unites two beings, that they may reproduce their kind; it is this -that inspires man to the highest and noblest thoughts; it is this also -that inspires man to all endeavors and achievements, to all art and -poetry; this impulse is the creative instinct which dominates all living -things and without which life must die. If, then, this force, this -impulse plays so strong a part in our lives, is it not necessary that we -know something about it? - - * * * * * - -At the time of puberty there comes both to boys and girls, two -impulses—one, the desire to touch or caress; to come in contact with, to -write or to speak to, an individual of the opposite sex. This impulse is -much stronger in girls than in boys. The other is the impulse that -impels the individual to discharge the accumulation of ripe sex cells, -and relieve himself of the nervous tension which this accumulation -produces. This impulse is stronger in boys than in girls. One writer -states that this is an unconscious desire for relief from physical -congestion, not differing greatly from the sense of relief which the -emptying of the bladder or rectum produces. - - * * * * * - -These two impulses together, according to Moll, constitute the Sexual -Impulse, and this constitutes the foundation upon which love, the -greatest of all emotions, is based. - - * * * * * - -At the time of puberty, we learned from the last article, that the first -manifestations of sexual maturity in the girl is the appearance of the -menstrual flow. But also at puberty there comes the sexual impulse, -which evidences itself during sleep, in a filmy substance dropping from -the mouth of the uterus. This “detumescence” does not appear very often -in young girls, but later in life when sex instinct becomes stronger it -occurs during sleep, especially in young widows having experienced -sexual relations. They are, however, seldom aware of its taking place; -consequently, it has not the danger which it presents to the boy. - - * * * * * - -In the preceding article on puberty, we discussed only the girl at -puberty, but here it is necessary to understand that during puberty many -changes take place in the boy, such as change of voice, the growth of -hair on the face, various parts of the body, and most important, the -discharge of the sexual fluid commonly known as seminal emissions. This -latter symptom appears in every normal healthy boy on reaching the age -of puberty, but unlike the menstrual period which occurs at a stated -period in girls, the seminal emissions do not depend upon a special -period; they occur at different times, often twice a month. Unlike -menstruation, which in the girl lasts from two to seven days, the -discharge lasts only a few seconds, and is not accompanied by pain. This -expulsion is considered perfectly normal, and is not a sign of physical -or sexual weakness, but a sign that a surplus accumulation of ripe sex -cells are present and have come to their full development and overflow. -Nature takes care of this and uses all of this life-giving fluid -according to the needs of the individual, casting off the surplus. - -It is this symptom that alarms young boys at puberty. It is this -overflow which enables quack doctors to play upon the innocent and -ignorant boy, telling him that it is an indication of weakness. And it -is also this—as the result of telling older boys about it—that leads -boys to houses of prostitution; for they are told by their ignorant -advisers that they must have sexual relations or endanger their sexual -capacity. - -It is also this overflow which, occurring in sleep awakens the boy, and -he is conscious of what has occurred; he is conscious also of a -pleasurable sensation which this sense of relief produces, and unless -warned against it he will try at some later time to bring on this relief -by friction or mechanical means, which is known as masturbation—often -called self-abuse. The age of puberty is one of the periods in an -individual's life in which it is easiest to acquire this habit, in girls -as well as in boys, although the girl may not be conscious of any -sensation, through the accumulation of the “detumescence”. Yet there is -the same nervous tension that exists in boys, due to congestion of the -now fully developed genital organs, perhaps slighter in intensity, but -it is there and the girl becomes conscious of it. - -In talking to older girls about sex, menstruation, etc., she is often -led into the habit of masturbation. Cases have been known where children -formed this habit in infancy almost, through the ignorance of nurses or -even mothers, who, not aware of the consequences, have kept babies from -crying by gently patting or rubbing the sexual parts. It may be caused -also by uncleanliness, itching, tight clothing, etc. - -When the habit is formed in very small children, it can be exercised in -the very presence of the parents, but they being ignorant of the habit -itself, or the consequences, interpret the actions as “baby ways”. -Again, the habit is formed upon entering school. It is said no school is -free from it; and it is a fact that no institution today is free from -pupils who practice masturbation. - -In public schools are found groups of perverted boys and girls whose -depraved ideas sooner or later permeate the place. A recent issue of a -conservative woman's journal says: “In absolute filth of conversation -nothing could equal the talk of boys and girls during recess in our -schools. What is still worse is that the child is generally instructed -in masturbation, prostitution and sometimes sexual perversity.” - -This subject of masturbation is at present under discussion from many -points of view among the medical profession; some claiming, that, as -with venereal diseases, we lay too much stress on the matter, and -exaggerate the harm done to the individual by it. One writer plainly -states that it is of such common practice that out of a hundred young -men and women, ninety-nine are addicted to it, and the hundredth one is -lying. Another says that out of a hundred men and women arriving at the -age of 25, ninety-nine have practiced it at some time. - -By these examples such writers would try to prove that because -ninety-nine people out of one hundred are not in insane asylums the -practice cannot be as harmful as it is stated by others to be. - -Let us take a sane and logical view of this subject. - -In children, before they have reached the age of puberty, prior to the -development of the sexual organs, it stands to reason that to abuse -these organs before they are strong enough to be exercised must weaken -them for their natural functions. Again, masturbation, unlike the sexual -act, can be practiced individually and at all times and nearly anywhere. -This gives the individual unlimited opportunity for indulgence, and -consequently drains and exhausts the system of the vitality necessary -for full development. - -In the boy or girl past puberty we find one of the most dangerous forms -of masturbation, i. e., mental masturbation, which consists of forming -mental pictures, or thinking of obscene or voluptuous pictures. This -form is considered especially harmful to the brain, for the habit -becomes so fixed that it is almost impossible to free the thoughts from -lustful pictures. Every girl should guard against the man who invariably -turns a word or sentence into a lustful, or commonly termed, “smutty” -channel, for nine times out of ten he is a mental masturbator. - -Perhaps the greatest physical danger to the chronic masturbator is the -inability to perform the sexual act naturally. The strong physical -irritants which are used are likely to produce catarrhal disease of -these organs in both sexes, producing such irritating sensations that -relief is demanded, and this can be obtained only by repeating the -habit, and so it continues. The individual promises himself over and -over again after such exercises to overcome the habit, but his will -power gradually becomes destroyed and the impulse continues. He knows -and intuitively feels such practice degrades him and destroys his -character; he feels he is losing control of himself, and also realizes -that his health, especially his nervous system is being undermined. - -In my personal experience as a trained nurse while attending persons -afflicted with various and often revolting diseases, no matter what -their ailments, I never found any one so repulsive as the chronic -masturbator. - -It would not be difficult to fill page upon page of heart-rending -confessions made by young girls, whose lives were blighted by this -pernicious habit, always begun so innocently, for even after they have -ceased the habit, they find themselves incapable of any relief in the -natural act. This causes a nervous and excited condition in the girl, -tossing about nervously for hours after. It is much more difficult for a -girl to overcome the habit than a man. The effects are more permanent in -her. - -Before closing this subject, however, I want to tell of a case of an -eight year old boy I attended during an attack of measles. I found he -was shy and unresponsive, and at times very nervous and irritable with a -strong liking to be alone. I observed him closely for a few days and -reported the results of my observation to the attending physician. He -was convinced of the truth, that the little fellow was masturbating. The -physician assigned me to the task of talking to the child, who -acknowledged that he was “touching” himself and had been ever since he -could remember. The little fellow's mother had died when he was in -infancy, leaving beside himself a brother a year older with whom he -slept. I explained to him the danger as well as I could and the result -was that I was awakened in the night by whisperings and found the little -fellow asking the older brother to tie his hands to the bedpost. This -the older brother did with a handkerchief, and the child went to sleep -in this way every night during the few weeks I was attending him. The -first few nights he was awake practically all of the time struggling to -overcome this habit, which he finally overcame completely. - -At puberty every boy and girl should be taught these dangers and -temptations and also how to avoid them, by keeping active, mentally and -physically, going to bed only when sleepy, avoiding intoxicating drinks -and stimulants. - -We have strayed some distance, I know, from the beginning of our -subject—Sexual Impulse—to treat of its perversion (masturbation), but we -shall now take up the normal natural impulse and see what there is that -every girl should know. - - - SEXUAL IMPULSE—PART II. - -In the first part of this article we learned that the sexual impulse is -a combination of the two impulses: the one which impels the discharge of -ripe sex cells, strongest in the boy, and the other which impels the -individual to touch or caress an individual of the opposite sex, -strongest in the girl. - -Every girl has in mind an ideal man. This ideal begins to form sometime -in the early adolescent age. He is usually distinct in her mind as to -his physical qualities, such as dark or light hair, or brown or blue -eyes. He is always a certain physical type and often remains an ideal to -her through life. At the forming period of the type she will be -attracted toward many men who seem to answer the ideal type, but as she -reads and develops through the various stages of the adolescent period, -the ideal changes and grows with her. As she reaches the romantic stage -the ideal must be brave, daring, courteous. If she is inclined toward -outdoor sports he must be athletic. And so it goes on until the -twenty-third year, when the average girl has a fairly settled idea of -the man who would suit her as a mate through life. - -When the sexual impulse makes itself felt strongly in the adolescent boy -or girl, they, feeling satisfied with the physical beauty and perfection -of the other, marry, they are unconscious that the incentive to love -when based on physical attraction alone is soon destroyed. For sickness, -poverty or disease will affect even the most seemingly perfect physical -attraction. - -Let us not confuse the sexual impulse with love, for it alone is not -love, but merely a necessary quality for the growth of love. - -No sexual attraction or impulse is the foundation of the beautiful -emotion of love. Upon this is built respect, self-control, sympathy, -unity of purpose, many common tastes and desires, building up and up -until this real love unites two individuals as one being, one life. Then -it becomes the strongest and purest emotion of which the human soul is -capable. There is no doubt that the natural aim of the sexual impulse is -the sexual act, yet when the impulse is strongest and followed by the -sexual act without love or any of the relative instincts which go to -make up love, the relations are invariably followed by a feeling of -disgust. Respect for each other and for one's self is a primary -essential to this intimate relation. - -In plant and animal life the reproductive cell of the male is the active -seeker of the passive female cell, imbued with the instinct to chase and -bodily capture the female cell for the purpose of reproduction. - -This instinct man, as he is today, has inherited, and, as with the lower -forms of life, the senses are intensely involved. It is kept alive by -the sense of sight, sound and smell, and reaches its highest development -through the sense of touch. It is heightened by touching smooth and soft -surfaces—which is said to account for the pleasure of kissing. - -In the early part of this article I spoke of the desire to touch being -stronger in girls than in boys. This desire leads a girl to kiss and -fondle a man without any conscious desire for the sexual act; whereas in -the man, to be touched and caressed by the girl for whom he has a sexual -attraction, stimulates the accumulation of sex cells, and the desire for -the sexual act becomes paramount in his mind. Many a young girl bubbling -over with the joy of living, innocent of any serious consequences, is -oft-times misjudged by men on account of these natural actions. But she -soon puts on her armor of defense, and stifles and represses any -outbursts of affection. - -Society, too, condemns the natural expression of woman's emotion, save -under certain prescribed conditions. In consequence of this, women -suppress their natural desires and direct this great force into other -channels, participating in the bigger and broader movements and -activities in which they are active today. - -This is one reason why the type of the so-called “old maid”, so -characteristic of the generation past, has disappeared. These great -maternal powers are being used up in the activities of modern life. -Instead of allowing it to remain dormant and make her odd and whimsical, -the modern woman turns her sexual impulse into a big directing force. - -That the male creature is the pursuer of the female in all forms of -life, there is no question, but that the female has the choice of -selection and uses fine discrimination in her choice, cannot be denied -either. This instinct of selection seems to lie dormant in women of -today, for at puberty nature calls to every girl to make a selection -suitable to her nature. Yet few girls follow this instinct on account of -the specter of economic insecurity which looms up before them. Instead -of asking themselves: “Are we mateable and sympathetic?” they ask: -“Shall we have enough food, clothing and shelter?” - -Indeed, girls, this system increases our degradation, and places us in -ideals lower than the animals. All over the civilized world today girls -are being given and taken in marriage with but one purpose in view: to -be well-supported by the man who takes her. She does not concern herself -with the man's physical condition; his hereditary taints, the -cleanliness of his mind or past life, nor with the future of the race. - -There will no doubt be a great change in woman's attitude on this -subject in the next few years. When women gain their economic freedom -they will cease being playthings and utilities for men, but will assert -themselves and choose the father of their offspring. As Bernard Shaw -tells of her in one of his greatest plays, she will hunt down her ideal -in order to produce the Superman. - - * * * * * - -There seems to be a general tendency on the part of the woman who is -demanding political freedom, to demand sexual freedom also. When a girl -reaches the age nearing thirty her natural development tends toward -sexual freedom. It seems as though nature, knowing the time of -reproduction is drawing to a close, calls with all the fury of her -strength to complete its development and procreate. - -It is at this age where physicians claim a woman awakens to the sexual -desire, and it is at this age that women seek affection, or -gratification with a “lover.” To her there is nothing to say; she is -mature, developed and can judge for herself where best her happiness -lies. - -But to the young girl at the age of say twenty, or even younger, -immature, mentally undeveloped, there is something she should know, and -that is that every physical impulse, every sensual feeling, every -lustful desire will come to her whitewashed with the sacred word “Love”. - -Neither the boy nor the girl knows the difference between the sexual -impulse and love. A boy meets a girl he feels a great attraction for -her, he feels the sexual impulse throbbing within him, he is full of -this life-giving current, he feels it throughout his being; he walks -lighter and straighter, he feels it in his voice, in his laughter; he -grows tenderer within himself, and to women. He feels all this and is -sure it is a love that will never die. If there is an attraction on the -girl's part there is no difficulty in persuading her that this feeling -is love. - -But it is not love; it is the creative force or sexual impulse scattered -through his being and the sexual act brings it to a focus. - -If motherhood comes to the girl through this relation, she has developed -and the experience has enriched her life. But today the girl has an idea -she has escaped the greatest disgrace when she has avoided motherhood. -If the relation was based on physical attraction alone, a few abortions -and the monotony of every day life soon remove this, and the man goes -elsewhere in search of this wonderful sensation which he felt at first, -but did not know how to keep or how to use. - -The girl, however, has become a new being, sexually awakened and -conscious of it, but ignorant of the use of the forces she possesses, -she plunges forth blindly, with social and economic forces against her, -and prostitution beckoning at every turn. So she soon passes with the -crowd on the road to the Easiest Way. This is the story of thousands of -young girls living in prostitution. - -Women should know that the creative instinct does not need to be -expended entirely on the propagation of the race. Though the sex cells -are placed in a part of the anatomy for the essential purpose of easily -expelling them into the female for the purpose of reproduction, there -are other elements in the sexual fluid which are the essence of blood, -nerve, brain and muscle. When redirected into the building and -strengthening of these, we find men or women of the greatest endurance -and greatest magnetic power. A girl can waste her creative powers by -brooding over a love affair to the extent of exhausting her system, with -results not unlike the effects of masturbation and debauchery. - -The sexual impulse is natural. It is natural in animals, degenerates, -and in man. But in man it is mixed with other essentials which, -together, are termed love. These essentials are derived from man's power -of reasoning by which he is known as a higher species and through which -he differs from the animals. - -When man emerged from the jungle and stood upright on his hind legs, the -shape of his head and his face changed from the long jaw and flat head -of the animal to the flat face and high head of the man. All progress -from that time forward was made along mental lines. According to -universal law then in existence he should have been limited to a -geographical area and killed by the extreme heat or cold or starved for -one kind of food if it were not obtained, but against all these he -fought, because he became endowed with such attributes as reason, -knowledge and will-power. Instead of using his creative powers solely in -hunting food and reproducing his species, he used this force in making -plans for his self-preservation. He built rafts and boats to cross -rivers and streams; he devised methods of clothing himself against -extreme heat and cold and discovered various ways of preparing food for -different climates suitable for his various needs. In other words he -conserved his creative force and redirected it into its channels which -have resulted in giving him precedence over all other living creatures. -For man has developed a conscious mind which asserts itself by -reasoning, which in turn has developed his brain power. - -It is said a fish as large as a man has a brain no larger than the -kernel of an almond. In all fish and reptiles where there is no great -brain development, there is also no conscious sexual control. The lower -down in the scale of human development we go the less sexual control we -find. It is said the aboriginal Australian, the lowest known species of -the human family, just a step higher than the chimpanzee in brain -development, has so little sexual control that police authority alone -prevents him from obtaining sexual satisfaction on the streets. -According to one writer, the rapist has just enough brain development to -raise him above the animal, but like the animal, when in heat, knows no -law except nature, which impels him to procreate, whatever the result. -Every normal man and woman has the power to control and direct his -sexual impulse. Men and women who have it in control and constantly use -their brain cells thinking deeply, are never sensual. - -It is well to understand that the natural aim of the sexual impulse is -the sexual act and the natural aim of the sexual act is reproduction, -though it does not always result in this. It is possible for conception -to take place without love, it is even possible that there is no -conscious knowledge to procreate before or during the act, yet this does -not disprove the fact that nature has designed it for the purpose of -reproduction, no matter what uses man has put it to today. This subject -of procreation we shall discuss next. - -Every girl should know that to hold in check the sexual impulse, to -absorb this power into the system until there is a freely conscious -sympathy, a confidence and respect between her and her ideal, that this -will go toward building up the sexual impulse and will make the purest, -strongest and most sacred passion of adult life, compared to which all -other passions pale into insignificance. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - - REPRODUCTION—PART I. - -In teaching children or young persons the process of reproduction one of -the cleanest, most natural and beautiful methods of doing this is to -tell them the process which goes on in the various forms of life in the -flower, fish, frog, bird and to lead up to the highest and most complex -of all living creatures—man. - -They watch the butterfly and bee carry a load of pollen from the father -buttercup to fertilize the seeds within the mother flower. They watch -Mr. and Mrs. Frog awaken from their long winter nap, and stirred by the -life-giving impulse within them, start for the breeding pond. They watch -Father Thrush win his mate and patiently stand guard over her during the -tedious hatching days. They are told and see that the flowers depend -upon outside forces to bring the pollen from the male to the female to -fertilize the seeds before the seeds could grow. They are taught that -the mother fish lay her eggs in the water first and that the father -fish, unlike the flowers, being able to move about, carries the pollen -(which is now a fluid) to the seeds himself. They are told that Father -Frog, being a higher creature, fertilized the eggs before they reached -the water, and Father Thrush being still higher in the scale fertilized -the eggs before they left the mother's body. That the higher the species -was, the greater the care required to preserve that species. - -In this way the mind is prepared for the information which should -follow. - -The girl at puberty should be taught this process and something of what -goes on within the womb after the ovum has been fertilized. She should -know that all organic life is the result of a simple cell; that man is a -community of cells, banded together and depending upon each cell to -carry on its work, for the benefit of the whole. - -Let us first, then, get an idea of a cell and what it is and what it -does. A cell is a tiny portion of living matter having in its center a -spot or nucleus which represents the point of germination; it is -separated from its sister cells by partitions of cell membrane. - -A simple cell is formed by the fusion of two germ cells when they meet -to exchange nuclear elements. After this fusion they are able to proceed -with fission, which means splitting into parts, and it is the subsequent -cellular growth of the fused germ-cell that constitutes reproduction. - -There are two kinds of reproductive cells, the ova in the female and the -spermatozoa in the male. - -When the sexual act takes place, there is deposited into the vagina a -secretion known as semen. According to Sutkowsky, each deposit or -ejaculation contains 50,000,000 of spermatozoa. - -About the same time in the act there occurs in the female, spasmodic -contractions of the muscles of the uterus which draws in a small amount -of the sperm which the male has left there. - -The sperm cell of the male under the microscope shows that it contains -both head and tail. - -The tail enables it to move and advance with a tadpole-like motion -toward the ovum. - -As in the lower forms of life, the male cell has within it the instinct -to chase and capture the female cell. Consequently, it does not depend -upon the uterine contractions of the female to enable it to reach the -ovum for fertilization. The vagina being a corrugated or wrinkled tube, -hides and secretes the sperm cell for days, unless it is removed with -water or killed by poisonous injections. - -When, however, the sperm comes near the ovum it is drawn to it as to a -magnet. - -The ovum being carefully protected by nature within the ovaries, leaves -its sister cells and travels alone. The sperm cell, however, having more -dangerous paths to travel, must provide against the uncertainty of doing -its great work by going in numbers, though it takes but one single cell -to produce human life. - -A number of the male cells go to meet the ovum, but only one enters it. -Almost at the moment the head enters the ovum it becomes completely -absorbed by the ovum and all trace of it is lost. - -This union of the two cells is called fertilization, fecundation, -impregnation, or conception. Any of these terms may be used. This union -usually takes place in the tube, but the fertilized egg does not remain -there; it wanders along and finds its way into the uterus. - -Now that the ovum has been fertilized, it readily becomes attached to -the soft lining of the uterus which has been specially prepared to -receive it. No menstruation occurs. The woman is now pregnant. A new -being is created, and marvelous changes will now take place within the -tiny cell clinging so weakly to the lining of the uterus. At this time -the ovum is so small it can scarcely be seen by the naked eye, but in -two weeks it has grown to the size of a pea; in four weeks to the size -of a walnut, and in eight weeks to the size of a lemon. At this time it -is three inches long and is completely formed, the head being much -larger in proportion to the rest of its body. What has happened to the -ovum in these few weeks is briefly this: All the changes in the -evolution of the animal kingdom, that man had to pass through to arrive -at his present shape, the human embryo goes through step by step within -the uterus in a very short period. Immediately after fertilization the -ovum begins to divide into sections or lobes, into 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc. -cells until they are almost countless. Each cell splits in the middle of -the nucleus, forming two complete new cells and so on. - -The next stage is represented by this mass of cells forming themselves -into a shape like a hollow ball. The third stage is the meeting of the -two layers of cells, as if the ball had collapsed, and these two layers -meet and unite as one, stretch and flatten out like a worm. After this -stage things become more complicated; new organs begin to develop, line -marks for the backbone and intestinal canal show themselves, as do the -bony and muscular structure of the skeleton. - -A slight pulsation is observed, showing the development of the heart. -The head fold is formed by a gradual bending of the spinal column at the -front end of the ovum, which we will now call the embryo. There are also -formed at this time, processes which soon become arms and legs, there is -a furrow on the face, pits for the eyes; all of which has happened in -less than four weeks. - -From this time forward development is rapid; the bones, which up to this -time have been soft matter, grow harder, and all organs which were only -outlined, - -[Illustration: - - FIG. II. - - Foetus in the Uterus at two months' pregnancy. -] - -now become definitely formed. At the end of the fourth month it has -grown to its natural shape. The remaining months it increases in size -and gains strength. The uterus becomes enlarged, rises out of the pelvis -and occupies the abdominal cavity. It takes forty weeks or 280 days to -complete the growth of the human embryo, although the time may be two -weeks more or less and yet be normal. - -Let us see how the child has been fed all this time. When the ovum is -fertilized and up to the eighth week it is fed by delicate branched -threads, which form a covering for it. These threads are called “villi”, -and dip into the uterine surface for nourishment from the mother to -supply the embryo. - -About the eighth week these “villi” have grown greatly intertwined into -a mass of spongy tissue full of blood vessels called the placenta -(afterbirth). This fastens itself to one side of the uterus, takes -oxygen as well as nutriment from the mother and sends it through the -umbilical cord to the child, the point of attachment being at the navel, -the depression left on the belly of the child by the cutting of the -umbilical cord at birth. In the same way it takes the waste product from -the child to the mother, and she, in turn, throws them out of her system -through the kidneys, bowels and skin. The child and placenta are both -encased within a membraneous sac, which secretes and serves to hold a -watery fluid in which the child swims. - -The child is folded together with legs on the thighs and thighs on the -belly, arms on the chest and head bent forward over the breast. Toward -the end of the term it moves about slightly, often stretches a little, -and has periods of rest when it scarcely moves, and again periods of -great activity. A mother first feels the child move in the fourth or -fifth month. Often the young mother at this time begins to worry over -her acts lest something she should do might deform the precious charge -she carries. This, as you can readily understand from its early -development, is impossible, for by the end of the second month the child -has been formed, and no mental impressions of the mother can alter its -shape. Just as the nucleus of the male sperm has within it all the -contributions which the father of the child can give it, until after it -is born, so does the mother give it its physical qualities right at the -beginning. - -Whatever is to be inherited from the father must be within the substance -of the spermatozoon at the time the ovum is fertilized. He has no -further pre-natal influence over it. - -It is interesting to observe that the children of so-called great men -are seldom above the average in intelligence, where, on the other hand, -almost all men of great minds have had intelligent mothers. - -How great or how little influence a mother has over her child through -her thoughts has not been proven, nor has the subject of determining or -influencing sex of the unborn child been settled. - -At the end of nine months the child's development is complete and it is -ready for its journey to the outside world. The process of this journey -is called “labor”—a word which will describe the mother's share in it. -When this occurs before the embryo is able to live outside the uterus it -is known as abortion. - - - REPRODUCTION—PART II. - -In the first part of this essay I said that if the process of labor -occurs before the seventh month (which is the earliest time the foetus -can live for any length of time outside the womb) it is known as -abortion or miscarriage. When labor occurs later than this or within two -weeks before term, it is known as premature labor. - -The average girl in using the word abortion, has in mind a criminal act, -whereby the process of pregnancy is purposely interrupted. She prefers -the word miscarriage. - -There is also a belief among girls that a miscarriage occurring in the -early stages of pregnancy can be brought about without bad results or -any serious consequences to her health. - -It is a mistake to regard an abortion as of slight importance, for any -interruption in the process of pregnancy is always more dangerous than -the natural labor at full term. One writer claims there are more women -ill in consequence of abortion than from full term childbirth, on -account of which there are so many women who are semi-invalids. - -There can be no doubt that the often excessive loss of blood leaves the -woman in a weak and rundown condition, thereby lessening her powers of -resistance to other diseases. - -The shock to the woman's system is greater than that produced by natural -labor, and consequently leaves her in a hysterical and often critically -nervous state for some time after. - -The causes of abortion are many. Among them are overexertion, -overexcitement, shock, fright, fall, great anger, dancing, fatigue, -lifting heavy weights, purgative medicines and excessive sexual -intercourse. - -The dangers resulting from abortion are blood poison, hemorrhage—even -lockjaw has been known to be the result of abortion, also the danger -that one miscarriage is likely to follow another, and disables a woman -to carry a child to the full term. - -If there is the same care and treatment given the woman who aborts as -the woman in childbirth, she will naturally be less likely to suffer -serious results than if no medical attention were given her. - -One of the most common disturbances of pregnancy is nausea, more -commonly called “morning sickness,” because it is felt in the morning -when the woman first assumes the erect position. As a rule, this lasts -only during the early months. - -About the latter part of the fourth month, or often not before the fifth -month, movements of the foetus are felt. These movements are called -“life”, and women are glad of this signal that all is progressing -naturally. One writer said a woman had described the first feeling of -life as “the trembling movements of a bird within the hand.” - -There are often many nervous manifestations accompanying the pregnant -woman, such as headache, neuralgia, toothache and as a usual thing, -constipation is always present, and should receive attention. The teeth -also should receive attention at this time for they decay easily on -account of the secretions in the mouth which are increased during -pregnancy. - -The breasts enlarge in the early months of pregnancy, and there is a -fullness and tingling felt often in the fifth week. The nipples become -erect and the skin around the nipple becomes dark brown. These are only -a few of the disturbances of pregnancy, but enough to show that other -organs beside the uterus are tested in strength and how important it is -to have a good healthy body. In fact, every tissue and fiber in the -woman's body feels the impetus of pregnancy, and all kinds of physical -changes occur. Like in June, “Every clod feels a stir of might, an -instinct within it that reaches and towers.”—Howell. - -One of the common questions asked by young women in early married life -is how to tell if they are pregnant. - -This is not always easy, but there are a few points on which a diagnosis -is based, namely: in a healthy woman (during the reproductive age) the -function of menstruation stops, together with the morning sickness, and -the enlargement of the breasts with dark color around the nipples. These -are early indications that pregnancy exists. I am not going to take the -time nor space to explain that all three of the above named can exist in -nervous women, even when pregnancy does not exist. It is, as I said -before, with the average healthy girl I am dealing, not with the -exception. The only certain signs of pregnancy are the hearing of the -heart-beats of the child and its movements. - -Another question which troubles a young woman is how to count the time -when she will be confined. This, too, is difficult to say, for an error -of two weeks earlier or later is possible, because the time of -conception is seldom definitely known. Experience has given a method of -arriving at an approximate date which is used and which answers the -purpose fairly well, though it is by no means perfect. Add seven days to -the first day of the last menstruation and count nine months forward. -For example: Mrs. A. menstruated last, beginning October 5 add seven -days; this brings the date to October 12; add nine months, which brings -the date of confinement to July 12. It is well to have everything -prepared two weeks before this date so that the woman can be as much as -possible in the open air during the remaining waiting days. - - * * * * * - -The dress of the pregnant woman should receive serious attention. In the -first place, it should be simple and warm, without bands restricting the -circulation of any part of the body, like skirt bands, round garters, -corsets and tight shoes. The secret of a comfortable outfit for the -expectant mother is to have all clothing hang from the shoulders. -Combination underwear can be bought as reasonably as the separate -drawers and shirt. There should be no pressure on the womb from above, -rather let all support come from below. The corset gets in its harmful -work by pressing down the uterus into the pelvis, thus displacing the -abdominal organs and crowding them together in such a way as to cause -injury to the uterus as well as to the child itself. The muscles of the -uterus and abdomen are weakened and from this results that horror of all -women: the “high stomach.” Some women, especially those having borne -children, prefer to wear in the latter days of pregnancy an abdominal -supporter. If it is well fitted to the body it helps to assist the -abdominal muscles in carrying the weight and affords great relief. If -women would devote to making themselves comfortable during pregnancy as -much time as they give on the baby's outfit, they would profit by it. -Instead of wearing any old worn-out dress, ill-fitting and out of style, -make one “maternity” dress to fit the figure. This can, of course, be -let out in size as the figure grows. It can be made of some pretty, -inexpensive material and gives such comfort and ease to the mind as well -as to the body that the woman who has once had one will never again do -without it. - -The food also should be simple. In fact, there are few restrictions to -be placed on food unless so ordered by the physician. One common mistake -of women is that they believe they are eating for two persons, and -consequently, must gorge themselves, which, of course, results in -indigestion. Physicians advise a small amount of meat once a day. Plenty -of water, milk and cereals, fruit, vegetables and especially fruit, -which loosens the bowels. Rich pastry or starches fried in fat should -not be eaten, because they are hard to digest. There is no reason why -the diet should be at all strict unless a woman is under the special -care of a physician. She should take a moderate amount of exercise every -day, but should not get tired. Walking in the open air in the sunlight -is best. Avoid dancing, swimming and all violent exercise; sewing on the -sewing machine should be restricted. Fainting in the early months is -often caused from bad air in overcrowded and overheated rooms, also from -an empty stomach when the woman is too busy to notice nature's call for -nourishment. - -It is now generally agreed that alcohol taken by the mother during -pregnancy, has very bad effects on the offspring. - -There is little more to be said here except that a pregnant woman should -be mentally and physically active, though not fatigued. And of all -things she should keep out of the hearing of old superstitions, which -have a sign for every act and keep a young woman constantly worried. She -should not be allowed to worry over her approaching labor, and as far as -possible be kept cheerful and happy. Another question which concerns -every expectant mother, is, if there is any danger in sexual intercourse -during pregnancy. - -At the end of the period the child and the placenta are expelled from -the uterus. The uterus gradually returns to its former size. It requires -about six weeks for this to occur and it is very important that there -should be no heavy lifting and overwork at this time. As a rule after -childbirth, the woman's form becomes matured and more developed. The -facial expression takes on a kinder, a maternal look, the whole nervous -system is awakened to sympathy, pain or grief bringing tears to the eyes -quicker than ever before. Especially is this true for the first few -years following. - -The important thing is that the care of the pregnant woman should be -begun in girlhood. If we are going to be and have mothers, then we -should give attention to the development of the organs which make us -mothers. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - - SOME CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORANCE AND SILENCE.—PART I. - -When the boy arrives at the age of puberty, he is in greater danger than -a girl of being not only led astray by companions, but being actually -sent into unclean living by those nearest and most interested in his -welfare—HIS PARENTS. - -The reason of this is that there has been and still is a false idea -clinging to many parents that as soon as the boy has seminal emissions, -it is a signal that he must have sexual relations or suffer in health. - -That the seminal emissions are not harmful and that they grow less -frequent as the boy grows older is a fact of which few mothers seem to -be aware. - -We cannot blame the mothers of the past for not informing their sons of -this physical condition, for few of them knew it themselves. Mothers -have been as ignorant as the boys of their sex functions as well as -other functions of the body. - -They accepted sickness, disease, and even death without a question, -placing their faith and confidence entirely in the hands of the medical -profession, who, like the rabbis and high priests, made a church of -their knowledge. - -Fortunately this condition of affairs is changing, and the knowledge of -the human body, which for ages has been most carefully locked within the -medical libraries, is fast taking up its abode in the homes of the -people—where it belongs. - -It is said that in Japan or China, the duty of a physician is to keep -his patients in good health, receiving payment only when they are well. - -Certainly this sounds like civilization. - -Only a few weeks ago I had occasion to talk to a woman about her oldest -son, whom I considered sick from overwork and lack of nourishment. She -informed me, however, that this was not so, and whispered confidently -that he was 16 years old and “in that age when he needs a woman.” She -further remarked that she and “the papa” had talked it over with the -result that the father had told the boy, when he had “the desire for a -woman,” that he, the father, “would give him money enough to get one.” - -Think of that boy's attitude toward women, and the danger to become -affected with venereal diseases that he was likely to contract. Yet both -parents had the sincerest wish to do their best for that boy; they gave -the best advice they knew. - -One of the most common errors I have found among people, even those -educated in other lines of thought, is that the sexual organs will -become useless unless they are used in early manhood. This is considered -untrue by the best authorities on the subject, for it is known that the -essential organs of reproduction are glands, not unlike the tear glands -of the eyes or the milk glands of the breasts. The tear glands do not -atrophy even if one does not cry for years, nor the milk glands during -the entire period of reproduction. The same can be said of the sexual -glands. - -Another idea which is fast being uprooted is that the sexual act is an -appetite, not unlike that of hunger and thirst, which must be fed by the -boy sowing his “wild oats” first before settling down to marriage. It is -now a recognized fact that it is no more necessary for a boy to “sow -wild oats” than it is for a girl, and women are today demanding of men -the same cleanliness of body and mind which men have heretofore -considered necessary only in women. - -It is now the unreserved opinion of the foremost medical men of the day -that a man does not suffer in health from living a continent life, nor -is he a “mollycoddle” from so doing. - -Hutchinson says: “The belief that the exercise of the sex functions is -necessary to the health of the male at any age is a pure delusion, while -before full maturity it is highly injurious.” - -Ruggles says: “Sexual abstinence is compatible with perfect health and -tends to increase virility (which means manhood) through the -reabsorption of the semen.” - -The ancient Teutons were aware of this, for it is said that it was -considered a most shameful thing for their young men to have sexual -relations with a woman before their twenty-sixth year. From observation -and experience they were convinced that men were not sexually mature -much before this age, and no one will dispute they were strong and -manly. - -Statistics show that 65 per cent. of men infected with venereal diseases -(which means diseases due to sexual intercourse) are contracted between -the ages of 15 and 21 years; and 25 per cent. are contracted in the 21st -and 23rd years. - -Writers claim that from statistics they have found men are not sexually -mature before the twenty-fifth year and women not before the twentieth -year. Yet we find them both reeking with sexual diseases before this -age. - -According to Sanger's “History of Prostitution,” it is claimed that -three-eighths of the prostitutes enter the life before the twentieth -year in New York City. It is safe to say this is a conservative -estimate, for the more recent investigations in Chicago and other cities -show a very much higher percentage. However, this, together with the -statistics of venereal diseases mentioned above, show that it is before -the boy and girl are sexually mature that there is the greatest -difficulty in directing the impulses and controlling the passions. - -Chassaignac says that the more healthy and normal an individual is, the -better can he not only control his passions, but the less likely is he -to be disturbed by continence. - -Just one more word on the subject of continence, and that is that it is -not at all unusual to find men determined to remain continent until they -find their ideal woman. Nor for athletes in training engaged in -contests, nor for sailors on long sea voyages, and many others for long -periods of time is continence impossible; in fact, they are better for -it. - -This knowledge was not lost sight of in ancient times. - -Reference is made to it in the Bible, in the sending of women -prostitutes into the camps of the enemy the night before an expected -battle, in order to exhaust or decrease the vitality of the soldiers. - -When one finds an individual who realizes the force of the sexual -impulses and knows how to conserve them, you usually find a person who -does not drain or exhaust these forces, but uses them in creative work. - -Every girl should look upon the man who indulges freely in the sexual -relations =without Social responsibility=, as a prostitute far more -degraded than the unfortunate girl who is compelled to sell her body to -sustain life. - -Every girl should know something about the physical makeup of a boy as -well as of her own, for upon the well-being of both does the future race -depend. To be a real mother a woman must understand a boy's emotions and -development, if she would sympathize with him. And when she does -understand, she will not send him to buy a woman for physical -satisfaction. - -It is this ignorance of parents, together with the silence of the -medical profession, which is largely responsible for the terrible spread -of venereal diseases which exist today. - -When a few years ago Dr. Morrow stated that there is more venereal -diseases among innocent, virtuous wives, than among prostitutes, this -statement should have resounded throughout the walls of every home in -the land, instead of which it is kept intact within the covers of large -volumes, where only those wearing cap and gown have access to it. - -It is claimed that out of 1,000 married men in New York 800 have -gonorrhoea, and 90 per cent. of these have not been cured and can infect -their wives. The result is that at least three out of every five married -women in New York have gonorrhoea. - -This seems astounding and exaggerated, but the following quotation is -taken from an authority and is considered quite conservative: “Over 90 -per cent. of our young men stray from the path of virtue before -marriage; 60 per cent. contract venereal diseases which are difficult to -cure; more wives than prostitutes have venereal diseases; one-eighth of -all diseases in New York hospitals are venereal; 20,000 infected persons -walk the streets daily.” - -It seems to me that the above facts are sufficient to warrant every girl -and boy knowing something about these diseases. - - - SOME CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORANCE AND SILENCE.—PART II. - -The two venereal diseases which I will tell you something of here are -those most commonly known to all—gonorrhoea and syphilis. - -Gonorrhoea is an inflammation of the urethra (water passage) -characterized by redness, swelling, smarting pain on the passing of -water, and accompanied by thick purulent (poisonous) discharge, at first -creamy in color, and later a greenish yellow. It is considered by the -highest authorities as solely a sexual disease in adults, depending -almost exclusively upon sexual intercourse as its mode of origin and -infection. In children, however, it is not the rule, especially in -infants and little girls, who can be infected by the hands of the mother -or nurse being soiled with the discharge, also where the fresh discharge -is on towels, toilets, etc. It starts an inflammation of the outer -delicate parts but seldom enters the urethra. - -In former days gonorrhoea was considered an ordinary catarrhal -inflammation, “no worse than a bad cold,” the old saying went. It was -thought to originate in women with the discharge at the end of the -menstrual period, or leucorrhoea; in fact any secretions from the -uterus, of an irritating character, were thought to be sources of -gonorrhoea. However, with the discovery of the microbe “gonococcus”, in -1879, by Dr. Neisser, it is now an established fact that the disease -comes from a source where there is either latent or chronic gonorrhoea, -which, of course, means that the gonococcus is present. It is considered -a conservative estimate that at least 50 per cent. of the adult -population in this country have suffered from gonococcal infection. More -men than women have been and are infected. - -The first symptoms of the disease appear from three to seven days after -infection, and under proper treatment the discharge may disappear in six -or eight weeks. - -If the man or woman places himself under the care of a specialist within -forty-eight hours after infection, the disease is often of much shorter -duration. When allowed to become chronic, it is called gleet. Too much -emphasis cannot be put upon the danger of placing any one with this -disease into the hands of the doctors who advertise so conspicuously, -claiming rapid and complete cures for all sexual diseases. Experience -has found that thousands of boys and young men, attracted by such -alluring promises as only the quack can put forth, have been under such -treatment, only to find later that the disease was allowed to remain in -the tissues, the discharge only having been dried up. The germs were -allowed to continue their work on up into the bladder, kidneys, joints, -heart and even to the brain. The germs can live for years in the body -hidden away in the gland ducts, the mucous membrane of the organ first -attacked being in a normal state, yet when a condition arises when the -vitality of the tissues in which the germs are lodged is lowered, or -which gives the germs themselves more nourishment or stimulus, such as -alcohol or excessive intercourse, they almost always become active -again. - -In women the small part of the womb (cervix), as well as the urethra, -are favorite places of attack. When the disease attacks the cervix a -woman may not be conscious of it, and so, unless prominent symptoms -attend it, she may infect many persons in the meantime. In man, on the -other hand, the disease cannot be present without his knowing there is -something wrong, and it should be impressed upon him that it is a moral -obligation on his part not to have sexual relations until he has been -examined and pronounced cured by a specialist in genito-urinary -diseases. - -Your general practitioner will always recommend to you a specialist if -you ask him to. When the disease attacks the uterus and ovaries it very -often blocks the fallopian tubes and prevents the impregnation of the -ovum. It is said that over one-third of the childless marriages are due -to gonorrhoea in women, innocently contracted from their husbands. Both -men and women can become sterile from this disease. The seminal tubes in -the man become blocked, thus disabling him from impregnating the ovum. - -Again, when the disease attacks the organs of generation, unless -speedily attended to, the organs get into a chronic state of -inflammation. The disease is, therefore, more difficult to reach, the -chances of cure more difficult, and it usually means an operation for -the woman. - -The great mass of ailing women who trace their misery back to never -seeing a well day since marriage, can be classed among those suffering -with this disease, as can also that army of women whose illness is -classed among “female disorders.” - -A curious point to know is that a man may have a hidden or latent -gonorrhoea, of which he is not aware, for it gives him no trouble, and -may infect a clean, healthy woman during sexual relations, and she in -turn, can infect him with the same disease, acting like a fresh -infection, giving rise to pain and discomfort. The great majority of -infections in women are contracted from men who believe themselves -cured, being under the false impression that they are cured because the -discharge has ceased. - -At a lecture given by a well-known physician in this city last winter, -the physician advised every girl whose sweetheart, lover or expected -husband had a history of inflammatory rheumatism of the joints, back of -him, that as she values her life and future health, not to marry that -man without a thorough examination by a specialist in these diseases. He -declared: =No young man should have inflammatory rheumatism=. This -statement is considered somewhat exaggerated by some making more recent -investigations, yet all seem to agree that a very large majority of -cases of inflammatory rheumatism of the joints have the gonococcus -present. - -If the woman is not made sterile by the disease and is able to carry the -child to full term labor, then there is another danger of infecting the -child's eyes during the process of labor, when the secretions lodge -themselves into the delicate membrane of the eyes. Then, unless quick -action is applied, the sight of both eyes can be lost. Over 80 per cent. -of blindness in babies is due to this germ. It can be carried into the -eyes of both children and adults by any means which can carry the -discharge to the eyes. Upon the slightest suspicion that this has been -done, medical aid should be summoned at once. - -There is one fortunate thing to know, that the germ cannot live for a -great length of time outside its natural or proper environment, though -it can for years be hidden in the body. It dries up very quickly, and -special solutions of both bichloride and permanganate of potash will -kill the germs with which the solution comes in contact. There is but -one course to follow, that upon any of the symptoms mentioned above, go -at once to a reliable physician and follow his instructions closely. And -remember that the causes which retard recovery are alcoholic drinks, -lack of rest, spicy food and =sexual excitement=. It is said there is no -positive proof against this disease, except continency until marriage -and then monogamy. - -A story is told of a young Irish physician, who, being asked how he -treated gonorrhoea, replied most tersely, “with contimpt.” That this was -for a time a general feeling is agreed, but with the knowledge that so -many persons, especially women, contract the disease, under the moral, -as well as legal, conditions of present society, the feeling has -changed. A woman is infected by her husband after the marriage is -sanctioned by the state and blessed by the church, neither taking the -interest in the woman's future to guarantee to her a clean individual as -a husband. Prostitution has been upheld and women segregated for man's -sexual use, the government going to the extent of authorizing -examinations of the women for venereal diseases to insure =man's= safety -from these diseases. Yet there has been no such protection given either -the woman prostitute or the wife that the man's body is free from them. -On the other hand, every means to keep a married woman in ignorance of -the source of her infection is made by the church, state and society in -general. Every law to protect the man's crime is made for his use, while -women remain unprotected victims of his guilt. And this, they say, is -“to protect the family and the home.” - -Dr. James S. Wood tells a story of his experience With a young woman of -25, married five years, when she came to him. The husband admitted -having had gonorrhoea previous to marriage. The doctor found her flowing -excessively, the cervix badly torn, the uterus sharply bent back and -fixed, ovaries bound down and adherent, the tubes thickened; a -leuchorreal discharge was present which contained gonococci, and other -symptoms which made her sick and miserable. The doctor operated upon -her, scraping her womb, sewing the torn cervix, opening the abdomen to -remove the thickened appendix and inflamed ovaries and tubes. She -convalesced beautifully, and had no bad or unusual symptoms for six -months, at which time she returned with a renewed infection. Careful -questioning extracted from the husband the confession that he had been -“out with the boys,” and had had a recurrence of gonorrhoea. Most of the -good which came from the operation was spoiled by this second infection. - -This is only one simple example of what is meant by preserving the home -and family at the terrible cost of women's lives. Women should protest -against the so-called medical secret which decrees that they be kept in -ignorance where their health, as well as life, is directly concerned. -That there are men in the medical profession in this country, as well as -in Europe, who have openly protested against respecting the secret where -another life is involved, seems a cheerful signal of a general social -awakening in this field. - -In the Medical Record, April 20, 1912, Maude Glasgow says: “After -suffering for years a woman becomes a feeble, worn-out, nervous woman; -her life is a burden The operating table is her only hope, and she -leaves it deformed, mutilated and sexless.” - -If women voluntarily exposed themselves to diseases which would sap the -husband's vitality, making him a dependent invalid, or expose him to the -shock of a mutilating operation, or death—would men continue to suffer? -Would they allow the medical secret to protect women in this alleged -“freedom”? Every girl knows he would neither protect her nor continue to -suffer. It is women only who have allowed the double standard of morals -to stand so long, giving men the purest and best of their womanhood, but -not demanding the same from them. As soon as women realize the danger to -themselves and their children which they are likely to incur from men -who have lived promiscuously, they will revolt against such standards. - -Gonorrhoea differs from syphilis, and though it is not a disease which -can be transmitted from the parent to children, as syphilis can, yet it -is a subtle, wrecking disease and can do almost as much harm to the -individual. - - WHAT EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW - -[Illustration: NOTHING!] - - BY ORDER OF THE - - POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT - - FEB. 9, 1913. - - [From New York Call, after temporary suppression of article, “What - Every Girl Should Know,” by the postal authorities.] - - [The particular part of the article objected to by the postal - authorities]. - - - SOME CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORANCE AND SILENCE.—PART III. - -Prominent medical authorities claim that syphilis was not known in -Europe before the discovery of America. Others equally as prominent hold -that it has existed for many centuries in Europe, but was confused with -other diseases such as leprosy. It makes little difference to the girl -or boy today just how long or where it came from; the point we do know -is that it is here in our homes and workshops, and we should know what -it is like and how to avoid it. - -A story is told of a French nobleman whose son was about to leave his -home to live in a big city. Said the father to the son: “If you are not -afraid of God, fear at least syphilis.” This advice might be applied -today, for if boys or girls knew, or could see the appalling results of -syphilis, they would surely fear it, for it is humanity's most deadly -foe. - -Syphilis is an infectious disease, caused by a special microbe which is -acquired by contagion or heredity. - -It is chronic in course, varied and intermittent in character, and the -length of time it remains in the body is indefinite. - -It is so widespread that no country in the world is free from it, -neither is any organ of the body exempt from its ravages. - -Let us take a young man indulging in promiscuous sexual intercourse, who -cohabits with a syphilitic woman. He notices nothing wrong for about -five weeks, when he becomes aware of a pimple on the sexual organs, to -which perhaps he pays little attention. This grows and becomes hard at -the base and is ulcerated on the top. - -About ten days after the appearance of the ulcer (or chancre) the boy -notices that the glands of the groins begin to swell, but as there is -little or no pain attached he still pays no attention to all this. - -After three, or sometimes four weeks the ulcerated opening heals, but -leaves the hard lump under the skin. In two or even three months after -the time of infection the first general symptoms appear. His bones ache, -he is mentally depressed, slightly feverish at night, and a rash appears -upon his body and sore spots in the mouth; and throat. These symptoms -usually decide him to consult a doctor, who finds him in the second -stage of syphilis. This condition lasts usually about two and one-half -years, the rash often lasting a short period, and leaving, but to return -again. - -The blood within and the ulcers on the body contain the poisons of the -disease, and for three or four years the poison =can be transmitted= by -contagion, or by heredity. - -The third stage is the most destructive, especially to the nervous -system, for this disease is recognized as the greatest factor in organic -disturbances of the nervous system. - -It not rarely is the cause of cerebral and spinal meningitis, paralysis -of the legs, paralysis of one side of the body, and that most helpless -and terrible disease, softening of the brain and many other diseases -which affect the spinal cord, which are seldom ever cured. The majority -of those diseased are left with physical or mental infirmities, -rendering them public charges. - -There have been cases where the third stage did not develop, and as this -stage is not distinctly separated from the second stage by a definite -line, it may not take place for months, or even years after the first -sore appeared. Again, this stage has been averted by careful treatment -in the early stages, and it is here the hope of all afflicted lies. - -Every case of syphilis begins with the characteristic pimple or chancre, -except inherited syphilis. The chancre always appears where the -infection enters, and the glands swell in the same vicinity. For -instance, if in using a pipe of a syphilitic, whose mouth contains the -sore patches, the victim finds the chancre will appear on his lips, -mouth or throat, and the glands of the neck will swell. - -It is said that almost 10 per cent. of the infections are contracted -innocently, especially in European countries, where kissing and other -forms of endearment are much indulged in. In this country it is not so -common, but more women than men contract it innocently and in this -manner. - -In women, too, the first symptoms are not so characteristic as in men. -She may pay no attention to the chancre for a month, even if she does -feel aches in the bones, she thinks she is run down, or thinks she has -malaria; even the rash does not alarm her, and often only repeated -miscarriages will be the only symptoms she can remember of the early -stages. She may continue for years before the disease reaches the third -stage. This is not always so, for in every individual the disease -differs in character and duration. - -Gonorrhoea and syphilis differ in many ways. For instance, the former -shows itself in a week or ten days after infection, where syphilis shows -no signs for five or six weeks. - -Gonorrhoea is considered a purely sexual disease, because infection -takes place only in sexual relations (except where the germ gets into -the eyes), while syphilis can be contracted in many other ways, through -forks, spoons, glasses or cups, towels, sponges, bathtubs, toilets, -pipes, dental and barbers' instruments, and kissing. - -Gonorrhoea is considered a social danger because of its effect upon the -sexual organs, often rendering them sterile. Syphilis is also a social -danger, but it has direct effect upon the offspring, and upon future -generations because its effects are visited upon the child. - -Sixty to eighty per cent. of the syphilitic offspring die at birth or in -early infancy. Someone has well said, “The greatest criminal is he who -poisons the germ cells.” - -In hereditary syphilis there is more difficulty in gathering facts, for -the laws which control it are not so well understood, as yet. - -There is no sore or chancre in hereditary syphilis, but other symptoms -appear which every physician recognizes and of course attends to at -birth. - -Under proper treatment the danger of the father transmitting the disease -to the child should cease in from two to five years, while the danger of -the mother transmitting it to her offspring does not end at any definite -time, for there have been mothers known to give birth to syphilitic -offspring years after all disappearance of their own symptoms. - -The strongest features of the disease transmitted to the offspring are -the deformities which it imparts to the bones of the head as well as of -the body. - -It is said on good authority that if a patient, at the end of five -years, has been two years without symptoms or treatment, he may be -guaranteed for marriage. Though he can never be wholly guaranteed from -relapses in his own person. These, however, are considered -noninfectious. - -The cure of the disease depends upon the individual's environment, -constitution and his habits, chiefly as regards alcohol and tobacco. - -Alcohol is considered the commonest and most active enemy of the -patient's recovery. Men addicted to the use of alcohol are the most -difficult to cure. - -There seems to be no doubt that if the disease receives the proper -treatment there is every hope for the individual to live a normal life. -Fouriner, a French authority, says: - -“Personally I could cite several hundred observations concerning -syphilitic subjects who, after undergoing thorough treatment, have -married and became fathers of healthy, good-looking children.” The -question, then, to receive some attention is what means are available -for the treatment of both syphilis and gonorrhoea. - -Dr. Prince A. Morrow says: “Prompt curative treatment is not only in the -interests of the patients themselves, but especially in the interests of -the others they might infect. But everywhere we are confronted with this -situation: There are no special hospitals for this class of diseases; -few general hospitals receive them in the early, curable stage; still -fewer have special venereal wards; even the dispensary services are not -organized with special adaption to the needs of venereal cases; few have -night classes, so that working people who go to the dispensary must lose -half a day, which often means the sacrifice of their employment. As a -consequence they resort to quacks or the use of nostrums (secret or -quack medicines). They are not cured, but go on spreading the seeds of -contagion.” - -This is the condition as far as hospitals are concerned in the matter of -venereal diseases. And in relation to private practice the average -person's position is still more deplorable. Take, for example, the story -of a girl who came under my care some years ago, after having suffered -three years with the disease. She had been refused attendance in public -hospitals in three different cities while she was working her way to New -York. At different times she consulted physicians, only to learn that to -be cured she must be treated regularly, and to be so treated would -require money. Different estimates were quoted from $150 to $500 for -treatment. As the amount of money left over after she had paid her -expenses each week was never over $2, the possibility of a cure looked -hopeless. She concluded to purchase patent medicines whenever she could, -but her condition became worse, until she was picked up by a charitable -organization, who cared for her until she died. When I saw her all her -hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were gone, her nose and upper lip were -almost entirely eaten away, most of her teeth were gone—in fact, to try -to describe her condition would be almost impossible. - -This is only one case, but there are thousands of syphilitics who are -wandering around unable to pay the prices which the physician asks to -treat this disease. The same can be said of gonorrhoea, and the same -physician who clamors against the prices of the so-called quack, forgets -that the price he asks of the public is exorbitant in the extreme. So -the only course for the individual to take, if he cannot pay the price, -is to remain a menace to society. The physician assumes no -responsibility toward society to find out if the patient is under -treatment elsewhere; the patient can do as he pleases with his disease -when he closes the doctor's door. This, then is the situation as regards -society's attitude toward the venereal subject: Society seems to take a -different attitude towards other contagious and infectious diseases, -such as measles, chicken pox, diphtheria, etc. In these diseases, a -physician has some responsibility toward society; he must report each -case as it comes to his attention, to the Board of Health, who in turn -assume some responsibility by isolating the disease. - -If this is necessary in these comparatively simple diseases, how much -more important should it be to register and isolate patients suffering -from the venereal diseases. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - MENOPAUSE OR CHANGE OF LIFE - - -In the previous chapter on Puberty, it was stated that the menstrual -function began in the average girl at fifteen years of age and continued -until the forty-fifth or fiftieth year. - -At this later age it ceases, together with her sexual or child-bearing -capabilities and is known as the Menopause or Change of Life. - -This constitutes a period from the beginning of irregularities in the -appearance of the menstrual flow, until it has actually ceased, which -period usually lasts two and one-half to three years. - -Thousands of women know nothing of the period which, like puberty, they -must pass through, but are entirely ignorant of the process. - -It is usual for them to look toward this age with dread and foreboding; -where a little knowledge of the nature of the process would enable them -to enter upon this period physically prepared, which would insure their -safe arrival through this dreaded and much-feared period. - -The greatest change occurring in the woman at this time is that which -goes on in the ovaries. They cease to do their work and ovulation stops. - -The first indication that the woman has, that this is likely to occur, -is by the ceasing of the menses or monthlies. - -Ovulation, however, very often continues for several months, even a year -after menstruation has entirely ceased. - -The glandular tissues of the uterus, tubes and ovaries degenerate, which -is said to account for the Menopause, and that of the ovaries occurs -later than the tubes and uterus, which explains the continuance of -ovulation after the menses have stopped. - -In a few women the Menopause is accompanied by very little or almost no -discomfort at all, just a sudden stopping of the monthlies announces to -them that this period has come. - -The majority, however, do not pass through this time so easily, but -suffer for the entire period with one affliction or another. - -Among those symptoms most common are flushings or flashes, which are -mostly confined to head, face and neck, are increased by heat and motion -and followed by profuse sweating, giddiness, backache, headache, -sleeplessness, disturbances of digestion like diarrhoea or constipation, -blueness, depression of spirits, shortness of breath, palpitation and -nervous irritability. - -But the most alarming symptom of the Menopause is hemorrhage. This is -too often considered lightly and classed with the minor symptoms of this -period. - -Whenever there is excessive bleeding, there is surely a cause and calls -for special and immediate attention. It may be caused by an inflamed -condition of the lining of the uterus (womb), ulceration, general -diseases of the heart, lungs and kidneys can also be the cause of -excessive bleeding at this period. Some authorities claim that it also -has its cause in early or profuse menstruation, too frequent and -difficult labors, abortions and alcoholic drinking, but the most common -cause of hemmorhage at this time is cancer. It is a fact that cancer in -women, from the age of 40 to 50 is more common that at any other age. - -Perhaps it is not generally known that cancer is now known to begin as a -local disease, and if taken in time it can be removed so completely that -a radical cure follows. No wonder then, that hemmorhage should be an -alarming symptom, for if care is not taken and the dreaded disease, -cancer, is allowed to take root, the results are too generally known to -dwell upon. At the first signs of hemorrhages or excessive flow, a woman -should place herself under the care of a gynecologist (specialist in the -diseases of woman), just as a pregnant woman is under the care of a -physician until she is entirely free from the dangers of childbirth. - -Women have heretofore looked to this period with dread, on account of -the consequences which neglect has caused. It need not be dreaded for -assuring word comes from prominent physicians who have made this special -period a study, that the natural symptoms of the Menopause do not -portend loss of life, reason or health. It is a period as natural to the -woman as menstruation and with little care, these symptoms or ailments -will cease in a few years, leaving the woman to enjoy years of good -health. - -When the period is delayed beyond the fiftieth year, it calls for the -same attention as excessive flow. These are two important signs of -disease, and should receive immediate care. The period is, however, -often brought about at an earlier age than is normal, by mental or -physical shock, illness, operations, etc. - -The age at which it occurs often differs with climate, race and -according to Kisch, social relations, who claims, that the sexual -function is “generally abolished earlier in the laboring classes, who -are compelled to work hard and have many cares,” and further states that -a vigorous vitality causes prolongation of the menstrual process. - -In the average woman it does not cease at once, but has two or three -periods of cessation, returns again for an irregular period and -continues in this irregularity for the entire time of two and one-half -to three years. It is important to know that the changes which are going -on in the organs of the woman are exactly opposite from those which -occur at puberty. - -At puberty the organs are increasing with life, vigor, and vitality, -while at the Menopause they are receding or going backward. - -The generative organs gradually but surely shrink or atrophy after -menstruation stops. The uterus becomes small. The vagina, whose walls -were formerly corrugated or wrinkled, now become smooth. The orifice or -opening of the vagina, becomes shrunken, unless it has been previously -enlarged by child-bearing. The whole process tends to show that the -child-bearing period is at an end, which in fact has caused much mental -anxiety and disturbance among women to the extent of melancholy and -insanity. - -It seems a very small things to give to every woman, going through this -disagreeable period of life—a complete change of climate and rest, until -the change has become established. Certainly she has served society to -the best of her knowledge, often “entering into the valley of the shadow -of death”; many times fearlessly, to give the best of herself to the -race. It is a small thing to give in return. - -Tilt believes that unmarried women suffer less at this period than -married women, and says: “As at puberty, from the ignorance in which it -is still thought right to leave young women, so at the change of life, -women often suffer from ignorance of what may occur, or from exaggerated -notions of the perils which await them.” - -All that is needed is to keep guard on one's self—watch the diet and -bowels. A light vegetable diet seems best at this time unless very -actively engaged in physical exercise, then meat once a day. Keep free -from foods difficult to digest, cheese, fried foods, hot bread, etc., -drink plenty of water and eat fruit to keep the bowels open; slight -exercise in the open air, rest, sleep and freedom from mental anxiety -are the simple rules which are generally prescribed for women at this -time. - -Tilt says: “The best way to avoid the danger of this critical time is to -meet its approach with a healthy constitution.” And again says, “All -complaints remain chronic because there is not stamina enough to carry -them through their stages.” - -It is the opinion of the foremost medical men that if women at the first -sign of irregularities, consult a gynecologist, it would be the means of -saving thousands of lives every year, and would prepare women to enter -upon the post-climatic period in health and happiness. - - - - - CONCLUSION - - -In conclusion I cannot refrain from saying that women must come to -recognize there is some function of womanhood other than being a -child-bearing machine. Too long have they allowed themselves to become -this, bowing to the yoke of motherhood from puberty to the grave. No -other thought has entered the mind except to be a good mother—which has -usually meant a slave-mother. This has been her only use, her only wish -and hope—and when the age arrives where she cannot perform this function -longer, she considers herself useless. No wonder she becomes melancholic -or even insane. - -Fortunately the woman of today is gradually ridding herself of such -archaic notions. More and more is she realizing that motherhood is only -one of her capabilities; that there are certain individuals more fitted -for motherhood than others, just as individuals are better fitted for -nursing, teaching, etc. - -And further must she realize that though she is past the age of -motherhood, yet she is still a woman with all the instincts and -experiences which motherhood has bestowed upon her, and she can now -begin a new development, based upon these valuable experiences, she can -now enter into public life unhampered by the details of kitchen and -babies, for as she completes her work and passes on, others come in to -take her place. - -Being free from domestic and maternal cares enables her to give to -society the benefit of her matured thought, seasoned and enriched by -these experiences. - -She often does enjoy the best health of her life after the Menopause and -this, together with a vista of a future of usefulness, should open to -the woman in the post-climateric period, a new life—a new world. - -In completing this series of articles I cannot refrain from uttering -just a word about the relation of the entire subject I have been -discussing to the economic problem. It is impossible to separate the -ignorance of parents, prostitution, venereal diseases, or the silence of -the medical profession from the great economic question that the world -is facing today. It is here ever before us, and the more we look into -the so-called evils of the day the more we realize that the whole -structure of the present day society is built upon a rotten and decaying -foundation. Until capitalism is swept away, there is no hope for young -girls to live a beautiful life during their girlhood. There is no hope -for boys or girls to build up strong and sturdy bodies. There is no hope -that a woman can live in the family relation and have children without -sacrificing every vestige of individual development. There is no hope -that prostitution will cease, as long as there is hunger. There is no -hope for a strong race as long as venereal diseases exist. And they will -exist until women rise in one big sisterhood to fight this capitalist -society which compels a woman to serve as a sex implement for man's use. - -Education is necessary—education is the need of the people. For this -will soon enable one to see that knowledge alone does not suffice, but -that it is only through economic security that the man and the woman -will emerge in a future civilization. - - (The end.) - - - - - READ THE - SUNDAY - CALL - - -The only English Sunday paper devoted exclusively to the cause of -Socialism. - -The magazine section is of invaluable service to all who desire to be -well informed with the progress of the Socialist and Labor movement all -over the world. - - 5 Cents Per Copy - - On Sale at the principal Newsdealers. - - _Subscribe for the_ - - SUNDAY CALL - - One Year $2.00 - Six Months 1.00 - Three Months .50 - One Month .20 - -Write for a sample copy, which will be sent free upon request. - - The New York Call - - 444 PEARL STREET, New York City. - - - - - SENTINEL PRINTING CO. - - PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS - - - SOCIALIST NEWSPAPERS - - ON - - THE CO-OPERATIVE PLAN - - - EACH LOCAL CAN HAVE ITS OWN PUBLICATION AT SMALL EXPENSE - -and give the public news weekly that the capitalist papers suppress or -distort—an invaluable aid in advancing the cause of Socialism and -establishing the Co-operative Commonwealth. - - NO STOCK SUBSCRIPTION CONCERN. - -Only a few dollars needed to start a paper in your town. - -Write for particulars. - - READY PRINTS - -Two and four-page Ready Prints, six columns to the page. 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