diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/66565-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66565-0.txt | 1206 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1206 deletions
diff --git a/old/66565-0.txt b/old/66565-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 68d63cb..0000000 --- a/old/66565-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1206 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Child Life and Sex Hygiene, by -Otterbein O. Smith - -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 -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Child Life and Sex Hygiene - A Remarkable Message - -Author: Otterbein O. Smith - -Release Date: October 18, 2021 [eBook #66565] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from - images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILD LIFE AND SEX -HYGIENE *** - - - - - - CHILD LIFE - AND SEX HYGIENE - - A Remarkable Message - - By - OTTERBEIN O. SMITH, D. D. - - Lecturer on Modern Psychics - and Active Pastor - - - Published by request of a section of the Women’s Club of - Pierre, So. Dak., before whom the address - was originally given - - - - - COPYRIGHTED 1912 - - By Otterbein O. Smith - - - - - TO MY MOTHER - - _Who, Through the Upfloodings of a Pure Mother - Heart, Kissed Nobleness and Courage Into - the Heart of Her Boy, This - Book Is Dedicated._ - - - - - PRESS OF - THE MONARCH PRINTING CO. - COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA - - - - - A FOREWORD - - -Sending this little book out into the world is like sending out one of -my children, for as they came from my heart, so has it. My heart has -ached for my children as it has been necessary for them to go out and -meet the buffetings of an unsympathetic world and so aches it for this -little fledgling. But still I have a hope that the world will not be -wholly unkind to it and that it will find its place and accomplish that -which has been hoped for it, in helping human lives and adding to the -sum of purity in the world. - -This little message grew out of an address made before a section of the -Women’s Club of the city and their request to have it published. I have -not changed the literary style from that of public address, thinking -that perhaps it would be more effective in that form. - -You will doubtless find some striking and unusual statements in this -message, but all I ask is that you will give it careful thought and -that you will remember that these statements have been made after -twenty years of careful study of the mysteries of life and that they -are backed up by the best of physical and psychic facts. I have -not dared to go into detailed explanation for want of space and so -may bring down on my head storms that I might easily dissipate if I -were but in touch with the storm maker. But let the storms come if -they must, I will rejoice amidst them all if only I can awaken the -parenthood of this land to the dangers to which their children are -exposed. - - Yours for purity, - - OTTERBEIN OSCAR SMITH. - - - - - Child Life and Sex Hygiene - - - SEX HYGIENE - -This word hygiene has its root in the word Hygeia. Hygeia was the -daughter of one of the gods of the Classic Mythology, and was the -goddess of health. Sex hygiene is then, sex health, or sex normality. - -Is there special danger of abnormal conditions or disease in the sex -life of children and young people? We must answer this question before -we can determine whether our time is well spent in the study which -shall follow. - -To determine this we must make a brief study of the unfolding human -life and note some of its component parts and their relative relations -and values in the organism. - -We can best do this by a study of the accompanying chart. The lower -line of the triangle represents the body, or physical life; the left -side the feelings; the right side the intellect. If body, feelings and -intellect were equal in any human being, then, we would have a perfect -triangle, or a normal human life. But this is not true in any child or -young person. This diagram illustrates the relative relations of these -three elements of being as the child advances toward mature life. - -[Illustration: Note――For want of space the triangle is reduced from -original drawing.] - -The early years of a child’s life is almost purely physical and the -physical plays a large part in the life of the girl or boy till they -are well advanced in their ’teens, as you will see by a study of this -figure. - -Each side of this triangle is three inches long. The lines that run -across the triangle represent feeling at the various stages of the -child’s life. You can see that in the early years the feelings and the -physical are very close together and are the dominating impulses of the -life. - -The reader should bear in mind that the word feeling is not here used -in the restricted sense of referring to physical feelings only, but to -all the feelings which surge through the being from whatever source. -We should not lose sight of the fact, however, that, because of the -important part that is played in the organism during the teens by the -impulses from a given nerve center, all feelings will be colored more -or less by the outfloodings of that nerve center. As we have suggested, -the child till well advanced in years is largely a creature of feeling, -and what mind it has is what may be called a picture mind, or a mind -for seeing things. How easy it will be for all the feelings of the -being to become inoculated with impurity and place before this picture -mind of the child such distorted views of life as will vitiate the -entire organism! How important it is that a higher intelligence, that -is the father and mother, create pure, noble and beautiful pictures and -place them before this picture, or seeing mind, of the child. - - - A CHILD’S LIFE EXPRESSED IN FIGURES - -Expressing the life of a child in figures, what do we find? As you -will see, the baby has three inches of physical, three inches of -feeling and but one-fourth of an inch of intellect. _This makes six -inches of physical and feeling pitted against one-fourth of an inch -of intellect._ The child of six years has six inches of physical and -feeling and one-half an inch of intellect. The child of fourteen has -six inches of physical and feeling and but one inch of intellect. _Even -at eighteen the proportion is six inches of physical and feeling and -but two inches of intellect._ How striking these proportions are when -we put them in inches. - -I would not, however, have you think you can literally measure a child -in yards and inches or that they will all measure the same, for no two -children develope alike, but in a general way this scale holds good. -While you will find some children developing the intellect much more -rapidly than others, and more rapidly than is suggested here, still you -will find on the whole that this scale of relative proportions is not -far out of the way for the average child. - -I WOULD HAVE YOU STOP FOR A MOMENT AND GET THIS DIAGRAM AND RELATIVE -PROPORTIONS WELL FIXED IN YOUR MINDS. - -Think what these proportions mean and to what constant danger this -child is exposed in developing sex abnormality if not disease. If an -abnormal sex condition obtains it will surely sooner or later lead to -disease. We may therefore conclude that our study is worth while and of -priceless value to all young life. - -The thoughtful study of this diagram convinces us beyond a peradventure -that _there is vast danger of harmful and perhaps dangerous sex -conditions obtaining without careful and intelligent guiding in the -early life of the child_. - - - SIX TO ONE - -Even at fourteen years of age the proportion of feeling and physical to -intellect is as six to one. Where have you ever heard of a general who -went out to fight a war with ten thousand men when his enemy had sixty -thousand? He might make a momentary dash with such a force, but in the -end he would be overcome. Still we allow our children to grow up with -these odds against them and we seem to be entirely thoughtless as to -the danger they are in. - - - THE MELTING POWER OF THOUGHT - -Are you asking, why the human organism was not so constructed that the -intellect would always be the dominant factor in the life? Had this -been done there would be no possibility of the organism ever coming to -perfection, for the impulses that are sent out from the inner life of -man through the brain at the upper end of the spine are so powerful and -so finely attenuated that they would entirely destroy the physical body -before it has time to become strong and tense and able to carry them. -_If the intellectual impulses of a grown man or woman were sent through -the life of a child the body would be melted just as the fine wire is -by a heavy voltage of electricity._ - -God was wise in creating this sex nerve center, or physical brain, by -which the organism builds and paints in glorious beauty and charming -grace the wonderful machine, the human body, and makes it strong and -tense so that when the work is complete the ego or spirit of man will -have a perfect instrument through which to manifest itself to the world -and perform its mission and live its life in highest nobleness upon the -earth. Because of these facts _God has wisely wrapped the intellectual -faculties of the child within its life, as he does the rose-buds in -the rose-bush, that when the body work is completed, that crown of all -His creation, the self conscious life of man, may manifest itself in -all its glory through a perfect instrument and that instrument remain -strong and proficient through the years_. - -We may add this further suggestion to make our point clear. In our -statement of the slow growth of the intellect as compared to the other -two elements of being, we are dealing with the reasoning faculties and -not with memory, which is quite another element and is not dangerous to -the physical development, and may show a marked unfoldment at quite an -early age. - - - IMPULSE AND VIBRATION - -Having got these relative proportions well in our minds we may for a -brief time give our attention to an important scientific fact which is -necessary to our study. Our lives are entirely controlled by impulses -which originate in various parts of our personalities. Sometimes the -impulse comes from our bodies; again the feelings are in control, and -at times the memory asserts itself. Then again the intellect is the -dominating factor. OF THIS WE MAY BE SURE, FROM WHATEVER ELEMENT OF -BEING COMES THE STRONGEST IMPULSE, THERE FOR THE TIME BEING IS THE -SEAT OF GOVERNMENT. We are also scientifically certain, _that the more -finely attenuated an impulse is, and the more rapid the vibrations -are which carry such an impulse, the more powerful it is and the more -surely will it prevail over the slower impulses carried at a lower rate -of vibration_. A current of electricity of high voltage will melt a bar -of steel. - - - THE FINEST ORGANS――THEIR FUNCTIONS - -With the above thoughts well fixed in our minds we are ready to ask, -what are the two finest and most sensitive organs in the human body and -those capable of sending out the finest impulses? There is but one -answer to this question. 1. The brain, or mind nerve center. 2. The sex -nerve center. One of these nerve centers, the brain, is the instrument -of the intellect and the other nerve center is the instrument of -feeling, not of base and shameful feelings, as many people think, but -of the most exquisite and beautiful feelings of which a human being -is capable. _As the beautiful thoughts of man may be distorted into -vicious and sinful things, so may the exquisite feelings which flood -forth from the sex nerve center be debased and distorted into sins._ - -With these glorious possibilities and purposes of this nerve center -before us, what a horrid nightmare it is for anyone to think, as some -people do, that this sex nerve center is the organ of humiliation and -shame and is therefore not a proper subject of conversation in polite -society. Nothing can be farther from the truth than this. - - - THE BEAUTY IMPULSES - -Stop for a moment and think; from whence come the beautiful impulses, -or thoughts OF HOME, MOTHERHOOD, FATHERHOOD, LOVE FOR AND PROTECTION -OF CHILDREN, THE ART OF HOMEBUILDING AND HOME ADORNMENT? Come they not -from this very nerve center? Destroy this nerve center in any young -child and its life will be void of all these glorious impulses. - -In place then of this nerve center, or sex organ, being a blushing, -shame-faced spirit that mutins in the life of humanity, it is _the -producer of all highest physical beauty both in the human organism and -in its surroundings_. - - - THE MIND BRAIN AND THE BODY BRAIN - -May I ask how many of you have ever told your boys and girls this? Not -one of you, because you never knew it before. You have always thought -that our sense of beauty originated in the nerve center, which we call -the brain. The mind of man directs, unifies and co-ordinates and should -control these beauty impulses as they flood out into the being, but -they have their origin in the sex nerve center. - -THIS ORGAN, OR NERVE CENTER, IS THE BRAIN OF THE PURELY PHYSICAL LIFE, -AS TRULY AS THE GRAY MATTER, OR NERVE CENTER AT THE UPPER END OF THE -SPINE, which we call the brain, IS THE BRAIN OF THE EGO, OR INNER LIFE. -Through the sex organ, or nerve center, the physical life in its rarest -and most delicate beauty finds expression, as through the brain the -inner life, or ego, expresses itself in thought and will. - -Do you ask for proof of this somewhat remarkable statement? Let me -answer by asking a question. When are the birds most beautiful in -plumage and sweetest in song? AT MATING TIME. _It cannot be said that -this is due to intellect, but upon the other hand it is the natural -upflooding of the beauty impulses from the physical brain, or sex nerve -center._ - -We cannot here enter into the deeper psychological question involved -in this somewhat unusual statement, that the sex nerve center is the -physical brain, but it must be evident to any thoughtful person that -the statement is not far out of the way, as is evidenced in its beauty -building power in the lives of the birds. There is an intelligence or -consciousness in this physical brain, but it is not a self-conscious -intelligence, such as functions through the brain at the upper end of -the spine. - -Because of the above facts and many others that might be presented, we -feel justified in the statements we have made above. - -When we contemplate all this may we not well pray, _Oh, God forgive -us our sins of ignorance and false modesty and help us rightly to -appreciate this, one of Thy greatest gifts to the human race!_ - - - A STRIKING ILLUSTRATION - -Let me bring to you an illustration to make this thought clear. Suppose -you could unsex every child in this city under six years of age; this -would be before the sex nerve center had time to flood the life with -the sense of beauty. Then build a wall about the city and leave these -children to themselves, simply supplying them with food and clothing, -but keeping away from them, as far as possible, all human beings, who -through sex impulses were filled with thoughts of beauty. What would be -the results and what kind of a city would you have here in forty years -from now? There would be little, if any, physical beauty among these -people as they grew up, for they would grow slatternly or slab-sided, -or fat and stuffy, and having lost the sense of beauty with their -unsexing they would let the buildings go to decay and the streets grow -up to weeds, and what a dreary waste this once beautiful city would be! - - - WHO HAS BEEN TEACHING THE CHILDREN? - -Though the thought is new to you, do you not begin to see the truth and -beauty of what I have been saying about this wonderful nerve center, or -brain of the physical life? - -What father or mother who may read this has ever felt it a religious -joy to teach their children the truth about this wonderful gift of God -to the human race? - -I am not going to ask you how many of you were so taught, for I feel -very sure none of you were. Scarcely anyone has ever been taught any -thing right about it, but most, if not all, have been left to stumble -along in the dark, as you and I were, and if by chance they happened -to hit upon a plan, or stumbled onto knowledge, which enabled them to -live together happily after marriage, well and good; if not, the great -American juggernaut, the divorce mill, makes another revolution, and a -wrecked home and two broken lives are held up to public gaze, as the -result of its deadly work. There is not the slightest doubt in the mind -of the writer but that a large percent of the divorces of this country -grow out of the absolute ignorance of young people as to how to live -together happily. - - - HELP! - -But what shall I say? I do not know how to teach my children. - -A most delightful book, which will put pure, noble, and instructive -words into every parent’s mouth with which to approach their children -from babyhood till they see them stand at the marriage altar, is “Four -Epochs of Life,” by Elizabeth Hamilton-Muncie, M. D., Ph. M., Graves -Publishing Co., New York. Let us ever remember that the education of -a child along these lines should begin as suggested in this charming -book, at a very early age, but it is better late than never, and if you -have neglected your children before begin now. - - - THE PHYSICAL BRAIN - -Let us return now to this wonderful nerve center, or brain of the -physical life. When does it begin to send out _these finely attenuated -beauty impulses, which must move at very high rates of vibration_? - -These impulses which give grace, form, and all other touches of -indescribable charm to the body of the child. - -From the very beginning of its life to some small degree, and from -twelve years of age they begin to show themselves the dominant impulses -of the life. They rise in the body just like waves of heat on a summer -day. _They are flooding every fiber of the being, giving roundness -to the limbs, grace to the form, drawing beauty lines upon the face, -painting roses in the cheeks, putting sparkles in the depths of liquid -eyes._ All of this and more are these little builders, which we call -sex impulses, doing in the years from twelve to eighteen. Is it any -wonder with all this marvelous work to do, that like the sculptor who -is to make a statue out of a block of marble, they must take possession -of the body and become the dominant element in it? The heart, liver, -digestive organs, and even the brain itself are subject to these -outflooding impulses as they work out the beauty of the physical life. - -Turn back to your chart now and note what a small part the intellect -plays in the life of the girl or boy between the ages of twelve and -eighteen. Just enough to be a willing servant of the sex impulses, as -they work out the plan of beauty, as given them by the hand of the -Master of all life. In fact the brain is largely an automaton in this -work, for the ego has not had time _to fully lay through the brain -that fine system of telephone connections and wires by which the brain -becomes a perfect instrument through which the ego or inner man may -reason out the problems of life_, so that up to eighteen there is -comparatively little reasoning ability in the life of children. - - - IMPULSES MOVING AT RAPID RATES OF VIBRATION - -These beauty building impulses are sent out in such abundance during -the teens, that they fairly cause the body to scintillate, the cheeks -to glow and the eyes to sparkle. Here they come, wave after wave, -_like shimmering light upon the mountains, trooping up through the -physical life like angels of the Eternal, making the body glow with -unspeakable beauty_. - -They should be guided by the finest and holiest thought, for _they are -the elect angels of God to the physical life of man_. But what is done -with them? Oh, sad! The parents have been led to think it is not quite -the thing to talk to their children of these things and the child has -not developed sufficient brain activity to reason about them and to -understand them and translate them into elements of beauty and sacred -service. Here the young life stands like a beautiful deer before the -on-coming prairie fire, it feels the tremendous swish of the flood of -feelings and physical life, like the hissing of the flames behind the -deer. If only the deer can reach the lake for which he pants and swim -out into its cool depths he will be safe; and if the child could creep, -as it were, into the heart of father or mother and hear glorious, -tender, holy words spoken of this flood of feelings, which is all so -strange to it, and which sweeps up through its being like a storm in -the forest, and have an intelligence translate them into God’s own -beauty of life, what a joy it would be! - -When I see the mighty army of beautiful youth standing unprotected and -in ignorance of the great danger before them, with no one to teach -them and the very parents that gave them being, indifferent, is it any -wonder that my heart cries out, Oh, sad? - - - IGNORANT PARENTS――RUINED CHILDREN - -What usually happens if one of these elfs of human life has the -temerity to speak to father or mother about these strange impulses? A -blush of shame, perhaps, and the expression, “You better be thinking -of something else,” or “You should be ashamed to be talking of such -things,” ends the conversation. - -A lady in high station said to the writer, when talking upon this -subject, “I went to my mother a few days before my marriage and asked -her to tell me about the marriage state. My mother was a good woman, -but all she said was, ‘You will find out soon enough.’” God forgive and -pity the ignorance of such mothers! - -Rebuffed at home, what happens? This child goes out upon the streets -and from vulgar playmates, older than it is, through vulgar stories -and suggestions, gets a base and lewd conception of all this in his or -her life which God meant for beauty, for His glory and the glory of -the race, or what is almost as bad, remains in stupid and dangerous -ignorance till some vile octopus throws his tentacles about this dream -of beauty and sparkling, buoyant youth, and the end of the tragedy is -a ruined life, or what more often happens, two of these ignorant young -people get together and because of their ignorance commit those acts -against chastity which bring ruin and disgrace. - -“But,” you say, “such cases as you depict above are the exception and -not the rule and I am not afraid of my child being caught in such ways.” - - - YOUR CHILD IS NOT SAFE - -I grant you this and hope by all means it is so. But do not because of -this, settle back into comfortable indifference, for there are greater -dangers than those stated above from which you cannot say your children -are so free. - -As children grow up in the home, if it is a right home, they often see -father and mother kiss each other, and perhaps they see the mother -sometimes lovingly drop down upon the lap of father and put her arms -about his neck. The natural question that comes to the mind of the -child is, “why does she do that?” No one has ever taken the trouble to -anticipate this unspoken question and answer it, and the child goes out -to mingle with its playmates of both sexes with this unspoken question -unanswered. - -The natural outcome of the child reasoning will be, if one woman can -kiss a man and sit upon his lap, then all women can kiss men and sit -upon their laps. Why not reason in this way? No one has ever taken the -trouble to explain the difference between the married and the unmarried -state and the rights and privileges that belong to the wedded pair, -which rights are recognized by both God and the laws of our land. - - - NATURAL MATING - -If you will observe them, children mate as naturally as the birds do. -Here they are dancing about us like the sunbeams in the forest, in -pairs of natural selection. You may notice them in the home, in the -school and on the streets. Innocent little things they are in these -childish matings and might remain so to the end of life if some kind -intelligence were directing them. But no such intelligence is at hand. -The mothers joke about these matings and tease the children about them -and that is the end of the parents’ relation to this gravest question -in all life. - -These children grow to fourteen or fifteen years of age and the -impulses from the sex nerve center begin to flood themselves out in -a perfect submergence of the life. They get hold of some silly love -stories, that have been written by some heartless person for so much -per line, and were never intended for any normal person to believe or -think possible, but to their childish minds it is a chapter from real -life, for they are not in any sense normal beings at this age as you -will see by a look at the triangle. At this age _the intelligence is -but a mere pigmy_ in their lives as compared to the giants of feeling -and physical life. - - - IGNORANCE BRINGS RUIN - -Seeing and knowing no danger in it, they follow out the natural sex -impulse to touch one another and to caress each other. Why not? Have -they not read in the love story of the lover and the sweetheart kissing -and caressing each other, and furthermore, and _the strongest possible -evidence in the case, have they not seen father and mother kiss and -caress each other_? Is it not the most natural thing, under these -conditions, for these children to enter into such familiar relations as -will lead to serious consequences in many cases? - -I know many a girl has lived through this period of ignorant familiarity -with young men without having her character wholly ruined, and she -appears before those of us who know the danger through which she has -passed, as a living miracle. - -But having escaped these dangers herself, what has she done for the -young man with whom she has had these familiar relations? She has, -unwittingly of course, multiplied the sex impulses in his life till -they sweep over him like a fire in the forest. He is a manly young -fellow and would scorn the thought even of allowing these impulses to -expend themselves upon the one who had awakened them and increased -their outflooding. In the midst of these experiences he falls in -with some young man older than himself, and they talk it over. This -fellow prides himself on being worldly wise, and so the younger man -is influenced by him. The result is that he goes to someone who will -receive him for a money consideration. Then comes the awful awakening, -and he recognizes the fact, that the blighting leprosy of the sin of -lewdness has fastened itself upon him. But after the first shock his -heart is lightened, because some physician assures him that he can cure -him. But that man is either ignorant or he is wilfully deceiving this -young man, for the Almighty himself cannot assure him that this plague -will ever entirely leave his body. God will forgive his soul, but no -one can honestly assure him that his body is not damned for all time. -It is true some men seem to recover entirely, but no one can give them -any assurance in this matter. The best medical science tells us that -these germs may remain in the body for years and then show themselves -in various forms and diseases. - -Is it not time for those of us who know of the awfulness of this dread -plague to “cry aloud from the housetops,” if by chance we may awaken -the fathers and mothers who sleep in ignorance and false modesty? - - - AN APPALLING INSTANCE - -Will it help you any if I tell you of a single instance, which came -under my notice some time ago, and is but one out of many that chills -my blood as I write. A young girl came to a certain city and secured -employment in one of the business houses of the city. She was of -inferior intellect and had but little chance for development of that -side of her nature, but the sex brain, or nerve center, had done much -for her and built in her body lines of remarkable grace, had painted -her cheeks with marvelous color and given unusual brilliancy to her -eyes. A foul miscreant, in the form of a man of older years, saw this -beautiful human creature and decoyed her into improper relations with -him. His body was full of the leprosy of lewdness and he imparted it -to this ignorant young creature. But sad as it would be it would not -be so bad if the tragedy had stopped there, but it did not. Think of -it friends! EIGHT OF THE UNTAUGHT AND UNPROTECTED BOYS OF THE HIGH -SCHOOL OF THAT CITY, WHO HAD BEEN ALLOWED THE FREEDOM OF KISSES AND -EMBRACES OF YOUNG GIRLS, AS IGNORANT AND UNPROTECTED AS THEY, saw this -young creature and were drawn into improper relations with her and the -leprosy was passed on to each of them. This is not an illustration -merely, but a statement of fact, for I had the facts direct from the -physicians who treated these boys. - -If this was your High School would you be alarmed? And would you cast -aside your false modesty and in the name of God be frank and true to -your children? - -Though it may not be your High School there are always dangers enough -that if realized should make parents earnest and anxious for the safety -of their loved ones. - - - IGNORANCE AND A WRECKED HOME - -May I give you a single illustration of the wrecking of two lives, -through the ignorance of a boy touching these grave questions? -This sad story was told me by a medical friend, who was personally -acquainted with these young people, and while an interne in a hospital, -in one of our eastern cities, assisted in the operation referred to. - -A young boy of sixteen, of one of the refined and cultured families of -the city, had grown up in ignorance as to sex relations and instincts. -He was invited to a week-end party, at the home of friends, and while -there, with a houseful of guests, fell in with a woman older than -himself, who enticed him into improper relations with her. Whether she -knew it or not, she was afflicted with the leprosy of lewdness and -she passed it on to this boy. As soon as he discovered his condition -he went to his father and told him about this incident and was taken -to one of the best physicians in this country, who lived in the city. -This physician treated the young man till he was twenty-four years -old and assured him, so far as medical science could determine, he -seemed to be entirely cured. The young man had become awakened by -this sad experience and through this awakening learned of the awful -fatality which attaches itself to this leprosy, so to be sure he went -to another specialist and was examined and treated by him for a year. -During these years, between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, he had -fallen in love with a beautiful young woman of one of the refined homes -of the city; but so much of dread had he that he deferred his marriage -for a year to make sure that the last vestige of the plague was gone. -At last they were married with all the joys and delights of that hour. - -Vain hope was his, for in less than a year after their marriage the -physicians were compelled to perform an operation to save the young -woman’s life, which forever left that home childless and the young -husband carrying in his heart an awful shadow which would never lift -till the grave received him. - -This is not an isolated case, for such tragedies are multiplied by -thousands all over this fair land of ours. And the appalling facts are -that a large majority of them can be charged to a lack of education by -the parents. Thousands of dollars are spent to educate the children in -books and music, but not a moment of time given to teach them the truth -about this one most important subject. - - - THE AROUSED SOUL - -Are you startled and does your heart cry out, “What can I do? Oh! what -can I do?” - - - THE HELPER - -YOU CAN BE FRANK, INTELLIGENT AND HUMAN WITH YOUR CHILDREN. Let me tell -you, if I may, some things you can do. Let us think of the daughter -first, but not because she needs more protection than the son, for God -knows they are both in need of all the protection loving, intelligent -parents can give them. - -If the streets are sloppy and you want to protect your daughter, what -do you advise her? To wear her rubbers, of course. If she has a cold -and there is a raw wind blowing what do you advise her? Wrap up well -and see that her throat is protected. Why do you give this advice? -Because on the sloppy streets the feet are the points of attack, and in -the raw wind the throat is the point of attack. - -Why not be just as sane in dealing with your daughter when you come to -teach her to protect her character and self respect? - -At what points do these outflooding impulses of glorious womanhood -manifest themselves at the surface of the body? The answer is -self-evident, the lips and the bosom. You have known this all the time -and you have sat idly by and seen your daughters go out into dangers -far more deadly than wet feet or inflamed throat without ever saying a -word to them about how to protect themselves. Why not sit down by your -daughter of fourteen and tell her these truths; tell her there is a -vital connection between the bosom and the sex nerve center which is -more sensitive than the most delicate electric impulse and explain to -her how wonderfully God has arranged the body of woman and why? Why -not tell her the same truth as to her lips? _Tell her that unless God -had made a vital connection between the lips of a woman and the sex -nerve center she could not kiss love and nobleness into the life of her -children during those glorious days of motherhood._ Tell her, with all -the love a mother can put into the words, that will live forever in the -heart of every true child, that because of these wonderful truths every -_true young woman should protect her lips and bosom as she would the -engagement ring, the pledge of love and approaching marriage_. Tell -her, with the wifely love upflooding from your heart, why her father -has a right to kiss and embrace you and _why it will mean the lowering -of her character, if not its ultimate loss, for her to give these -jewels of hers, even for a moment, into the hands of any man other than -he who will be her husband, and as such has the loving right to them_. - -Why not teach your son the sacredness of womanhood and the manliness -of protecting it? Pardon me, if I say I am not writing a theory, but -am speaking out of my own heart. I commenced teaching my own son -when he was twelve years old and had my last talk with him a month -before he was married. He grew up to be a clean young man and I felt -a thousand times repaid for my effort when his wife came to her new -mother a short time after their marriage and told her with such delight -how thoughtful, kind, gentle and refined her lover was in all their -relations. - - - THE DANCE AND ITS DANGERS - -I may at this point call attention to the dangers of the dance. Every -girl who enjoys dancing, and most of them do, should be shown the -dangers to both herself and the man in allowing herself to be drawn up -too close to the person of the man she is dancing with. She should not -only be told that she must not do so, but told plainly and lovingly -why. There may be nothing impure in the thought of either, for when -they are dancing they are usually not thinking. Music tends to quiet -thought and under such conditions they will follow the sex impulse and -unconsciously draw near to each other, and they are far more sure to do -so while ignorant of the dangers in it. In like manner boys should be -taught to carefully respect the person of girls and told in a plain, -frank way the truth about their relations to the opposite sex. - -I believe, as a rule young people love to dance with the purest of -motives. They are attracted to this form of amusement because of their -love for music and the natural desire to keep time to it. The most -zealous religionist finds himself patting his foot when a bit of lively -music is played, which is but an evidence of the natural desire of any -human being to keep time to music. - -Is there someone asking, “If it is true that young people have the -purest of motives in their desire to dance, how comes it then that so -many frightful mistakes are made as a result of the dance?” I might -answer in a single word, by saying, IGNORANCE. - -It is the conviction of the writer, however, that no more mistakes are -made in proportion, and perhaps not so many, as the result of the dance -as by long night rides in buggies, or sitting in the shadow of trees in -public parks. But the facts are more people dance than ride in buggies. - - - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE DANCE - -The great danger in the dance is, to my mind, _a psychological one_, -which might be overcome by knowledge upon the subject. Let us examine -this thought for a time, for here is the crux of the whole matter. -When your attention is called to it, you cannot think of more perfect -relations existing between two persons for hypnosis, or hypnotic -suggestion to take place than that which exists in the dance. To get -this clearly before us let us note the steps taken by the hypnotist. -He has his subject relax his body, and put his mind at rest and then -he prefers to have soft music played. Under these conditions he most -easily gets control of the mind of his subject. - -Let us now study the couple dancing. The body must be in a more or less -relaxed state, for graceful motion would not be possible with a rigid -body. The mind is at rest, because the music lulls it into quiet and -makes the dominant element in the life the feelings, for _we do not -think music, we feel it_. Just here you must recall, that the sex nerve -center is the brain of the physical life and continually sends forth -the most exquisite impulses of feeling, which manifest themselves in -all the glory and beauty of bodily charm and these _must of necessity -mingle in their outgoings with the vibrations of the music and the -feelings which it induces_. - -Now you have these two persons, _with bodies relaxed, minds at rest, -just floating over the floor, and carried, as it were, on waves of -music_. Under just these conditions many an uninstructed and ignorant -girl has passed under a hypnotic spell in which she has been led to do -that which ruined her life and which she would have surrendered her -life rather than have done, had she been in her normal state. - -Let me give you an instance in point. Some years ago I was lecturing on -the psychic question, and among other things I spoke of _the psychology -of the dance_. The next morning I met one of the fine, clean young -men of the little city, who was teller in one of the banks. He said -to me, “Doctor I enjoyed your lecture very much last night, and I -believe you have the right idea as to the psychology of the dance.” He -said, “Sometime ago I was dancing with one of the finest young ladies -in this city, one who is absolutely above reproach. As you said, ‘we -were just floating along over the floor charmed by the music.’ I was -looking down at her (he was a tall man), and thinking what a nice young -woman she was, when all at once she laid her face against mine. She did -not excuse herself then and she has not apologized since and I do not -believe she knew that she did it.” This is the conclusion of a sane, -thoughtful young man, as he pondered over an unusual experience with a -pure-minded and irreproachable young woman. - -May I here give the testimony of an educated, thoughtful young man of -thirty? In a frank talk with me, he said: “There have been a few times -in my life when I have found it necessary to stop dancing with certain -ladies.” - -There might not have been the slightest wrong thought in the minds of -this young man or the lady he was dancing with, but the outflooding -impulses from the sex nerve center in the life of the lady might just -at that time have been so vital and have been carried at such rapid -rates of vibration as to make themselves felt in the atmosphere about -her. This, my friends, might happen _without an evil thought upon the -part of either, for this brain of the physical life may and does send -out these impulses without the recognition of the intellect_. - -Had this young man observed these ladies he would have noted a charming -and unusual color of the skin of the face and an unusual and bewitching -sparkle in the eyes, both of which indicate marked activity of the sex -brain, or nerve center. - - - SHOULD THE DANCE BE ABOLISHED? - -There are many good people who would like to abolish the dance, and -because of the ignorance of the larger number of people who engage in -this amusement, I think I would join with them, but in all probability -we will never be able to do it, so long as people love music and -instinctively keep time to it. - -It may be in our zeal in this matter we are making a mistake and -taking a wrong view of the question and by vicious, and sometimes -senseless, attacks upon many good young people and this particular -form of amusement in which they engage, doing both them and ourselves -an injustice and keeping many of them out of the Kingdom. Of this I am -sure, if young people are to dance _they should have proper chaperonage -and a right knowledge of the possible dangers and how to avoid them_. -NO GREATER MISTAKE COULD BE MADE THAN TO ALLOW YOUNG PEOPLE TO ATTEND -PUBLIC DANCES. - -May I close this little message then, which goes out with a prayer -for God’s blessings to rest upon all who read it, that it may be a -helpful message to them; by urging frankness and candor upon the part -of you, the parents, with your children, and if you are uninstructed -inform yourselves and put such books in the hands of your children as -will give them pure, wholesome information upon this most important -subject in all the world, and God will bless you and them, and in joy -and thankfulness you will see them grow up in the purity and nobleness -of strong, helpful men and women. BE ASSURED OF THIS, IF YOU DO NOT -EDUCATE THEM THE STREETS WILL. - - - * * * * * - - - Transcriber’s Notes: - - ――Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). - - ――Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. - - ――Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILD LIFE AND SEX -HYGIENE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - 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 will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |