Illustrations of this sort might be multiplied but these three aresufficient to show how an abnormal method of study and work may anddoes open the flood-gates of the system, and, by letting blood out,lets all sorts of evil in. Let us now look at another phase; formenorrhagia and its consequences are not the only punishments thatgirls receive for being educated and worked just like boys. Nature'smethods of punishing men and women are as numerous as their organs andfunctions, and her penalties as infinite in number and gradation asher blessings.
Amenorrhoea is perhaps more common than menorrhagia. It often happens,however, during the first critical epoch, which is isochronal with thetechnical educational period of a girl, that after a few occasions ofcatamenial hemorrhage, moderate perhaps but still hemorrhage, whichare not heeded, the conservative force of Nature steps in, and savesthe blood by arresting the function. In such instances, amenorrhoea isa result of menorrhagia. In this way, and in others that we need notstop to inquire into, the regimen of our schools, colleges, and sociallife, that requires girls to walk, work, stand, study, recite, anddance at all times as boys can and should, may shut the uterineportals of the blood up, and keep poison in, as well as open them, andlet life out. Which of these two evils is worse in itself, and whichleaves the largest legacy of ills behind, it is difficult to say. Letus examine some illustrations of this sort of arrest.
Miss D---- entered Vassar College at the age of fourteen. Up to thatage, she had been a healthy girl, judged by the standard of Americangirls. Her parents were apparently strong enough to yield her a fairdower of force. The catamenial function first showed signs of activityin her Sophomore Year, when she was fifteen years old. Its appearanceat this age[13] is confirmatory evidence of the normal state of herhealth at that period of her college career. Its commencement wasnormal, without pain or excess. She performed all her college dutiesregularly and steadily. She studied, recited, stood at the blackboard,walked, and went through her gymnastic exercises, from the beginningto the end of the term, just as boys do. Her account of her regimenthere was so nearly that of a boy's regimen, that it would puzzle aphysiologist to determine, from the account alone, whether the subjectof it was male or female. She was an average scholar, who maintained afair position in her class, not one of the anxious sort, that areambitious of leading all the rest. Her first warning was faintingaway, while exercising in the gymnasium, at a time when she shouldhave been comparatively quiet, both mentally and physically. Thiswarning was repeated several times, under the same circumstances.Finally she was compelled to renounce gymnastic exercises altogether.In her Junior Year, the organism's periodical function began to beperformed with pain, moderate at first, but more and more severe witheach returning month. When between seventeen and eighteen years old,dysmenorrhoea was established as the order of that function.Coincident with the appearance of pain, there was a diminution ofexcretion; and, as the former increased, the latter became moremarked. In other respects she was well; and, in all respects, sheappeared to be well to her companions and to the faculty of thecollege. She graduated before nineteen, with fair honors and a poorphysique. The year succeeding her graduation was one ofsteadily-advancing invalidism. She was tortured for two or three daysout of every month; and, for two or three days after each season oftorture, was weak and miserable, so that about one sixth or fifth ofher time was consumed in this way. The excretion from the blood, whichhad been gradually lessening, after a time substantially stopped,though a periodical effort to keep it up was made. She now sufferedfrom what is called amenorrhoea. At the same time she became pale,hysterical, nervous in the ordinary sense, and almost constantlycomplained of headache. Physicians were applied to for aid: drugs wereadministered; travelling, with consequent change of air and scene, wasundertaken; and all with little apparent avail. After this experience,she was brought to Boston for advice, when the writer first saw her,and learned all these details. She presented no evidence of localuterine congestion, inflammation, ulceration, or displacement. Theevidence was altogether in favor of an arrest of the development ofthe reproductive apparatus, at a stage when the development was nearlycomplete. Confirmatory proof of such an arrest was found in examiningher breast, where the milliner had supplied the organs Nature shouldhave grown. It is unnecessary for our present purpose to detail whattreatment was advised. It is sufficient to say, that she probablynever will become physically what she would have been had hereducation been physiologically guided.
This case needs very little comment: its teachings are obvious. MissD---- went to college in good physical condition. During the fouryears of her college life, her parents and the college facultyrequired her to get what is popularly called an education. Naturerequired her, during the same period, to build and put inworking-order a large and complicated reproductive mechanism, a matterthat is popularly ignored,--shoved out of sight like a disgrace. Shenaturally obeyed the requirements of the faculty, which she could see,rather than the requirements of the mechanism within her, that shecould not see. Subjected to the college regimen, she worked four yearsin getting a liberal education. Her way of work was sustained andcontinuous, and out of harmony with the rhythmical periodicity of thefemale organization. The stream of vital and constructive forceevolved within her was turned steadily to the brain, and away from theovaries and their accessories. The result of this sort of educationwas, that these last-mentioned organs, deprived of sufficientopportunity and nutriment, first began to perform their functions withpain, a warning of error that was unheeded; then, to cease togrow;[14] next, to set up once a month a grumbling torture that madelife miserable; and, lastly, the brain and the whole nervous system,disturbed, in obedience to the law, that, if one member suffers, allthe members suffer, became neuralgic and hysterical. And so MissD---- spent the few years next succeeding her graduation in conflictwith dysmenorrhoea, headache, neuralgia, and hysteria. Her parentsmarvelled at her ill-health; and she furnished another text for theoften-repeated sermon on the delicacy of American girls.
Amenorrhoea is perhaps more common than menorrhagia. It often happens,however, during the first critical epoch, which is isochronal with thetechnical educational period of a girl, that after a few occasions ofcatamenial hemorrhage, moderate perhaps but still hemorrhage, whichare not heeded, the conservative force of Nature steps in, and savesthe blood by arresting the function. In such instances, amenorrhoea isa result of menorrhagia. In this way, and in others that we need notstop to inquire into, the regimen of our schools, colleges, and sociallife, that requires girls to walk, work, stand, study, recite, anddance at all times as boys can and should, may shut the uterineportals of the blood up, and keep poison in, as well as open them, andlet life out. Which of these two evils is worse in itself, and whichleaves the largest legacy of ills behind, it is difficult to say. Letus examine some illustrations of this sort of arrest.
Miss D---- entered Vassar College at the age of fourteen. Up to thatage, she had been a healthy girl, judged by the standard of Americangirls. Her parents were apparently strong enough to yield her a fairdower of force. The catamenial function first showed signs of activityin her Sophomore Year, when she was fifteen years old. Its appearanceat this age[13] is confirmatory evidence of the normal state of herhealth at that period of her college career. Its commencement wasnormal, without pain or excess. She performed all her college dutiesregularly and steadily. She studied, recited, stood at the blackboard,walked, and went through her gymnastic exercises, from the beginningto the end of the term, just as boys do. Her account of her regimenthere was so nearly that of a boy's regimen, that it would puzzle aphysiologist to determine, from the account alone, whether the subjectof it was male or female. She was an average scholar, who maintained afair position in her class, not one of the anxious sort, that areambitious of leading all the rest. Her first warning was faintingaway, while exercising in the gymnasium, at a time when she shouldhave been comparatively quiet, both mentally and physically. Thiswarning was repeated several times, under the same circumstances.Finally she was compelled to renounce gymnastic exercises altogether.In her Junior Year, the organism's periodical function began to beperformed with pain, moderate at first, but more and more severe witheach returning month. When between seventeen and eighteen years old,dysmenorrhoea was established as the order of that function.Coincident with the appearance of pain, there was a diminution ofexcretion; and, as the former increased, the latter became moremarked. In other respects she was well; and, in all respects, sheappeared to be well to her companions and to the faculty of thecollege. She graduated before nineteen, with fair honors and a poorphysique. The year succeeding her graduation was one ofsteadily-advancing invalidism. She was tortured for two or three daysout of every month; and, for two or three days after each season oftorture, was weak and miserable, so that about one sixth or fifth ofher time was consumed in this way. The excretion from the blood, whichhad been gradually lessening, after a time substantially stopped,though a periodical effort to keep it up was made. She now sufferedfrom what is called amenorrhoea. At the same time she became pale,hysterical, nervous in the ordinary sense, and almost constantlycomplained of headache. Physicians were applied to for aid: drugs wereadministered; travelling, with consequent change of air and scene, wasundertaken; and all with little apparent avail. After this experience,she was brought to Boston for advice, when the writer first saw her,and learned all these details. She presented no evidence of localuterine congestion, inflammation, ulceration, or displacement. Theevidence was altogether in favor of an arrest of the development ofthe reproductive apparatus, at a stage when the development was nearlycomplete. Confirmatory proof of such an arrest was found in examiningher breast, where the milliner had supplied the organs Nature shouldhave grown. It is unnecessary for our present purpose to detail whattreatment was advised. It is sufficient to say, that she probablynever will become physically what she would have been had hereducation been physiologically guided.
This case needs very little comment: its teachings are obvious. MissD---- went to college in good physical condition. During the fouryears of her college life, her parents and the college facultyrequired her to get what is popularly called an education. Naturerequired her, during the same period, to build and put inworking-order a large and complicated reproductive mechanism, a matterthat is popularly ignored,--shoved out of sight like a disgrace. Shenaturally obeyed the requirements of the faculty, which she could see,rather than the requirements of the mechanism within her, that shecould not see. Subjected to the college regimen, she worked four yearsin getting a liberal education. Her way of work was sustained andcontinuous, and out of harmony with the rhythmical periodicity of thefemale organization. The stream of vital and constructive forceevolved within her was turned steadily to the brain, and away from theovaries and their accessories. The result of this sort of educationwas, that these last-mentioned organs, deprived of sufficientopportunity and nutriment, first began to perform their functions withpain, a warning of error that was unheeded; then, to cease togrow;[14] next, to set up once a month a grumbling torture that madelife miserable; and, lastly, the brain and the whole nervous system,disturbed, in obedience to the law, that, if one member suffers, allthe members suffer, became neuralgic and hysterical. And so MissD---- spent the few years next succeeding her graduation in conflictwith dysmenorrhoea, headache, neuralgia, and hysteria. Her parentsmarvelled at her ill-health; and she furnished another text for theoften-repeated sermon on the delicacy of American girls.
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