Is faithful to either sex. Not as man or woman, but as a sexlessbeing, does advanced age enter and pass the portals of what is calleddeath.
During the first of these critical periods, when the divergence of thesexes becomes obvious to the most careless observer, the complicatedapparatus peculiar to the female enters upon a condition of functionalactivity. "The ovaries, which constitute," says Dr. Dalton, "the'essential parts'[3] of this apparatus, and certain accessory organs,are now rapidly developed." Previously they were inactive. Duringinfancy and childhood all of them existed, or rather all the germs ofthem existed; but they were incapable of function. At this period theytake on a process of rapid growth and development. Coincident withthis process, indicating it, and essential to it, are the periodicalphenomena which characterize woman's physique till she attains thethird division of her tripartite life. The growth of this peculiar andmarvellous apparatus, in the perfect development of which humanity hasso large an interest, occurs during the few years of a girl'seducational life. No such extraordinary task, calling for such rapidexpenditure of force, building up such a delicate and extensivemechanism within the organism,--a house within a house, an enginewithin an engine,--is imposed upon the male physique at the sameepoch.[4] The organization of the male grows steadily, gradually, andequally, from birth to maturity. The importance of having our methodsof female education recognize this peculiar demand for growth, and ofso adjusting themselves to it, as to allow a sufficient opportunityfor the healthy development of the ovaries and their accessory organs,and for the establishment of their periodical functions, cannot beoverestimated. Moreover, unless the work is accomplished at thatperiod, unless the reproductive mechanism is built and put in goodworking order at that time, it is never perfectly accomplishedafterwards. "It is not enough," says Dr. Charles West, theaccomplished London physician, and lecturer on diseases of women, "itis not enough to take precautions till menstruation has for the firsttime occurred: the period for its return should, even in thehealthiest girl, be watched for, and all previous precautions shouldbe once more repeated; and this should be done again and again, untilat length the _habit_ of regular, healthy menstruation is established.If this be not accomplished during the first few years of womanhood,it will, in all probability, never be attained."[5] There have beeninstances, and I have seen such, of females in whom the specialmechanism we are speaking of remained germinal,--undeveloped. Itseemed to have been aborted. They graduated from school or collegeexcellent scholars, but with undeveloped ovaries. Later they married,and were sterile.[6]
The system never does two things well at the same time. The musclesand the brain cannot _functionate_ in their best way at the samemoment. One cannot meditate a poem and drive a saw simultaneously,without dividing his force. He may poetize fairly, and saw poorly; orhe may saw fairly, and poetize poorly; or he may both saw and poetizeindifferently. Brain-work and stomach-work interfere with each otherif attempted together. The digestion of a dinner calls force to thestomach, and temporarily slows the brain. The experiment of trying todigest a hearty supper, and to sleep during the process, has sometimescost the careless experimenter his life. The physiological principleof doing only one thing at a time, if you would do it well, holds astruly of the growth of the organization as it does of the performanceof any of its special functions. If excessive labor, either mental orphysical, is imposed upon children, male or female, their developmentwill be in some way checked. If the schoolmaster overworks the brainsof his pupils, he diverts force to the brain that is needed elsewhere.He spends in the study of geography and arithmetic, of Latin, Greekand chemistry, in the brain-work of the school room, force that shouldhave been spent in the manufacture of blood, muscle, and nerve, thatis, in growth. The results are monstrous brains and puny bodies; abnormally active cerebration, and abnormally weak digestion; flowingthought and constipated bowels; lofty aspirations and neuralgicsensations;
During the first of these critical periods, when the divergence of thesexes becomes obvious to the most careless observer, the complicatedapparatus peculiar to the female enters upon a condition of functionalactivity. "The ovaries, which constitute," says Dr. Dalton, "the'essential parts'[3] of this apparatus, and certain accessory organs,are now rapidly developed." Previously they were inactive. Duringinfancy and childhood all of them existed, or rather all the germs ofthem existed; but they were incapable of function. At this period theytake on a process of rapid growth and development. Coincident withthis process, indicating it, and essential to it, are the periodicalphenomena which characterize woman's physique till she attains thethird division of her tripartite life. The growth of this peculiar andmarvellous apparatus, in the perfect development of which humanity hasso large an interest, occurs during the few years of a girl'seducational life. No such extraordinary task, calling for such rapidexpenditure of force, building up such a delicate and extensivemechanism within the organism,--a house within a house, an enginewithin an engine,--is imposed upon the male physique at the sameepoch.[4] The organization of the male grows steadily, gradually, andequally, from birth to maturity. The importance of having our methodsof female education recognize this peculiar demand for growth, and ofso adjusting themselves to it, as to allow a sufficient opportunityfor the healthy development of the ovaries and their accessory organs,and for the establishment of their periodical functions, cannot beoverestimated. Moreover, unless the work is accomplished at thatperiod, unless the reproductive mechanism is built and put in goodworking order at that time, it is never perfectly accomplishedafterwards. "It is not enough," says Dr. Charles West, theaccomplished London physician, and lecturer on diseases of women, "itis not enough to take precautions till menstruation has for the firsttime occurred: the period for its return should, even in thehealthiest girl, be watched for, and all previous precautions shouldbe once more repeated; and this should be done again and again, untilat length the _habit_ of regular, healthy menstruation is established.If this be not accomplished during the first few years of womanhood,it will, in all probability, never be attained."[5] There have beeninstances, and I have seen such, of females in whom the specialmechanism we are speaking of remained germinal,--undeveloped. Itseemed to have been aborted. They graduated from school or collegeexcellent scholars, but with undeveloped ovaries. Later they married,and were sterile.[6]
The system never does two things well at the same time. The musclesand the brain cannot _functionate_ in their best way at the samemoment. One cannot meditate a poem and drive a saw simultaneously,without dividing his force. He may poetize fairly, and saw poorly; orhe may saw fairly, and poetize poorly; or he may both saw and poetizeindifferently. Brain-work and stomach-work interfere with each otherif attempted together. The digestion of a dinner calls force to thestomach, and temporarily slows the brain. The experiment of trying todigest a hearty supper, and to sleep during the process, has sometimescost the careless experimenter his life. The physiological principleof doing only one thing at a time, if you would do it well, holds astruly of the growth of the organization as it does of the performanceof any of its special functions. If excessive labor, either mental orphysical, is imposed upon children, male or female, their developmentwill be in some way checked. If the schoolmaster overworks the brainsof his pupils, he diverts force to the brain that is needed elsewhere.He spends in the study of geography and arithmetic, of Latin, Greekand chemistry, in the brain-work of the school room, force that shouldhave been spent in the manufacture of blood, muscle, and nerve, thatis, in growth. The results are monstrous brains and puny bodies; abnormally active cerebration, and abnormally weak digestion; flowingthought and constipated bowels; lofty aspirations and neuralgicsensations;
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