Part 3 (1/2)

In this lesson the writer seeks to direct the attention of his women readers to certain subjects upon which the average woman is not well informed, and upon which she usually requires sound, sane, clean, frank information. In many cases women hesitate to ask even their family physicians for such information, and, although there is no rational reason for it, they even shrink from consulting better informed and capable women concerning these subjects.

s.e.xUAL FEELING. Owing to erroneous teachings, and irrational prejudices arising from ancient distorted and perverted ideals of s.e.x, many women have grown to maturity under the erroneous belief that it is a sign of immorality, or at least low ideals and depraved nature, for a woman to experience s.e.xual emotions or feelings, wishes or desires. So true is this that even many married women seek to withhold from their husbands the knowledge that any s.e.xual feeling is experienced by the wife.

Such a belief is of course absurd. It is as natural for a woman to experience normal s.e.xual feeling as it is for her to experience any other feeling aroused by natural instincts and organism. Without such instinct and the feelings arising therefrom, there would be no mating or marriage, and no perpetuation of the race. The woman experiencing such feelings should not allow herself to imagine that she is depraved or perverted, or immoral in thought and feeling. Incredible as it may appear to a normal, healthy-minded man, it is true that thousands of young women have lost self-respect, and have lapsed into a morbid state of mind, because of the occasional manifestation of their normal s.e.xual feeling.

This does not, of course, mean that the woman must necessarily manifest into action the feeling experienced by her. On the contrary, she must acquire self-mastery and self-control, just as she must in other phases of her life. It may help some women of this kind to realize that the s.e.x feeling and impulses, arising unbidden (and often unwelcomed) from the depths of their subconscious mentality, are essentially CREATIVE impulses. If the woman be unmarried, or if married and placed under conditions in which the marital relation with the husband is impossible or undesirable, then she can TRANs.m.u.tE this creative energy in some form of creative work--in work which leads to the creation, manufacture, building-up, or composing something. There is a hint here which will prove a great blessing to the woman who will understand and apply the principle suggested--for many other women have found it so.

As for the married woman, there is no reason whatsoever why she should seek to withhold from her husband the knowledge that she is possessed of normal, natural, healthy s.e.xual feeling. In fact, the withholding of such information, and the concealment and deception arising therefrom, has often done much to bring marital inharmony between husband and wife.

If there is any deception to be practiced in the marital a.s.sociation of husband and wife, it should rather be in the opposite direction, i. e., in the direction of pretending the emotional feeling when it exists only partially or is absent. The last matter, however, is one for the exercise of the judgment and conviction of each individual woman; but the first mentioned admonition is one which should be observed, as it is based on honesty, truth, and good judgment as well.

ALCOHOL AND s.e.xUALITY. It needs no extended argument to convince the average person that an individual will do things when under the influence of drink that he or she would not do when perfectly sober. It is an old saying that ”When the wine is in, the wits are out.” But there is a deeper connection and relation between alcoholic drink and s.e.xual indiscretions than is usually realized by the average person. Besides the commonly known weakening of will-power and self-control arising from the influence of strong drink, there are certain influences concerning the s.e.xual nature and arising from the presence of alcohol in the system, which are not known to most persons. So true is this that the writer has thought it well to utter a few words of warning to his women readers concerning these things.

In the first place, there is an exhilarating effect arising from certain kinds of liquor, wines, and other forms of alcoholic drinks, which manifests directly in an excitement of the s.e.xual centers and organism.

In many cases a strong s.e.xual excitement, absent at other times, is aroused, and the person is carried away with the force of pa.s.sion unknown under other circ.u.mstances. Added to this the weakened will-power arising from too much drink, and we have an explanation of many cases of ”mistakes” of women. It would appear that women are even more susceptible than are men to unusual s.e.xual excitement arising from alcoholic drinks; and that, therefore, they should be especially cautious in the indulgence in such drinks, particularly when in the company of strange men, or men careless in regard to s.e.xual morality and respect for women in their company.

But there is still a deeper reason, based upon the latest discoveries in psychology, why caution in this respect should be observed by women. We allude to the discovery that alcohol first affects the mental and emotional tendencies of more recent racial acquirement, acting so as to paralyze and inhibit the activities thereof, and to thus release the activity of the more primitive emotions and motive activities. Thus, the woman under the influence of alcohol finds that the more recent racial traits, such as s.e.xual control, restraint, s.e.xual morality, conventional observations, etc., are practically temporarily paralyzed in inhibitual--or to use the current slang phrase, are ”put out of commission” for the time being; and, at the same time, the old elemental, savage, barbaric, ”cave man” instincts, habits, and methods of action, are brought to the surface, and proceed to manifest their activity if opportunity be granted for the same--and the opportunity is usually granted. This being seen to be true, it is seen that the woman so under the influence of liquor is, for the time being, little more than a ”cave woman,” or barbarian, with all the lax s.e.x morality of the latter, and with all the tendencies to manifest into activity the primitive impulses arising in her nature and demanding expression. Added to this the weakening of will-power always accompanying the alcoholic influence, it is seen that the woman under the influence of strong drink is an easy prey to designing men, and a willing victim to her own lower pa.s.sions.

An authority of s.e.x subjects says: ”That Bacchus, the G.o.d of wine, is the strongest ally of Venus, the G.o.ddess of love, using the term Love in its physical sense, as the French use the word 'amour,' has been well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, as it is well known today to every saloon-keeper and every keeper of a disreputable house. And all measures to combat venereal diseases and to prevent girls from making a false step will only be partially successful if we do not at the same time carry on a strong educational campaign against alcoholic indulgence. * * * Of what use are warnings to a girl, when under the influence of a heavy dinner and a bottle of champagne, to which she is unaccustomed, her pa.s.sion is aroused to a degree she has never experienced before, her will is paralyzed and she yields, though deep down in her consciousness something tells her she shouldn't? She yields, becomes pregnant, and is in the deepest agony for several months, and has a wound which will probably never heal for the rest of her life. Of what use have all the lectures, books, and maternal injunctions been to her? * * * I believe that the s.e.x instinct can be stimulated artificially beyond the natural needs, and among the artificial stimulants of the s.e.x instinct alcohol occupies the first place. And bear in mind that alcohol produces even a stronger effect upon women, in exciting the s.e.xual pa.s.sion, than it does on men. Women are more easily upset by stimulants and narcotics, and that is the reason why it is more dangerous for women to drink than it is for men. It is impossible to give statistics and exact or even approximate figures. But there is no question in my mind, in the mind of any careful investigator, that if alcoholic beverages could be eliminated, the number of cases of venereal infection would be diminished by about one-half. And what is true of venereal disease is also true of the seduction of young girls. Alcohol is the most efficient weapon that either the refined Don Juan or the vulgar pimp has in his possession.”

Our advice to the woman who is asked to drink liquor when in the company of a man outside of her immediate family circle is emphatically this: DON'T DO IT!

THE MENSTRUAL PERIOD. As strange as it may appear to those women who have had the advantage of intelligent maternal advice, it is a fact known to all physicians that many mothers permit their young daughters to enter into the stage of p.u.b.erty, with the accompanying menstrual flow, without having first instructed the daughter as to the meaning and character of this phenomenon of her nature, and without having given her advice concerning the proper care of herself during this period.

Physicians constantly experience cases in which the young girl to whom the first menstrual flow having come, without previous knowledge on her part, has supposed it to be the result of a wound, or of a diseased condition, and has attempted to stop the flow by the application of cold water. Even where a partial knowledge has been attained by the girl, she is found to lack the knowledge of the proper hygienic care of herself during the period. The mothers in such cases are criminally negligent, and have alluded a false modesty or prudery to interfere with a natural and necessary maternal duty.

The approach of the first menstruation is often accompanied by unusual physical, mental and emotional changes in the young girl. Her nervous system is affected, and she is apt to become irritable or morbid, or even somewhat ”flighty.” Her appet.i.te may become irregular, and there is often present a craving for indigestible food. A physical languor is often experienced, and there may be pains in the back and legs, chilliness and headaches, and a general upsetting of the usual physical condition, accompanied by a manifestation of peevishness and irritability. These unpleasant symptoms usually disappear when the periodical menstrual flow is permanently established. In fact, they are frequently superseded by the awakened energy and heightened spirits of healthy, normal adolescence.

The time of the beginning of the menstrual period varies according to climate, race, condition of health, and temperament. In the tropical countries, menstruation begins from the tenth to the fourteenth year; in temperate countries, from the thirteenth to the sixteenth; in cold countries, from the fifteenth to the twentieth year. The Italian, Hebrew, Spanish, or French girl is apt to menstruate earlier than the English, German, or Swedish girl. The Negro girl menstruates early, as a rule. The full-blooded girl usually menstruates earlier than the anemic one.

Normally, menstruation should proceed naturally and without pain or suffering. When pain or suffering is experienced in connection with menstruation, it is simply because of some lack of health in the general system; and when such general health is restored, the trouble ceases.

Painful menstruation is called ”dysmenorrhea,” and arises from several causes, princ.i.p.al among which are the following: Errors in diet, errors in dress, undue exposure, constipation, lack of proper exercise, or to a contracted or congested condition of the Uterus or the Fallopian Tubes.

The pain, however, cannot be considered as a feature of normal menstruation, for the latter is no more painful than a normal movement of the bowels--the painful condition results from abnormal conditions, the removal of these conditions resulting in the cure of the complaint.

DYSMENORRHEA should be treated by the discarding of all unhygienic clothing, tight shoes, etc., and their replacement by rational clothing; the dietary should be carefully scanned, and improper articles replaced by nouris.h.i.+ng elements of food--discard the pastries, pickles, confections, and stimulants, and subst.i.tute sensible articles of diet; if constipation is present, remove it by eating articles of food which promote free movements of the bowels, and drink more water each day; take a proper amount of exercise--housework is as good a form of exercise as any; many authorities advocate the free drinking of water prior to and during the menstrual period--some going so far as to say that WHERE THERE IS PAINFUL MENSTRUATION THERE IS ALWAYS A LACK OF A PROPER AMOUNT OF WATER TAKEN INTO THE SYSTEM. In some cases Dysmenorrhea is due to disorders of the general nervous system, and treatment therefore should be sought at the hands of a capable physician.

AMENORRHEA, another disorder arising in connection with the menstrual process, consists of the retention or suppression of the menses, or of ”scanty” menses, or occasional ”skipping” of the periods. This condition is apt to be manifest in cases of extreme obesity or ”fatness;” the nervous system being burdened with superfluous flesh, its menstrual rhythm is often affected. Suppression of the menses also sometimes results from exposure and disturbing mental emotions. The most approved treatment is that of remedying the abnormal general physical condition, proper diet, and the use of hot drinks, hot sitz baths, and hot enemas about the time of the beginning of the normal period.

MENORRHAGIA, another menstrual-period disorder, consists of very profuse flowing--it is, in fact, a mild form of hemorrhage. It usually arises from general debility, shocks, too violent exercise or labor, and also in many cases from undue and too frequent s.e.xual intercourse. Sometimes the excessive flow occurs during the regular menstrual period, while in other cases it may manifest itself out of season--sometimes as often as two or three times a month. The duration of the normal period of menstrual flow, however, varies greatly among different women; the normal period may be said to last from two to six days, so what might be an excessive flow for one woman would be only normal for another--temperament plays a large part in determining the quant.i.ty of the menses.

Some of the accompanying symptoms of Menorrhagia, or profuse flow, are la.s.situde, shortness of breath, faintness, dizziness, headache, irritability and nervousness, and often also leucorrhea between periods.

The general treatment consists in measures calculated to bring the general health of the woman back to the normal. The building up of the general system, by means of nouris.h.i.+ng food, proper exercise, etc., will almost always result in curing this disorder.

A well-known authority has well said: ”The hygiene of menstruation can be expressed in two words: CLEANLINESS AND REST.”

So far as Rest is concerned, the woman need not be urged to take it at this period--that is, if she is able to do so. Care should be taken not to exercise unduly at this time, and under the head of exercise may be included dancing, horseback riding, and automobiling, as well as the more common forms of athletic work.

It would seem that common sense and the general desire for cleanliness and daintiness would cause all women to observe the plain hygienic laws of Cleanliness at the time of the menstrual period. And, indeed, it is probable that such would be the case were it not for the fact that some ancient superst.i.tions still exert their power over the mind of many women, in regard to the use of water during the menstrual period. While it is true that cold baths, or cold-water bathing, are not advisable for the average woman during the menstrual period (although some especially robust women bathe and swim as usual during this period), this prohibition does not apply to the use of WARM water during the period.

Lukewarm baths are permissible at this time; and the woman should wash the external genital parts with warm water, with soap if desired, every morning and evening of the period. A v.a.g.i.n.al douche of lukewarm water is an excellent adjunct to the bathing of the parts.

It is astonis.h.i.+ng to meet with the superst.i.tious prejudice existing in the minds of some women concerning the use of the v.a.g.i.n.al douche; these good creatures seem to think that it is either unnatural and unhealthy, or else is something ”not respectable,” and fit only for the use of immoral women. These women should get in touch with modern hygienic methods, and learn to use the douche at least during their menstrual periods. At this time, if the plain rules of cleanliness are not observed, there often occurs a decomposition of the blood which has gathered in or about the genitals, and an offensive odor is manifested.