Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-07-29
Decay Of American Wsnen.

The Scalpel, medical paper published
in New York, contains the following re-
marks relative to the "Early Decay Of Amer
ican Women" There il quite too much
truth in what the writer says. He takes
for illustration brother and 4 sister-ths
former six and tho latter eight years old:
@Ws give the girl two yssrs the start Of
the boy. to make her condition equal to his
at the onset. Both have endured the tor
ture Of bandaging, pinuing and tight dress
ing at birth; both have been rocked, joune.
ed upon the knee, psp'd, laudnaum'a, par
egeric'd, castor oipd, and sufocatsd With q
blanket oven tho head, sweltered with cap
and feather bed, roasted At FIRE Of anth.
racite, and poisoned with the foul air Of an
unventilated chamber, according to the uni.
versal formula Of some superannuated doc.
tor or experienced nurse-proba both:
for these people usually hunt in couples, and
are very gracious to each other. We give
the girl enough start to make up for the
benefit the boy has derived from .chasing
the cat, and an occasional tumbls lin the
hall or yard, and the torture she has endur-
ed from her sampler, and being compelled
to sit up straight" and not be . Shoyden."
Our little couple start for school, with
such minimum Of lungs ~ the unnatural
life they have led will allow, and a stomach
that is fresh enough TO endure bad bread.
plum cake, candies, and diseased milk. The
reader will remember that naturs IL bcnef-
cent, and will endure much abuse before
she succumbs. Well, they are of for
school. Observe how circumspectly- NV
little Miss walks. Soon she chides her
brother for being @rude." He, nothing
daunted. starts full tilt after stray dog or
pig; and though he often tumbles into the
mud, and his clothes spoiled, the result il
soon visible in an increase Of lungs and rud-
dy cheeks. He cannot run without more
breath; be cannot continue to run without
increased dimensions and power Of lungs !;
he cannot have large lungs without good
digestion; he will feel well and thrive apace.
They are now at school seated on bench
without back, and often with their legs
hanging down, SO that the poor back bone
has no earthly support. Thus sits the wrstch-'
ed child with book in hand from 9 10 IL
o'clock, and sometimes until three. The boy
with the aid0of sticking pin now and then
into bis neighbor, and occasionally falling
from his bench from pure nervous exhaus-
ton, to the great relief of his stagnant vss-
sells and torpid nerves.. endures it till anOth-
sr msrciful pig or dog chase makes him feel
that be is alive. .5r ,.
But our unfortunate Miss il in distress
ed condition. She is charged to awalk
straight home," where she is allowed to Sc
lect her dinner from those articles that af-
ford tho least nutrition, such As pastry,
cake, rich puddings and apples. This, by
the way, is her second meal, having taken
one either at breakfast or at lunch.
After dinner she either sits down at her
sampler or piano, and in all probability
finishes the days feeding with etea and pro-
serves. She is then posted Of to feather
bed In an unventilated room, with the door
shut for fear the little darling will take cold
| A Motifs stove or furnace keeps the upper
chambers from IS to 100 deg, and, tho
feather beds and blankets retain the heat
Of. tho body; and thus the wrstched little
creature swetters till morning. What won-
| dor that she gets the spinal curvature, If not
actual deposites of tubercles in the body Of
her vertebrae or lungs!