New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-13
sESOTFRIC, PHYSIOLOGY,

The Mother and her Offspring; by Stephen Tracy,
NJ d. formerly Missionary Physician of the A. B. c,
T. NJ to the Chinese" is a l2mo of 36l pages which
the Harpers will soon ISSUE when it will doubtless be
duly noticed in columns with Othernew publications
Suffice it for the present that it seems upon hasty
examination, to be lucid, chaste instructive, scen
ic exposition Of the nature and laws of Reproduction
intended to guard against sexual abuses and errors
whereof ignorance is main occasion and the only
valid excuse We should judge this good book as it
is certified TO be by number Of most respectable
cergymen, physicians, &c. who have read it in manu-
script.
But we do not propose now to speak decisively of
this work, but of the class to which il belongs-or,
more accurately of the class to which it does not be-
long We allude to the deluge of works on Sexual
Physiology which are pulled and quacked throughout
the land written by persons of character,
than none and pushed into circulation by all manner
of mock-auction devices aud preposterous selflauda
ton. We shall not name any OF these books nor their
authors; they get advertised quite sufficiently We
cannot even claim tOlerabe acquaintance with one Of
them bat we have or two and reliably heard
from many mOre-and they are very much alike, save
as each new one contrves be detestable than
all its predecessors Bad very much of the yellow
covered literature Of our day is, consider this
quack Physiology considerably Its ndecency is
not confined 10 expressions and pictorial representa-
tions-it pervades the whole body and spirit of each
work rendering it deadly foe of all instructive
modesty and ready generator of all lewd and vile
suggestions Some works of this class are open adver
tisements of Abortion specifics and other devices of
echery too abOminable TO be named Nearly all of them
assume Incontinence to be the natural Cor at least the
usua) practice of mankind and being extensively and
perseyerngy advertised in reputable journals whose
Editors never saw them and cannot be sure of their
character from the terms in which they
cOmmendea-nay, who know that any persecution of
their authors by refusing TO advertise these produc
tOns would give them that very notorey and currency
they seek-are pushed into circulation by thousands
upon thousands We presume most of the purchasers
are badly educated, weakprinciped boys of prurient
imaginatons and icentous habits yet it cannot be
doubted that many copies are purchased by persons
big enough to know better and even by those who
would be ashamed of being caught in their perusal.
What we would suggest with regard to works of this
class-the good as well the badis this Never touch
one of them however exOrbitantly commended, until
you shall have first inquired into the character Of the
author If you ascertain that he is really man of
science and man Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. capable, and
of unspotted reputaton-yOu may safely buy and read
his book but if you can learn nothing Of him, at
least nothing good then be his work is one that it
ia very safe to let alone and act accordingly We might
say very much more on this topic, but enough is as
good as feast