The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1856-07-17
Mi5rrllamulla Rraning.
Ihc Respops sibiIits Of Ju )
FOR THE HEALTH OF THEIR orrsrmsc

-
--1 -------
Mr.. EDIToR :--A medical writer has re.
marked, thai Perfect health 10 civilized So
ciety is unknown; il exists only as an ideali-
IT," This startling truth, which any one of
observation cannot dispute, leads to the in
quiry, Who is in faultl A full and impair
tial answer wonld require us to examine the
duties of both sexes. At present, however.
we shall only consider the manner in which
woman discharges her high responsibilities
as mother ofthe race. nd 800 !
From reports published by Miss Beecher,
and Others, we learn that our towns do not
average one healthy wonsan. Nevertheless.
he who teaches that the sex are in fault for
their bodily infrmities, is often regarded as
disappearing; for has not Providence seen
fit to afflict them J! Thus, by making Su-
prcme Power the scape goat, they piousiy ro.
lieve themselves of all responsibility for their
own sufferings, and those which they inflict
upon the race.
When we consider that nj ont every third
woman has q diseased spine, that at least
every fifth one is scrofulous, consumptive,
or possessed Of some other disease transmits
sable to her offspring; and making no esti
mate Of general debility and various weak
nesses, that not one in a hundred can boast
of having no deformed bones, we are led to
ask, what kind of Providence is that who
thus delights in disfguring his noblcst work
Providence establishes laws--those who vic.
late them suffer the penalty. five look from
effects to their causes, we can trace to the
habits and customs of women many Of the
evils which have vitiated the human family.
II cannot be expected that intirm parents,
groaning under load of disease, will give
to the world an nor race. II should not Le
expected that women who shut themselves
in from the inspiring air and sunlight of
heaven, confining their la5ors entirely to The
house or living in indoent luxury,will stamp
their race with signatures of mai iestic grace"
or transmit to the world offspring possessed
of sound mental and physical organizations.
As reasonably may We look for pure spark.
ling waters TO flow from malignant morass
There are those Of the sex that have OBJ
served and reflected much, who know and
acknowledge that women are in fault, Grim
inally so, for scores Of the complaints from
which the race suffer- With such lies the
weighty duty ofcommencing reform, which
shall restore TO the human constitution some
of its pristine tone. At the present time few of
our girls reach the age Of twenty in sound
condition. Large numbers marry and become
mothers-give TO the world suffering of.
spring, and themselves drag ont lives Of pain
SO it viii ever be until education and fash,
ions accord better with the dictates Of nature
until parents observe the laws ofhealth them.
selves, and require them to be observed in
the treatment of their children.
T,l.a Ca. ...,J - -
WHO has been SO fortunate as to inherit no
disease, and to pass through the periods Of
infancy and school with no other misfortune
than to come out rather delicate, teach her
by example to submit TO fashions, however
opposed to the dictates Of sound sense and
the demands Of sound health they may be-
encircle her waist with whalebones and
steel load her hips with skirts. corded,
quilted, hooped and starched, tied tensey
around the person TO keep them in position !;
have her adopt the sedeniary habits Of thou
! sands of our women, and then in few years
look at the woman you have re.created from
the noble girl.
Her whole body is in an abnormal state
Weakness and disease prey upon form,
which .had reasonable course been pursued,
would have been bounding with health.
Thus it is that Providence sends Affections T!
Were they not invitedl
II women would rejoice in the fnlness of
life sc they would give 10 the world an of
spring beautiful and noble, let them make
tho laws of health the great study Of life and
the instruction Of their children therein one
Of their great duties.
Eetthem throw aside whaebones and steel,
and make easy but elegant costumes. Let
them unite the strings which are doing a
work ms fatal as the llaugman's cord. Let
every garment be suspended from the shoul-
ders--let every limb have scope for action
let them spend several hours per diem in the
invigorating air which God has adapted for
their lungs.
Teachers are grossly 10 fault for not bring.
ing these things forcibly before their pupils,
both in practice and in theory. The long
professions formed to take exercise in meas
ured pace, for baifan-hour in the twenty
four, leave no vivid impression upon the pu-
| pill, except remembrance of the stupidity
Of the performance. Let scholars feel the
! pleasure ofliving at least three hours per diem
in the open air, and they will readily oom'
prehend when instructed that It 10 an agree
able duty to do SO. -
The health Of morals and intellect sym
pathizes with that of the body, 1.-THE latter