Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-18
CAUSES OF FE.ALE DEBILlTY.

fhe hours ia which the great majority Of Amer can
mothers and housekeepers free from care and can
90 forth TO breath the fresh air join in social amuse
ments az il common other nations, come few and
far between. To this add ali the mischief done by i'm
pure air. improper food aud neglect OF the skn which
they sba.e CqCa y with q c otner But wort of
all add to these dsadvsnages the perreo1s custom of
Dress by which one half the body is subjected TO
IRENE changes fon heat 10 cld While the other por-
ton is compress cd BY tight girdiny heated by accumu-
lated garmens pressed downSards By whaebones, and
by heavy skirts resting he most delicate crgars.
In rural osJs, even these pernicious customs Of
dre.s have been carried by mantua-nakf from tie
city, and It'll more by the mis.rabe IA HON plates in
our literature, that set forth the distortions Of
deforni,y aud disc 50 as models of taste and
| fashion. Ia our counlry towns, and among the
| Industrial classes it Will be found that tie
tsxltion OF care aud labor the brain Of woman is
even and greater than Il il in the class OF
our cities The wives of rch farmers are ofen ambition
to carry cut plans OF labor and wealth with their hut
bands while at tie tme their daug hters must DO
sent to boarding schools and oil the habits and tastes
Of city life must in qaence be mingled with other
cares The grtai majority OF the American Wonien
have ,hrr brain AID nervous system exhausted ~ too
much aud too much mental tXciiement in their
daily duties while another clss who live IS be waited
on aud amused great sufferers for want Of
worthy object in life or from excess 10 seeking amuse
ment Next there has been any previous genirt.
ton of children who have been so extensively deprived
parlor as those now on tie stsge. The air tight
stoves in bedrooms, the cooking stoves 10 kctepR,
the close stoves in echoolrooms and the far greater
care taken to make windows and doors tight, have
secured tits result. Then the furnaces that 10
generally used keep the atmosphere Of house
far warmer tban it ever becomes With open fires. For
when the body is warmed By rad ated heat from FIRE,
the air lever becomes heated when all warmth s
20 be gained from the surrounding atmosphere. And
the upper part of the room Is always Warmest boil
soves and u keep the head than the feet
aud furnish to the luogs on hea'ed atmosphere 10
breathe In former days. little girls took cold sir.bits
all over their persons whenever they out In these
days they are covered from oil cool air and they stand
registers and take hot-aIr baths when they feel
chill or have cold feet. Besides h the tchool-rooms
ma tighter and heated better than they ever cold
be in o-mer DAYS. Az the SINE time they are crowd.
ed with occupants whose brains, while sirdeedng With
air are stimulated with Intellectual drills srId excl
ting motives 10 exeEtion, such known TO
former generation Little girs especially suffer- r.
all tha. aprerains to health. They must be hcu ed
most Of the time in herted and mprrs air, ad then
when allowed TO go abroad, they nu wear thin slip
p5rs, and must pot romp and run Ike the boys. AID
then, they come to the. trying and critical Pc
rod of life the stimulation of brain increases, the
else dmnishes and tho Donsrous fashions that Eg
distortion and disease a-e a ssmei. In England, the
bigher elias es rarely send daughter 10 boardi' g.
school, but parents secure teachers to educate them at
home and take The greatest ms {, secure healthy
aud perfect physical development Blu in this country,
tbs grea err Dor Of The wealthy ella fesd their
daughters the most critical age, to be close packed
/ Ill ventilated chambers 81 school rooms, by night
and by day, while all physical training is neglected. and
hs brain aud nerves stmtlated ny Intellectual
{ 'ty. TAenty yeas ago, dstngui bed medical man
ga II bis op en- that majority of school girls bad
% IRE or les OF the curvature OF tbs spine. A still
ORE terrific deorpiy than this Is row added the
ut OF ourmiseratls Neglect and abuse Of the young