Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-03-09
Physl0l .,gU for Women,

Women, in all classes and degrees OF
society, have more to do with the pre-
servatiOn and duration of human life
even than men. 1t has been argued that,
inasmuch as even the brutes know in
stinctively how to take care of their
young, 50 must women he able to do the
same. But the human infant is the mos;
helpless of creatures, and nothing is
more lamenlable than To witness the anx.
eties and agonies of the young mother
as TO how she should manage her fist
born. In no system of education are
women taught the structure aid require
ments of the offspring which will be
committed TO their charge; and certain
ly no error can be greater than to sup
pose that the senses and instincts are
sufficient for teaching man as TO his
physical, vital and intellectual wants
The enormous loss of life among infants
has struck all who has paid attention 10
the subject, and there can be no ques-
ton that this is mainly owing to neg.
lect, want of proper food or clothing, of
cleanliness, of fresh air, and other pre-
ventable causes. But women are the
wives and regulators of the domestic
households. They also constitute the
great mass OF our domestic servants.
On them depends the proper ventilation
of the rooms, and especially the sleep
ing-rooms, in which all mankind on an
average spend one-lhird of their lives.-
Children are too of; en- shut up all day
in crowded nurseries, and when i'll, are
subjected TO numerous absurd remedies
l.. g.,
Their clothing is often useless or neg
ted, the dlctation of fashion rather
than of comfort and warmth being too
frequently attended to. The cleanliness
of the house also depends on women,
and the removal of organic matter from
furniture and linen, the decomposition of
which is so productive of disease. Fur
ther, the proper choice and preparation
OF food is entrusted to them-all these
are physiological subjects, the ignorance
of which is constantly leading to the
greatest unhappiness, ill-health and
death. Among the working classes it is
too frequently the improvidence and ig.
norance OF the women which lead to
the lntemperance and brutality OF the
men, from which originate half the vice
and crime known TO our police Offices
and courts of justice. Additional argu
ments for the study of physiology by
women may be derived from the consid
Grafton of-1st, the effect of fashionable
clothing-tight lacing, naked shoulders
thin shoes, high-heeled boots-often sub
versive of health; 2nd, the great objects
OF marriage-the production of healthy
offsprng-and all the foresight, care and
provision required, but too often neg
lected through ignorance, to the danger
both of mother and child; 3rd, the
proper employment of women. which
should be regulated with regard to theil
conformation and constitutions; and 4th
nursing the sick, which is one of the
most holy occupations of women, and
which would be much more intelligently
done if they possessed physiological
knowledge. Doubtless those who re
gard this study as too difficult and tech
nical for young men, will decry it alse
for women; yet it so happens that fol
them nothing is so truly interesting as
this science. Women in all ranks OF So
ciety should haYe physiology taught to
them. 1t should be an essential subject
in their primary, secondary, and higher
schools. So strong are my convictions
on this subject that esteem it special
duty to lecture on physiology to women
and when ever l have done SO, hav,
found them most attentive and interest
ed in the subject, possessing, indeed, .
peculiar aptitude for the study, and al
instructive feeling, whether as servants
or mistresses, wives or mothers, thai
that science contains for them, more
than any other, the elements of real and
useful knowledge.
Pref Bennett, IN Mature.