, 1877-11-03
CO.EducatiOn Of the Sexes.


II is now four years since DR.. Clark, of
Boston. pointed out. in his treatise on
"Sex in E3rcation the peculiar dangers
70 which girls were exposed, by all such
schemes as undertook to put them on the
level of boys, or as pitted them against
bows. in their educational career The eA-
periment of co-educatiou oi the sexes,
which at first was caagh; up by ad-
ranced" thinkers as quite obviously de.
sirable movement, has been fully tried
during the interval, in the University OF
Wisconsin. and the board OF visitors OF
that institution have recently discussed
the results of the experiment IN careful
Iy written report So far as intellectual
propress goes, the visitors find that the
girls are, if anything, ahead OF the boys
Their examination papers were better than
those of eircoinpetitors IN many respects
But when the board came Ia inquire INTO
the physical condition of their pupils a
yery different state of facts Wis disclosed.
They say, speaking of the female pupils;
awe were deeply impressed with the
appearance Of ll-health which most of
them presented. 1t would not seem prob
able that. by mere coincidence, 50 many
young women should be consreSated to-
pcther Offering this pecuilarIty- There
are a few notable exceptions, but on the
whole their appearance Is unmlstakaoie'
and has given rise to considerable COM
ment among the members Of the board.
There can be nothing about the HYGIENE
condition of the University, IN any OF ITS
narts. which would give rise to ill-health.
Every part examined presented an appear
ance Of cleanliness; the food in the ladies'
han was wholesome and well pre- Jared; the
sertice-rooms clean; the domltorIes well
Eohted and aired, and of sufficient capacI-
ty. We are therefore compelled To look
elsewhere for the cause and they find 1t
where DIR. Clarh told them to look tor 1t
four years ago.
The truth is that there are unsurmount-
able physiological obstacles to the co-edu-
cation of the sexes. The process OF struet-
ural DE- velopmenJ in the two sexes are rad
ically different During the years in her
lie when the weight of educational tram
ing presses most heavily, the girls system
is compelled by Nature 10 bear the strain
of organic growths which impose a heavy
tax upon the vital energy. Now, as TINS
vital energy is constant quantity, 1t fol
lows that If 1t has t. be shared between the
demands of the classroom, one or the
other must fall short. Under the system
of co-cducatiol the mental excitement and
the competition reider 1t certain that the
classroom will secure the hons share Of
energy, and consequently the amount
which was absolutely required to complete
the structural changes and 9rowths, Is not
there when wanted.
The result is what tn board Of visitors
of the Wisconsin University describe.
They say that the girls i'll that institution
are nearly all anemic that Is, bloOd!ess.
They have put their vital energy into
their studies, and they have none left
wherewith to build up their constitutions.
This is bad enough: but worse remains
behind. The strong probability is that
the majority Of these young women have
been ruined for life by the fatally foolish
system under which they have been edu-
Gated. For, as DR.. Clark pointed out, the
evil effects Of this unhealthy competition
appear in their full extent only after the
pupil has left school, and often only after
she has entered !ite and attempted to dis
charge the appropriate functions OF her
sex, rs a wife and mother 1t is then that
the extent Of the ravageS committed upon
the system by co-education begin to ap-
pear, and ii is then the helpless victim
discovers that she must pay the bitter pen
atty of those few years of mental excite
citement and competision, by dragging
through the rest Of her life "a long tram OF
incurable diseases.
In fact. co-educat:on is al outrage up
on science and reason, and can only be
supported by those whose r.ter ignorance
of physiology renders their opinion value
less The effects of the system i'll the
Wisconsin University will, it is to BE-
hoped, attract general attention to the
evils Of the method, and lead to It's aban-
donment. 1t is sufficiently evident that
we cannot turn women into men, and that
all attempts to SET up a mock equality be
tween two essentially and structurally diff
ferent beings must end III the iniiiction of
cruel injuries upon the weaker us also
more delicate sex. Nor is the breed of Il
native American woman SO robust and
hardy that we can afford to play tricks
with it, unless we desire to make a speedy