The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-16
Health of American Women.

December there is symposium in which
the Health of American Women" is
discussed in most interesting and in
structive manner by DR.. bio Lewis,
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and DIR. james
Read Chadwick. 1t is subject which
every one has at heart more or less. and
the wider correct intelligence in respect
to it is spread the better for all of us
and for the coming generations. The
chief point of attack on the part OF DR..
Lewis is the corset. He is perfectly salts
fed of the fact that it causes great in
jury through the displacement of abdom-
inal parts, and tends to render those
kinds of exercise impracticable or un-
profitable which conduce to health. 1t is
his claim that naturally woman is a
healthy being, and the equal, or very
nearly so. in size and strength to man.
He has prosecuted his Investigations
far and wide, andhe finds marked phys
ical inferiority only where the corset
prevails. He has inquired of numerous
missionaries with respect to savages,
and he has used his own eyes with re-
spect to others. He finds, if anything,
the uncorseted woman is the stronger
animal of the two, the man being some
what weakened by vices. An Indian
woman is about as tough and strong rs
pony. and Dahomey Amazon con-
siders herself the equal of two men.
The women Of the poorer classes in Ire
land and Germany, DR.. Lewis claims,
are as healthy rs the men and can doas
much hard work of the same kind. He
cites many examples of weak women re-
stored to health and strength by right
dressing and living. The errors in wo-
mans dress are: u. The corset, which
reduces the waist from three to fifteen
inches, and pushes the organs within
downward. 2. Unequal distribut on.
While her chest and hips are often over
loaded, her arms and legs are so thinly
clad that their imperfect circulation
compels congestion of the trunk and
head. 8. Long, heavy skirts, which drag
upon the body and impede the move
ment of the legs. 4. Tight shoes, which
arrest circulation and make walking
difficult; high heels, which increase the
difficulties in walking, and so change
the center of gravity in the body as to
produce dislocation in the pelvic viscera.
He quotes from professor in prom
inent medical college, who says: al am
sure without being able to demonstrate
it, that ninety per cent of so-called
female weaknesses have their origin in
corsets and heavy skirts. They not only
depress the pelvic organs by their pres
sure and weight, but weaken all OF their
normal efforts"
Mrs. Stanton is inclined to lay con-
siderable stress on the proposition that
the health of American women is i'm
paired because she is denied her mental
and physical rights rs compared with
those of men. The girl takes to heI
needle while the boy develops his muscle
and mind in advantageous employment.
Men have diversity of callings adapt
cd to irindividual predictions; most
women simply keep house. no matter
what their predictions are. The world
of one is larger than that of the other
She calls for equality, for co-educatior
of the sexes, and a wider sphere for wO'
man in order to give her capacities affair
show, and also that she may have some
thing else to think about than the com
inc husband, and something else to dc
than to dance and iiirt. She must dress
sensible and lead fuller life in every
way if she would fulfill her physical as
well as other possibilities.
DR.. Chadwick makes combination
of the two kinds of criticism given above
though he is not so specifically vindic
tive about the corsets. They are bac
enough, however. He enters into the
physiological field rather more infinitely
than DR.. Lewis, and does what he cal
to explode the error that the woman
needs rest during certain periods OF the
month. When nature is not abused Il
takes care of its processes, and there il
no more exhaustion at one timo thar
another. If she needs it, it is only be
cause she has injured herself. Her cdu
cation is defective, according to DR.
Chadwick, very much as Mrs. Stanton
points out She permits our climate tt
contine her to the house more than wo
men in other civilized countries do. Hel
food and drink are not what they ought
to be, and he makes the somewhat re-
lnarkable statement that hcthnks more
injury is done TO women by tea, in the
United States, than to men by alcohol.
But he does not take n very discourag-
ing view of the situation, and has "seen
so vast an improvement in their phys
ica and mental vigor during the few
wears over which (his) personal observa.
ton extends that Chez feels encouraged
to predict for them in the near future as
great pre-eminencein physical and men
tai strength as is now, universally ac'
corded to them for physical beauty" 1t
is rather nice in the Doctor TO say this.
1t sounds more pleasant than the words
of DR.. Lewis to the effect that 'whilt
we are SO proud OF orr teIegraphs ant
railroads and grand inventions and
magnificent improvements and large
corn crops. that we run our printing
presses all night to proclaim our glory
to the rising sun, our doctors. standing
in the midst of nation of men sucking
tobacco, caution nation of corsetec