The sun., 1883-03-25
llyeieae for Girls.

A volume OF useful hints and admonitiOnS
bearing the title Hygiene for Girls tAppletons)
has been prepared by DIR. InENxus p. DAVIS.
There is reason to believe that American
girls. especially In our scaboard States. arc
more robust vigorous and blooming than their
mothers were at the samo age. and II is the OBJ
jcct Of this book to promote the further
development Of healthful usagcs and habits.
The marked Improvement dlsccrnible In
the present as compared with tho past genera
tion IL due not only to n more widespread
conformity to hygicnic principles in general.
but notably to the deferring Of marriage TO n
later. and phystologically safer. period OF life.
The daughters Of mothers who were married
Mt twenty five have, other things being equal. a
much better chance OF inhcriting sound and
strong body than they would have II their
mothers had become married women mt elgh-
teen or twenty. DIR. Davis lays great stress on
the physiological eNredicncy Of postponing on
trance into the marriage relation until the age
OF twenty-five at the earliest in the case Of
young women belonging to northern races and
dwelling in the temperate zono.
In a chapter on feminine employments DIR.
Dayis takes different ground from that main
tanned with 80 much energy by the late DR..
Clarke OF Boston. He can SEQ nothing in the
physical character Of women which should
hinder them from adopting any Of the so-called
professions or Of tho vocations collectively
designated undor tho name OF business. to
which their aptitudes or inclinations may
direct them. To most departments Of the mer
camille calling. md to many trades. he con-
sders women nearly as we'll adapted physically
as men. and he reminds us that in some
European countries they are much more gem
orally engaged in such work thnn In the United
States. II DIR. Davis speaks with less positive
ness touching tho fitness OF women
to practise surgery and medicine than
concerning their qualifications for other pro-
fessions. 1T is because he has In view the
specially nrduous and exacting toll incident to
his own calling. which will not admit of peri
odical vacations recurring at short intervals
Yet such periods Of abstinence from severe Ia
Dor. lasting from one 10 four days In every
month. are. 1t seems. ind pcn sable TO every
adult woman IL she would retain her health
OF course. TOO. when the author advocates the
employment Of girls in mercantile business
and In manufactures he is careful to insist
on nm Intelligent application OF we!l-known
hygienic rules. Shop girls. for instance,
should inynriably bc provided Win 'saSts ~. nnd
packages. As to sewing machines. DR. Davis in-
sists that they must not be used at all by
women until they are wholly maturea and
never long enough to become fatigued. In
this emphatic warning hs hns in view the
ordinary machines which are worked by the
feet. Amos; all tho physiological objections to
the use OF this invention are eliminated in
many large factories. the sewing machines
being run by steam and the operators having
only to arrange and guide the work.
We would also direct special attention to the
chapter of this book entitled "Hygicnic
Morals. The subject is n ditllcult one TO treat
profit to thu reader. DIR. Davis has handled his
theme with dciicacy. yet he con,rives to make
his meaning perfectly intrlligbe. Several Of
the suggestions made strike us MS singularly
acute and valuable.