Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-01

come formed, and because the body cannot have
attained its full and complete deveIopment
ural and unavoidable sequence, that
such marriages are usually very ssy5t4<
healthy ones, Tor the wife's health is pretty ce1
tain to give way very esrly. Girls marrying
earlier than from eighteen to twenty have &c
| chance Of some day being what every me- S%si
woman should live to be, Fair, fat and 49,
Yours truly, WILLIAM GoLzstH
DR.. Mathew D. Mann is the professoS2 Il Up
stetrics and diseases of women and children in
the medical department of tho University of
Buffalo, and is also the dean of that institution
BE is widely known, both in this country and
Europe, as most valuable contributor to the
literature of gynaecology, add sends the follovy-
ing answer to the question propounded to him:i
UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO, MEDICAL De-
PARTMENT, BUFFALO, May 8, 1890.
MY DEAR DocToR-I feel sure that all
the ages you mention, or at any age
prior to eighteen years, cannot fail to he
very Injurious to any girl Prior to eighteen the
ing, and therefore it needs all the nourishmeHt
it can possibly obtain for its own growth AND
nutrition. OF course the earlier the marriage
the more forcibly do these observations apply
and marriage at fifteen or sixteen can hardly
fail to be exceedingly disastrous IN its results4
In view of these facts. it seems TO meto be the
duty of every physician to protest IN the strong+
est manner possible against the practice OF glrlf
contracting marriage prior to the age OF eighteen
years Yours very truly, MATHEW u. MANN.
Dr.. Thomas Adds Emmett enjoys high repu4
, tation as genealogical surgeon, and for some
years past has held the position OF surgeon to
the Woman's hospital, New York. His letter,
printed below, is as trenchantly expressed as
his Principles and Practice OF Gynecology.'
a book which has been widely read and CONF
mended by the medical profession:
SO MADISON AvEEUE, NEW YORK, April q, 1890 (
DEAR DoCToR-In reply to your letter OF in-i
quiry would say that the question OF the age att
which girls should marry IS yeFy serious one,
and Is worthy of the most careful consideration.
1t is one in which the whole world has most
vital interest, and one with regard to !
which young women and their parents generally
need enlightenment. For my own part do not
consider that q woman is fully developed until
she has reached twenty-five or twenty-th
years OF age. A woman runs great risk ii she |
marries under the age Of eighteen years, as she [
is almost certain to be injured by maternity. l
have noticed that large number OF the cases OF
cancer that have had to treat have been those
of women who had contracted marriage at ami
early age. Many other serious ailments are
THOMAS Adds EMMEr.
Dr. Walter F. Alice of Philadelphia is perhaps
the best known of all American medical men in
connection with some of the most difficult and
important operations in gynaecolog1cal surgery,
which he has performed many times upon pa
tients who have come to him literally from all
parts of the world, Bis writings upon these
subjects have commanded universal attention
and respect. His answer to my friends letter il
couched in the following terms: h
PHILADELPHIA, Pa April Is, 1890.
DEAR SIR-There can be no question in my
mind that the proper time for entrance upon the
marriage relation is that period OF life at which
the Developments OF the organism has been
thoroughly completed. and when the constitu-
ton is definitely established. In my opinion,
this would be when man is twenty i've and a
woman twenty years Of age. For the woman
who is Of robust health, perhaps even eighteen :
years may not be too young, but a man should
nos marry before he is at least twenty five years
of age. Please bear in mind that answer as a
physician and not as q morslist or a political
economist. Yours respectfully, u
WALTER F. ATLEB.
DR.. Tneophilus Parvin is generally recognized I
in his profession as one of the highest OF all au
thorities upon the subject under consideration.
He is the professor OF obstetrics and diseases of
women and children in Jefferson medical col-g'
iege, Philadelphia. His writings in connecticut
with the above named branches OF medical
science have been widely puollshed, aHd their 1
reputation as standard works is fuliS estab-
hshed. He writes as follows:
1925 SPRUCE STREE4 ! +,
PHILADELPHIA. May s, 'SA.eA--sl
DHAR DocroR-My opposition TO girls con-
tracing marriage at an eary age Is most plainly
expressed in my work upon obstetrics do not
know howl can possibly give it any stronger
utterance. Girls should be thorough and COM
plete women, physically, mentally and morally
before they become wives. Very Few are per
feetly developed In I'll these respects until be-