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

where. Marriage at too early an age on the part
and many applications for divorce. These are
the principal factors in the indictment against
early marriages. Yours very truly,
DIR. A. T. A. King is widely known through
out this country and Europe as distinguished
teacher and writer. He holds the professorship
OF obstetrics and diseases of women in the med
ical department of the Columbian university at
Washington. besides filling the same chair in
the medical department of the university Of
Vermont. His manual of Obstetrics is re-
garded everywhere as a standard text book on
the subject The letter which I append from him
is Enthusiastically direct ana to the purpose.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
COLUMBIAN UNIVERSITY, :
WASHINGTON, D. c., May l. 1890. }
DEAE DocToR-In reply to your request for my
version on the subject OF the proper age for girls
to marry, would say that there is no absolute
rule that can be laid down for all women. This
is because so much depends upon the station and
mode of life, the occupation, the health and the
hereditary tendency of each individual. must
say, however. that personally am in favor of
early marriage. but by that mean at the age of
about seventeen or eighteen years, certainly not
sixteen, fifteen or ounYer. To strong, mus
cular girl leading an active life out-of-doors In
the pure country air, and not overtaxed by over
study ana exciting amusements, fash
%oud not SS Be so n3rous as to oge
brought up In a luxurious, city home with little
or no fresh air and exercise, her nervous system
exhausted by severe study and society diver
sions land her Vitality lowered by dancing in
impure atmosphere OF oyer-heaoed rooms. Too
early marriages tend to injure the health and
| strength and shorten the lives of women as we'll
as to produce feeble, degenerated and short
lived offspring. Girls coming from, or whose
parents were born or raised in very hot climate
like that of the Oriental countries for example
may, of course, contract marriage at an earlier
age than these bora in our country of American
parents. With kind regards | am very truly
yours, A. F. A. KING.
DR.. F. a. Davenport, professor of gynaeoology
in the medical department Of Harvard uniyer-
sity, is well qualified to write on the subject
yTIagTi an ha
on gynaecology has received The hearty common
dation of medical men and medical journals gen.
orally throughout both hemispheres. He sends
the following letter:
No. PARK SQUARE, Boston, April %, $780,
MY DEAR DoCToR-In reply to your letter of
inquiry as to what is the best age for girls to
marry, would say that in my opinion they GER
tainly should not do SO before they are eighteen
years OF age, and that in many cases twenty
would be much better. From twenty to twenty
three, even Twenty-Five, are the best years.
This is so because up to eighteen or twenty years
of age girl is still growing, and che needs first
to be thoroughly developed herself before
undertaking the duties and responsibilities
Of motherhood. She cannot marry before this de-
velopment is completed without detriment to her
own health and that OF her offspring. liza woman
waits until twenty before marrying she viii as
rule, endure the cares OF maternity better, have
healthier children and preserve her own health
and youth much longer. This is the main argu-
ment in my opinion, though there are other
minor considerations which would also have
f. Il. DAVENPORT.
DR.. T. Gaillard Thomas, professor of diseases
Of women in the college Of physicians and sur
geons, New York, is an officer and member OF
more learned societies-Americsn and foreign
devoted 10 this branch of medicine than perhaps
any other American physician. his deservedly
high reputation IS brilliant and reliable writer
upon all subjects connected with his speciality
gives peculiar weight to his views expressed
below:
800 MADISON AVENUE,
New YORK, April %, 1890. I
DEAR DocroR-In my opinion it is a great
mistake and practice very much to be repre-
hended for girls to marry before they have at
tanned the age of eighteen years. The state
ment mits of no controversy that prior to ar
irving at that age they are not fully matured.
On physical grounds, therefore, should select
an age between eighteen and twenty years
as the one at which it would be wiseSt and best
for girls TO marry. Yonrs very truly,
T. GAILLARD THOMAS.
DR.. VIM. GoodelI, professor of genacology in
the university OF Pennsylvania, located in Phil
delphia, has had very wide experience in the
practice Of his speciality, and has made many
valuable additions to its literature. he express
ses his views below in no uncertain madner:
llls SPRUCE STREET, PHILADELPHIA. Pa,
April IS, 1890.
Ny DEAR DocToR-I object 10 early marriages.
because the character cannot possibly have be-