Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-03-01


DIR. Montrose A. Pallen of New York City. He
fills column IN The World of February 2, with
his ideas of "Education and Maternity Of
Woman"
DR.. Pallen is a specialist in the diseases Of
women, and he surely ought to know. He says,
1.-THE rapid progress OF intellectual development,
and the excessive accumulation of wealth mark
high degree of civilization baneful to the women
of this century,"
The doctor presents number Of unique argu-
ments, and he finally winds up with the following:
The discussion of this question is not to be con-
fined to the medical profession aone-t is one in
voving, in great degree the future of the nation,
and it would seem to the cursory reader an appar-
ent contradiction to say that the increase of intel
lectuality and learning in our women Of the nine
teenth century units vast numbers for the duties
Of motherhood 1t does not require very erudite
observers to note the fact that the birth of the
child Of highly educated mothers usually involves
nearly two weeks Of time before that mother re-
sumes even the lightest of her household duties,
while the North American squaw, the Australian
Maori woman or the Kaffir African wife is rarely
occupied whole day in completion of this act Of
nature and is truthfully vouched for that among
the Sioux and Blackfeet Indians scarce four hours
are requisite. These facts, utterly at variance with
the civilized processes, must carry conviction
with them that an undoubted experience gives evil
dence Of its undoubted truth.
To the thoughtful humanitarian, as well as the
scientific medical man, this condition is worthy
deep and careful study in order to cry halt be-
cause these facts exist, and to warn us to cast
about for some means to prevent this physical
deterioration of our women, while they are being
intellectually trained as if they were to enter an
arena to tilt with gigantic brainworkers, and for
no other duty in life. If such proposition were
presented to the logical scientist be would IN all
probability, first study the cause and then recon-
mend the treatment. If this condition goes on
for several generations the statistics of maternity
will show an appalling decrease in motherhood
with an ultimate extinction of family increase in
women Of excessive teaching and superintendent
learning.
The curse of Eve, therefore, falls only upon her
fair-faced descendants. The beauty of the eau
casian, together with the intellectually of COM
bned Greece and Egypt, give the white sister no
immunity from suffering; IL even extends beyond
the physical pain. She is now beginning to realize
that she is deprived of the sweet solace of mater
nifty because of this very education and brain Gull
tivation.
Now comes the question, Why is it that in
creased learning and higher intellectually become
barriers to maternity?
What we see in the old maid, because Of failure
to marry, becomes rapidly such condition when
marriage ensues in the overturned and highly in
telectua young maden-one child may be born
and it is usually feeble, skinny catarrhal. No
more children follow, and the mother, she Of al
most Grecian beauty, she who was the most
learned Of the graduating class, she who delivered
the salutatory in Latin, she who could in an in
slant tell you if fossil was of the miocene, plo-
Gene or drift geologic age-her brain was phenom-
email, her personal beauty beyond Oriental dreams,
her information encyclopaedia, but her capacity
for motherhood failed after one poor, feeble effort