The morning call., 1891-09-23
WOMAN'S WEAKNESSES
The Opening Lecture of DIR. A. NJ.
LOngshore-Potts.
The Lady Physician Discusses Female Health
and Ailments to an Immense Audi
ence of Her Own Sex.

The opening lecture in Mrs. DIR. A, Nj.
Longshore-POtts' course on the Health and
Diseases of Women" was delivered at the
Baldwin Theater yesterday afternoon. No
admission was charged, but the lecture was
open to ladies only.
Groups of eXpectant women waited for the
opening of the doors fully two hours before
the time announced, and when DR.. Potts
stepped upon the stage she faced sea OF
female faces, whose owners occupied every
seat box, step and corner in the house.
The lady lecturer spoke without notes in
clear, well-mOdulated voice, which easily
reached every corner Of the theater. She
was frequently applauded during the course
of her address, and was listened to with
GREATNESS attention as she advised her
auditors to know themselves" and to
study the secrets of female health and
disease.
I'VE have come Into this world to grow
into perfect manhood and wOmanhood-
physically, mentally and morally" she
said. IN order that we may achieve this
full development of our natures we must
understand ourselves. The laws OF nat ure
must be obeyei, and we will suffer the cou-
sequence of any violation. The human sys-
TEN is a mechanical organization which
must be compreheuded 10 bring out It's uses.
II is not rare thing 10 see men and women
suffer mental and physical anguish How
many persons when they reach the age of
40 or so years are troubled with various dis
eases!
PHYSICAL LAWS VIOLATED.
"There are many mothers too i'll to carry
pleasant face, and n youth from 10 to II
years will not have strength OF body 10
learn the ordinary studies at school, When
the father is taken away from the family
biS hriu n fIOsa aFOnnI.
And why? Because there has been vio-
latIon of the physical laws. There are
heartaches for one and another because
death has broken up the family little
chlld's death always causes intense grief to
the mother. AS she stands by the side OF
the coffin, looking at her child, who but
short time ago had the glow of health on his
cheeks, now lying dead and cold with his
little hands folded, the mother is suffering
terrible anguish.
would gladly depart from this world with
her little child. We say that God takes
these infants away, but that is an error.
God would never send a human soul into the
world for an hour, to bloom and die like
rosebud. Infants die because of the sins
and Ills OF their parents and through the
misuse of love. After death has visited the
household then that mother grasps any
thing that will save herself ana children
from further harm.
STUDY THE HUMAN SYSTEM.
Let me urge you to study the human
system before such dark picture comes to
| Won. II you do THIS you can live independent
of disease. Study, and with newly acquired
knowledge, be enabled to live without those
ailments which others suffer. When this is
attained we Will have less crimes. Why is
| it that so many crimes are being committed
every day? Did you ever stop to think that
| crime is the outcome of a diseased mind or
body. a man in that condition is wicked
| and will commit crimes, and when the
minds or bodies OF women are diseased they
| too will do that which would otherwise be
| impossible to their nature. Pain and suffering
| induce many woman to submit to opera
| lions which destroy infant life and leave her
a manned and stricken being.
THE good health of women Is Of vital
| Importance, for upon the mothers health
posteIity depends. Woman has ner par
ticular ailments and Affections and is capa-
bic of much greater suffering than man.
There is no indelicaey in speaking and
thinking of these matters which affect hu-
man life and happiness. 1t Is more credlta-
bic TO a woman TO blush for her ignorance
than for her knowledge OF herself Nothing
ordered by nature should cause shame or
embarrassment, and a woman need never
be Disconnected by learning truths about
her most secret and delicate organization.
Men and women differ in their shapes
and forms in their thoughts and feelings;
Ill lHGtr loves Gnu hliUOsI LUJI oUutS.
The bones of women are softer and OF fuer
texture, and her work is more painful than
that OF man."
STEREoPTICON ILLUSTRATIONS.
The lecturer then proceeded to discuss
ailments peculiar to women, illustrating by
means of enlarged diagrams thrown upon a
canvas sheet by stereopticon, the genera
tive organs in health and disease. explain
ing causes and symptoms OF many diseases
rot uncommon to the sex. She also offered
many practical suggestions TO govern n
woman's care Of herself during maternity,
outlining many common errors in treat
ment.
DR.. Potts condemned tight-lacing, horse
back exercise, tennis, too much walking,
lifting heavy weights and any form OF yio-
lent exercise for girls or women. Chronic
di.eascs are often acquired by school chill
dren through OvereXertlOu at rough games,
teachers urging girls to romp under the
mistaken idea that the exercise would prove
beneficial.
The afternoons entertainment concluded
with the chronological examination by the
lecturer of two women VINO were among Dr.
Potts auditors and who yO uuteered plat
form examination. The possession OF pc
Culiar characteristics was indicated, the
ladies concurrlng in the possession of quail
ties ascrlbst to them by the physic an.
TU-day's lecture Will also he free. On
Sunday the only lecture to both sexes will
be given, entitled Love, COurtshiD and
L.