The Opelousas courier., 1894-06-09
rHH GREAT EVIL OF THE AGE.
A Medical Warning.
By John Ellis, M. D., author of the "Ayoidabl'
Causes of Diseases"

A Medical Warning.
Rv John Ellis, M. D., author of the "Ay0ldable
Causes Of Diseases"
Now, fellow.countrymen, many or the
earnestly in behalf of "Dress Reform"
but they are overshadowed by, the 49,
norance, heedlessness or selfishness OF
fashion and have had only
moderate success; but the women nave
worked nobly and we'll for the rescue OF
man from the slavery resulting from
the use of alcoholic and fermented
drinks, and tobacco, and they have done
and are doing q good work. Can we
not respond and do something to res
cue tho women and girls Of our country
from the most fearful temptation INC
slavery of fashion which are so rapidly
impairing the vitality OF the native
American race? Seventy years ago tLe
average number Of children IN native
New England families was not less than
four or FIVE, and the number OF chiidren
in the families Of French Canadians
who are settling in New England TO-
day we are told is not less than four or
Eve. whereas the average number in
American families is but one and a all:
We we'll know that this decrease in the
number of children in native families
does not depend upon this habit alone,
but tight dressing is certainly n OF
the chief causes Of the increasing ina
bility to bear, nurse, and care for and
raise children.
Kind hearted readers, not only 10
New England but also ID New iofk
and other states, please look around
YOU among your acquaintances who are
d%escendents Of the Puritans and other
early settlers of our country, and notice
the number of municipalities who
have been married within the last TWEEN
ty or thirty years who have no children,
and the number who have not more
than one or two children, and see how
few have more than three or FOUR u
do nothing for the rescue OF our race
md Our women from unnecessary suf-
DR.. d. Benjamin, in an illustrated ar
ticle in The Annals of Hygiene--a Jour
nal Of Health-after earnestly calling
attention to "the commercial view of
style in women's clothing" and in
speaking of the relation of the WAIST to
diseases of women" says: "The hu-
man body contains 10 useless space.
The organs contained within the body
are of the proper size, and cannot be in
creased or diminished in size without
impairing their functions and causing
their utter ruin. Nor car they be dis
placed without injury. These are facts
admitted by ANTAGONISTS, physiologists,
and physicians" Again he says: THE
evil effects of the publication in the
such illustrations as we have III Fig. l,
consists mainly, perhaps in its educa-
ting the ayes of young women to a false
model, inclining them to believe this is
the ideal, their constant efforts to attain
which result so disastrously to their
health. The printing of such cuts, be-
ing 80 great an insult to the intelligence
and taste of humanity, as well as dis
astrous to health, should be prohibited
If there are any evils in the world
which should be prohibited by legal en-
actments, surely the painting, engrav-
ing, public exhibition, and printing and
circulating through our periodicals and
mails of such false and perverted repre-
sensations Of the female form, and the
manufacture and sale of corsets which
are so rapidly impairing the health and
vitality of our women and thus aiding
can race, should be prohibited. We
uIOu = AC0POA6A0AO u
Of these evils unrestrained, foE~w6 only
hold the right to vote for-ehr legisla-
tors Let our girls~hnd women cast
away their csrssts and tight dresses
they will feel ''all gomez for a time
stand up as erect as possible, repeatedly
draw in a full breath and expand their
lungs to their utmost capacity many
times a day, and they will receive re-
newed vitality, strength, health, and
beauty, and our native race may yet be
preserved from the threatened annihi-
latiOn.
This article has been written for no
one periodical, but copies Of it will be
sent the leading periodicals of our coun-
try with the hope that their editors will
feel a sufficient interest in the welfare
and happiness of the women of our land,
and in the future of the native Ameri
can people, to give it an insertion, and
thus place it before their readers; for
if our race lie ever to be elevated from
its present state of suffering, sorrow.
and evil, it must and will be done large
ly through the influence of the press.