Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-06
Health Talks by DR.. Brady
The Confession OF a GynccoIorist.

The Confession OF GynSCOIugfSt.
jin-e-coll- o-jist, to spell It as It Is pro-
nounced. ia n physician who limits his prac-
tice to diseases OF womOn. Maybe his obser-
vations' OF women is littlc biased. for ne
so many morbid ones. And yet. ne secs
as many healthy women the surgeon in
ternist neuroiogist sees normal persons. so
his opinion is as well grounded as any doc
tors opinion OF people may he, and print
his communication here:
Dr. William Brady,
Dear sir
Twice during :hc last few months have
young women asked you about spoonine. one,
ut least. suggesting that IL girls did not per-
nit some little famiiiaritics of that kind they
would not no popular with tho young men.
On ono occasion you very properly replied that
tho girls associates held her In good esteem.
| would like To testify to the correctness
of your advice in that particular. Wonder
ing whether my own personal experience
along this line differed from the pericnccs
Of other men. | went to the trouble to in
quire of scvcral younger men concerning
their mind aud attitude in such matter.
found that your advice with which agree.
is right. The young women arc all wrong who
declare they are left to become wnll-tlowers
II they retain and sustain the dignity of their
womanhood by denying to young men any or
tho liberties sought in spooning caressnt;.
We all like to find plausible excuse
for our failures or our sins. These young
women who dwell upon the necessity OF some
spooninr as sort ur assurance of their social
happiness or welfare Will have to find an
other explanation for their unpopularity.
Every ono OF the many young girls kissed
MS Il young man, lowered herself In my
timation. aud quickly sought another. There
stands out In my memory very distinctly u
picture of two girls whom l could never so
degrade And. of course these were the very
girls ana ali tho other young men in our
social group over pursued
n
years experience, nothing distrcsscs me
nmnng the questions OF social evolution. the
pcrmancncy OF our civilization. the progress
and rctroEression OF our race. rs the status
OF women Since tho twenty years ! have
known her. she has lapscd sadly. For years
] questioned. and now 1 believe that our
civilization. like the culture OF Europe, is pass
ing. and / believe that at least an element in
It is that man no longer can pay that chvalry
and devotion which formerly he gave At the
shrine of woman. Truly,
If the world seems to be growing worse.
morally, is it not mere illusion created by
the large amount of publicity given nowadays
10 the moral de!inqucncicS of the great, the
near great. and the picayunc? Is IL not true
tina, the most trivial little indecencics and
vulEariiics of the scum and the riG-raT OF
the community are nared broadcast with start
ling hoadlncss as "news?' When reads
the history OF AN elder day, tho biographi-
cal and autobioEraphcai letters OF really
great men and women OF past generations
and such literature is usually pretty well cen
sorcd before pub!ication-can he avoid the
conclusion that. aftor NIL. ours is not such
rotten age? (Old readers. note how the author
Is mellowinE with age-cvcn doing a Ben
Franklin in this discussion}.
There more people per squarc block
nowadays, hut not II greater proportion OF
moral depravity. feel sure. And perhaps
misnf formation or tainted instruction in mat
irreparlOle
to youngsters whose parents have cVadcd a
sacred responsibility But in spite OF all this
am confident that we neod lose no sleep
over tho rotrogrcssion of woman, provided
man can be taught in his youth to respect her
just as he would have his mother. sister. or
daughter respected.