Part II are to be followed here, but with a baby the in- (Part 4)

A girl needs this balance no less than a boy. It is quite time that we, cast aside the notion that the sole purpose of a woman's creation was to serve man's pleasure and bear him children. Nature does not waste forces in that way. Her lower forms that are born, bring forth their young and die, evidently serve an admirable end; but she has used no elabora- tion of design in their construction. She has filled a woman's life with possibilities, and has emphasized the fact that motherhood is not the sole end, by extending her life and vigor far beyond the child-bearing period. Even when we believe in the laws of gradual evolution we fail to realize that they are even now in progress and that mankind is reaching out toward a higher degree of development physically, morally, and intellectually. PROBLEMS OF PUBERTY 887 Women stand with men in much of the work of in the life. They ought at least to be given equal chances Hfer £o- in their early education, before they can choose for "^ ^JJd themselves what they will attempt to accomplish in the later years. The sex distinctions in childhood are largely a matter of training. The difference is emphasized by T.he sex adults long before the children themselves are at all in chiid- conscious of it. The dress accentuates it, but most baneful of all the repression of physical activities marks the dividing line. Where can the advantage of this method lie? We hear it said that a girl loses her femininity when she romps and plays with her brothers, and shares their active sports. Is it femininity that we want in a ... r J Woman- woman ? Womanliness is the sweeter quality, and Hness gains through vigor of- body and mind, as manliness is linked with courage and strength. The children then of both sexes should be asso- ciated in their work and play with no attempt at emphasizing sex. They are very primitive little ani- mals, and many of the accepted tenets of civilization seem to them like arbitrary dogmas. Their rules of conduct conduct may be fashioned on very simple lines, being children based largely on the elemental principles of fair play and consideration for other persons who form with them their social world. As they gain physical control in their sports and hand work, they will be progressing step by step in mental balance, which will be shown when real de- cisions are to be met. In childhood the physical rules ; in youth the mind should hold sway over the emotions. Real self-control JJjL*?, is attained through activity rather than through re- y°uth presston, and the strictly intellectual life represents 388 CARE OF CHILDREN the fullest and the richest attainment no more truly than does the strictly physical. MASTURBATION Educators perhaps even more than parents real- ize the child's peculiar need of oversight not only during puberty, but throughout the earlier years. The habit Their reports show an appalling prevalence of the abuse habit of self-abuse, or masturbation, a habit which may be self-taught, but which is often communicated from older to younger, which possesses an over- mastering power, and which if not overcome is fol- lowed by unmistakable evidences of general deterio- ration. The care of the external organs should be taught a child, just as dressing himself or bathing is taught the^each- him. Careful cleansing should be insisted upon, for ing of care the irritation arising from neglect is often the cause and clean- ° ° Hness of masturbation, but he can be made to understand without a question that the parts are of delicate con- struction, as the eye and ear are, and that there is danger of injury by unnecessary handling. Eczema or a like eruption may appear in the groins or about the vulva^ when the irritation is un- difficuities bearable and the concentration of mind on those parts tohlsdf-ead and the nervousness which the intense itching occa- abuse sions are conditions which should receive prompt at- tention. Intestinal worms are also said to have been the reason for a child's contracting the habit. With boys the most frequent cause is a slight de- fect in the construction of the penis. This condition is known as phimosis, and is indicated by the tight- ness of the foreskin, which can be rolled back with difficulty. The opening is likewise so small that the urine is voided with great pain and after pro- PROBLEMS OF PUBERTY 389 longed effort, and during the process the foreskin is sometimes filled up, causing intense pain. Circumcision is the treatment for such a condi- The tion, and as it is a very simple operation, attendant remedy of circum- with no serious consequences if properly performed, dsion it is always to be advised. Parents should make very sure that there are no functional disorders which the child is concealing, either from ignorance or from a feeling of shame. If the parents are also the child's comrades and th^form- f riends, confidence will be natural and one great source j^jjhe of danger will be shut out. Children should not sleep together if it can be avoided, and the habit of lying in bed after they are awake should be dis- couraged. A mother must be very careful in regulating the dress of her children, to see that the underclothes and the trousers do not constrict the body in anyCareofthe , , . , . clothing part, and that there is no unnecessary rubbing or pressure. The same care should be taken with the night-clothes, and the closed night-drawers, which are the best for both girls and boys, should be made large and full. The position which children take in bed is also important. The rrtother or nurse should look out for i„ bed that as well, and teach, them to lie on one side with the legs flexed. Care should always be taken in the choice of companions for a child. As a rule it is better that trades* he associate with those of about his own age and of both sexes. Knowledge of an undesirable sort is so often brought to children by older comrades that unless the character of the older girls and boys is known it is better to avoid close intimacy with them. 390 CARE OF CHILDREN The choice of a school is a very important one. Teachers can tell what a tendency there is to this Choke of particular evil and how quickly it makes itself ap- parent in a school. There ought to be a stronger spirit of co-operation between school and home, and also a keener sertse of responsibility on the part of teachers. Parents too often resent the interference of teachers, and refuse to recognize wrongdoing in their children, even when it is pointed out to them. If it is possible to choose a school where at least half of the working day is given up to hand-work Outlet for and physical exercise, a long step toward ensuring energy *he safety of the children will be taken. Occupation of the mind is an essential, and that is much more likely to be found with occupation of the hands than when the tasks involve mental processes only. There seems to be a certain amount of animal energy bottled up within most children, and the more natural out- lets are given the less likely he is to find unnatural and harmful ones. A watch should be kept over the books that are put before young persons, but it should be apparent as interest rather than as espionage. If the best books are placed fn their hands from ofhb Cohk°sice ^e ^rst> taste f°r them will be acquired and vapid, sensational tales will not appeal to them. Stories of action, of heroic achievement, or of the lives of the humble furred and feathered" folk satisfy the crav- ings of the imagination and emotion, give food for thought, and are an educational force. If parents are willing to take these precautions to guard against temptation the girl or boy will very probably pass through the particularly dangerous years in safety, and with the resources of health and PROBLEMS OF PUBERTY 391 education can face the later trials, but sometimes the ■ evil is a very real assailant and must be conquered in a hand-to-hand struggle. If the parents find that masturbation is being practiced by a child, a possibility' which must be recognized, the duty of a plain explanation becomes Faci the necessarv. Professor William Tames savs that the bad habit and calling danger of a person's continuing in a bad habit is that it by its he will not face it^ and call it by its name. That "hrchiid danger parents can eliminate, and they should never allow the child to be left in ignorance of the signifi- cance of such a practice and of its effects. If he knows that its mastery over a person entails a weakening of the will and the moral sense, a loss of vital force, and a consequent susceptibility to dis- Telling of ease, and an enfeebling of mental power, all of which quent grow more and more marked and more beyond his mental de- control as the habit becomes fixed, he can not fail to tenoratlon wish to make a fight against it. If he lacks confi- dence in the parent and can not be made to appre- ciate the gravity of the danger, there should be no hesitation in requiring him to receive advice from a physician. ' Occupation for the mind and hands is here again the cure as well as the prevention. Vigorous sports, life in the open air, a systematic direction of the mind away from self, and a determined seeking for social interests make possible a return to a healthy state of mind and body. Physiologically, parentage, or the exercise of the Evils of sexual function, before the aq-e of twentv-three at ear,y . ' parentage least, except in cases of precocious maturity, threatens health, and indeed life itself. We have spoken in another chapter of the gradual hardening or ossification of the bones in children. 392 CARE OF CHILDREN. • The vertebrae, or small bones of the spine, are not completely ossified till after the sixteenth year. The two lower bones of the spinal column unite^ to close at the back the bony ring or girdle which we have called the pelvis. The construction of the pelvis, its shape and the position of the bones composing it have much to do wTith the ease and safety of child-bearing. When we learn that these two vertebrae which form such an important part of the pelvic ring do not Argument begin their slow process of consolidation till the child- eighteenth year we can understand why late mar- riages are desirable. That fact is also a strong argu- ment against child-labor or any overtaxing of the strength in youth. MENSTRUATION In the girl the age of puberty is indicated, as has been said, by the periodic appearance of the men- strual flow. The term is a derivation from the Latin word menses, meaning month, and the reason for its use is obvious. It may be some months before menstruation is regularly established, but that need occasion no un- easiness. Persistent irregularity later, especially if accompanied by symptoms of disease, should not pass unnoticed, as it indicates at least a debilitated condi- tion. Vicarious menstruation is a periodic discharge of blood from some other organ or part of the body, Forms of which takes the place of menstruation. It may come from the nose or mouth, from the blood-vessels about the rectum, from the skin, or other parts of the body. It means a serious state of the system, not necessarily alarming if treatment is given in time. Tonics and es- pecially nourishing food are the requirements, and with vicarious menstrua- tion PROBLEMS OF PUBERTY 393 the return of health, the normal functions will be re- sumed. The most hygienic napkin to use at this time is the cheesecloth, and absorbent cotton pad, which is burned after use. These can be bought at any druggist's, or at the large department stores, but the packages are very expensive and often are not as satisfactory as Making the those made at home. They will generally be large napkin enough if they are made nine inches long and three wide, and may be sewed at the edges or the absorbent cotton may be sewed or pinned with safety-pins on the- cheesecloth, which is then folded to the desired size. They can be made as thick as necessary. If for any reason these can not be used, a dozen squares of the cotton or linen diaper will be needed. If preferred, thin Canton flannel can be substituted. The supporter may be a fitted girdle, which can be bought ready made, a ribbon, or a straight loose belt of elastic tape. \Yith some women there is no feeling of discom- fort during this period, but- commonly there is a degree of backache, headache, weariness, and depression ofsymPtoms spirits. Nervousness at this time may be very marked, rbut as a rule the more normal a girl is in her health, the less she will suffer. The pain is commonly less after the flowing has fairly begun. During the establishment of this periodic sickness, great care should be exercised to protect the girl from cold, and to give both body and mind a rest from work g^mus^ of any sort. After she is older, and the menses are exercise appearing with regularity, the need for entire rest will depend on the amount of discomfort she feels. Exposure and undue exertion she should always avoid, and she should never take the violent exercise of tennis, dancing, or horseback riding at this time. 394 CARE OF CHILDREN If she has much active pain, she' will be more com- simpie f ortable in bed. A hot drink and a hot-water bag gen- erally give relief, but when there are decided cramps, flannels wrung out of hot water and alcohol and ap- plied well down over the pubis will act as a sedative. The practice of taking narcotics is very unwise. One speedily grows to be a coward where pain is con- Avoid ail cerned, and the knowledge that relief is so easily ob- spirfts an tained constitutes the subtle power of the drug habit. The morphine preparations are dangerous for this rea- son, and most of the other effective anodynes have an injurious action upon the heart. It is much safer to use the local applications, and if the pain persists and returns each month to consult a physician who may discover a simple cause which he can remove by medication. If the flowing is delayed past the usual time, it may sometimes be brought on by soaking the feet in hot hotefooet-°f water> or by taking a full hot bath, a mild laxative, and bath a hot drink, just before going to bed. If there are no uncomfortable feelings,, and the health seems good, it is as well to wait for Nature to take her course. BATHING DURING MENSTRUATION . ., L The use of the tub bath is, of course, forbidden Avoid tub bath during menstruation, and a cold sponge is not wise, even if it is one's daily habit. Cleanliness at this time is as essential as at any other, and there is no reason why sponging in warm water should be attended by any unpleasant results. It is, perhaps, better not to put the feet into the water, and if the susceptibility to cold is increased at this time a little extra care should be taken to keep the feet warm during the bath, and the body shielded from draughts, and not exposed too long to the air. Local bathing Use rather a warm sponge PROBLEMS OF PUBERTY 895 every day is very necessary, and there need be no hesitation or fear of injury to the health in the external use of water at this time. The habit, unfortunately growing more common, of using the internal douche each month at the end of Avoid the ° douche this period is a very unwise practice, as well as being wholly uncalled for. MAY 22 1905