Sex in Education; or, A Fair Chance for GirlsClarke, Edward H. (Edward Hammond)
Science
Sex in Education; or, A Fair Chance for Girls
Clarke, Edward H. (Edward Hammond)
Women -- Education; Women -- Health and hygiene
With the hope of obtaining information upon this point, the writer
addressed inquiries to various individuals, who would be likely to
have the desired knowledge. Only a few answers to his inquiries have
been received up to the present writing; more are promised by and by.
The subject is a delicate and difficult one to investigate. The
reports of committees and examining boards, of ministers of
instruction, and other officials, throw little or no light upon it.
The matter belongs so much to the domestic economy of the household
and school, that it is not easy to learn much that is definite about
it except by personal inspection and inquiry. The little information
that has been received, however, is important. It indicates, if it
does not demonstrate, an essential difference between the regimen or
organization, using these terms in their broadest sense, of female
education in America and in Europe.
Dr. H. Hagen, an eminent physician and naturalist of Koenigsburg,
Prussia, now connected with the Museum of Comparative Zoology at
Cambridge, writes from Germany, where he has been lately, in reply to
these inquiries, as follows:--
NUREMBERG, July 23, 1873.
DEAR SIR,--The information, given by two prominent physicians
in Berlin, in answer to the questions in your letter, is
mostly of a negative character. I believe them to prove that
generally girls here are doing very well as to the catamenial
function.
First, most of the girls in North Germany begin this function
in the fifteenth year, or even later; of course some few
sooner, even in the twelfth year or before; but the rule is
after the fifteenth year. Now, nearly all leave the school in
the fifteenth year, and then follow some lectures given at
home at leisure. The school-girls are of course rarely
troubled by the periodical function.
There is an established kind of tradition giving the rule for
the regimen during the catamenial period: this regimen goes
from mother to daughter, and the advice of physicians is
seldom asked for with regard to it. As a rule, the greatest
care is taken to avoid any cold or exposure at this time. If
the girls are still school-girls, they go to school, study and
write as at other times, _provided the function is normally
performed_.
School-girls never ride in Germany, nor are they invited to
parties or to dancing-parties. All this comes after the
school. And even then care is taken to _stay at home when the
periodical function is present_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account