The Four Epochs of Woman's Life; A Study in HygieneGalbraith, Anna M. (Anna Mary)
Science
The Four Epochs of Woman's Life; A Study in Hygiene
Galbraith, Anna M. (Anna Mary)
Women -- Health and hygiene
On a girl's entering Vassar College an exact and detailed physical
examination is made by the resident physician, a health record is kept
during her stay there, and at the time of her graduation a final
physical examination is made. As a result of these statistics Dr.
Thelberg says: "These statistics, now covering a number of years, show
that not only can girls profitably take a college education, that is
accomplished; but will prove that grave physical imperfections can be
corrected in the period between eighteen and twenty-two years of age,
coincidently with the development of the mind along the lines of
college work; the college work, if not excessive in amount, being a
real and most important factor in the physical development."
But a still more striking proof can be cited of the beneficial result
of mental and intellectual occupation upon the bodily health. At
Vassar a great deal of attention is very properly paid to general
hygiene and the physical development, in addition to the natural
advantages of outdoor life in the country.
Take, for example, a woman's medical college located in the city: the
four years' course places the greatest strain on both mind and body;
practically no time is left for recreation, and very much too little
time is spent in sleep; the amount of exercise taken is the minimum.
Yet in spite of all these disadvantages under which the young women
labor, a great many of them who enter far below par in health, or,
indeed, on the fair road to become chronic invalids, graduate very
greatly improved in health.
The Emotional Nature.-- Formerly much more than now, owing to the
defective methods of her education and mode of life, the emotional
nature of woman was allowed to run riot. The child was coddled; the
girl was allowed to grow up without any of the discipline which young
men receive in their college and business life, and little or no
attention was paid to her physical development. The woman naturally
became a bundle of nerves, highly irritable, unreasonable, and
hysterical. All this reacted in the most detrimental manner upon her
physical health.
The seed for much of this emotional hyperesthesia is sown in
childhood. From birth until the end of the eighth year should be one
grand holiday. During this time the child develops very rapidly,
especially during the first two years of life. And at the end of the
eighth year the brain has attained to within a few ounces of its full
weight. The muscular system has been developed together with the
coordination of motion. The child has learned to use a language fairly
well; she has developed an excellent memory and is most inquisitive
and acquisitive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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