That she improved greatly and came back to her normal health I know.
Whether she continued to remain well and how far she followed the advice
given I cannot say. From the earliest time to this, necessity has been
the main spur to purpose, and probably the lure of social competition
drew the lady back to her old life. Experience, though the best teacher,
seems to have the same need of repetition that all teaching does.
Case III. The physically sick woman who displays nervousness.
Though this is one of the most important of the types of nervous
housewife the subject is essentially medical. We shall therefore not
detail any case, but it is wise to reemphasize some facts.
There are bodily diseases of which the early and predominant symptoms
are classed as "nervousness." Hyperthyroidism, or Graves' Disease, a
condition in which there is overactivity of the thyroid gland and which
is particularly prevalent among young women, is one of those diseases.
In this condition excitability, irritability, emotional outbursts,
fatigue, restlessness, digestive disorders, vasomotor disorders, appear
before the characteristic symptoms do.
Neuro-syphilis is another such disease. This is an involvement of the
nervous system by syphilis. One of the tragedies that distresses even
hardened doctors is to find some fine woman who has acquired
neuro-syphilis through her husband, though he himself may remain well.
In the early stages this disease not only has neurasthenic symptoms but
is very responsive to treatment, and thus the early diagnosis is of
great importance.
What is known as reflex nervousness arises as a result of minor local
conditions, such as astigmatism and other eye conditions, trouble with
the nose and throat and trouble with the organs of generation. The
latter is especially important in any consideration of nervousness in
the housewife, particularly in the woman who has borne children.
Frequently too the existence of hemorrhoids, resulting from
constipation, acts to increase the irritability of a woman who is
perhaps too modest to consult a physician regarding such trouble. Where
such modesty exists (and it is found in the very women one would be apt
to think were the very last to be swayed by it), then a competent woman
physician should be consulted. With good women physicians and surgeons
in every large community there is no reason for reluctance to be
examined on the part of any woman.
Further details are not necessary. Enough has been said to emphasize the
fact that the nervousness of the housewife is first a medical problem
and then a social-psychological one.
Case IV. A case presenting bad hygiene as the essential factor.
Bad hygiene is something more than exposure to bad air, poor food,
contaminated water, etc. It includes habits and times of eating,
attention to the bowels, outdoor exercise, sleep, and in the marital
state it includes the sexual indulgence.
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