The sexual life of woman in its physiological, pathological and hygienic aspectsKisch, E. Heinrich (Enoch Heinrich)
Science
The sexual life of woman in its physiological, pathological and hygienic aspects
Kisch, E. Heinrich (Enoch Heinrich)
Gynecology; Menstruation; Women -- Diseases
The educational views which obtain at the present day among the upper
ten thousand, are by no means calculated for the production of a woman
healthy in body and sound in mind. From the time when the young girl
becomes sexually developed, the claims which society makes upon her
become pressing. Every day, by a number of stimuli, her curiosity and
her desires are directed toward sexual matters. Visits to museums,
picture galleries, and theatres, the perusal of modern romances, the
free mingling of the sexes in all places of amusement—all these combine
to awaken prematurely an instinct to which the “old fashioned” methods
of education allowed a much more prolonged slumber. In other cases, the
mother’s supervision of the developing girl is hindered and rendered
insufficient because the mother herself is claimed by her society duties
and taken much away from her home. In addition, the young brain is
overburdened with mental work, the modern idea of the equality of the
sexes in matters of love is instilled, and a desire is artificially
evoked, and is matured by a certain idle vanity, to indulge the
“natural” instincts—to manifest sexual passion and to indulge it to
excess—and thus the modesty so natural and so becoming to young girls is
completely lost. Nourished in such a soil, neurasthenic and hysterical
states, disorders of menstruation, and masturbation, cannot fail to
flourish.
In these respects also a change is requisite, and a mode of upbringing
must be inculcated from which everything likely to inflame the sexual
impulse is removed. For the adolescent girl a systematic alternation of
work and recreation must be arranged. From great entertainments where
she will mix with young men, from theatres, evening parties, and balls,
the young girl at the time of the menarche, at the period when
menstruation commences, must as far as possible be kept away, and such
pleasures must be reserved for a more advanced stage of this period of
development. Intellectual overstrain, the overtaxing of the young head,
must be avoided; the acquirement of knowledge must take place gradually
and slowly, and in a manner adapted to individual peculiarities.
Intercourse with female friends also requires supervision in respect of
the moral characteristics of these latter. Religious reverie must be
avoided, but also to be avoided is the modern nihilism in respect of
religion and good morals. Books must be carefully chosen in order that
the imagination may remain pure and in order that girlish illusions may
not be prematurely destroyed. Domestic recreations in the way of games,
music, singing, painting, and other forms of artistic culture, are of
importance for the development of a strenuous faculty for learning.
Travel in regions where the scenery is beautiful, forms a most valuable
means for the ennoblement of the intellect and the emotions.
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