Sex instruction; Women social reformers -- United States -- Biography
With the invention of modern machinery and the monotony of specialized
work in the mills and factories, it is natural that this should bring
with it, if not entirely new diseases and deformities, at least a
greater number than have heretofore been known. Consider the little
children in the cotton mills, standing for long periods, with the weight
of the body thrown on one foot—a position, which causes curvature of the
spine. Again consider the young girls still in their “teens” bending
over sewing machines from morning until night from year to year; their
premium for this work is right sided lateral curvature. Sitting with one
leg crossed over the other as in sewing, carrying books under the arm to
and from school, lifting and carrying heavy burdens, bundles, or small
children, such as the abused and deformed “little mothers” spend their
play time in doing—all cause curvature of the spine.
Curvature is one of the most common deformities. Any position which
throws the spinal column out of its natural line for any length of time
is likely to produce it.
Regular exercise in the open air will do much to prevent this, together
with walking and dancing. If curvature is already noticeable, then it is
best to get professional instructions and follow them closely.
Next to the rapid bony development, the changes in the heart and
circulation are most noticeable. The heart grows more rapidly during the
adolescent age than the arteries do, which increases the supply of blood
in the arteries and causes general circulatory disturbance of which we
see many outward signs such as blushing, nose bleed, headache, cold feet
and hands, anaemia, loss of appetite, or an appetite so capricious as to
drive one frantic trying to satisfy it, for it jumps from ice cream soda
to dill pickles, according to whim. Some of these symptoms require
special attention, particularly in the case of the girl at school or in
an office, who finds her work a great effort, tires easily, and becomes
pale and nervous. Such a girl should spend as much time as possible in
the open air, and build up on milk and eggs. Sometimes a simple iron
tonic will do much to overcome these disturbances.
Pimples on the face are also very common at this period. Physicians
assert that with cleanliness of the skin and regularity of the bowels,
these symptoms will disappear without the aid of medicines or cosmetics.
The above mentioned symptoms are of great annoyance to the adolescent
girl, who is just developing pride in looking neat and keeping up an
appearance of daintiness, and she goes to unending trouble to rid
herself of facial blemishes, which often seem to grow worse and if
tampered with, leave ugly scars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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