Women : their diseases and their treatment / by John King.

  • King, John, 1813-1893.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Women : their diseases and their treatment / by John King. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    foiling of the womb, and many other maladies of the reproduc- tive organs. But so long as man pretends to admire a wasp- like waist, an enormous rotundity of hips, and a pale, sickly complexion, so long will woman destroy herself to please him, unless she be better and more correctly educated than ordina- rily. She dresses to please him, not to promote health—and though he may profess to admire the effects of her violation of nature's laws, he invariably despises and ridicules the means by which these are accomplished. And this will always be the case until women rely more upon themselves, and less upon the whims and absurdities of sensual men. The custom of dressing young girls in short dresses is one very pernicious to their morals, as it is an education of the animal before the mental; they observe men gazing at their limbs, they frequently overhear their remarks relative thereto, inquiries are made among each other to know what all this means, sensual ideas are soon developed, and pure morality is forever destroyed. And yet how little do parents dream of such results! The foolish pride which some females have of feet admira- tion, having been taught that small feet and ancles are much admired by the opposite sex, induces them to clad their feet thinly during unseasonable weather, without the least regard to health or consistency. As a necessary consequence, disease, and frequently of a fatal character, is the penalty of such folly. Many very serious maladies among females may be traced to careless clothing of the feet, and more especially, when this occurs during the menstrual period. In fine, warm weather, no objection can be made to a neat and delicate arrangement of the feet habiliments among the healthy; but in damp weather, and in cold seasons, these organs should be kept dry and warm; health should always be considered before beauty, and without the former the latter will soon fade. The inhalation of pure air is as necessary for females as for males; and it will therefore be advantageous for them to walk or ride out daily, whenever the weather will permit, Too much confinement in the house, whether in the nursery or culinary department, will eventually destroy the most robust constitu-