Mother and child / Part I. Mother, by Edward P. Davis. Part II. Child, by John Keating.

Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mother and child / Part I. Mother, by Edward P. Davis. Part II. Child, by John Keating. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    CHAPTER IL THE PERIOD OF PUBERTY. The development of the girl to womanhood exposes her to dangers which demand careful considération. If it be remem- bered that the normal performance of the function of menstru- ation is almost directly dépendent upon the general physical de- velopment of the woman, it will be seen that the hygiene of girlhood is the best préparation for healthy womanhood. The establishment of the functions of womanhood occurs at different âges, varying with the climate in which the girl lives and her individual peculiarities of tempérament. If a warrn climate and an out-door life hâve predisposed to early performance of physical functions, this may be established in the twelfth or thirteenth year ; on the contrary, if climatic influences are ad- verse, if the individual be naturally slow in maturing, and if those influences which stimulate unduly the nervous System be kept from the girl, the establishment of menstruation will occur as late as the fourteenth year or subsequently. As a préparation for this important function, ail extra strain upon the nervous System sliould be assiduously avoided in this cli- mate after the years of twelve and thirteen. The girl need not be told the reason for this, except, in a general way, that she is growing older, and ought not to do as she has done three years previous. It is her mother’s dut}’, liowever, to see to it that at this time she leads as tranquil and healthy a life as possible, in which the emotional nature is little disturbed, while abundant sleep, fresh air, and freedom from nervous strain are jealously secured for her. If the girl loses appetite and seems generally depressed, a physician should be consulted ; he may discover some poverty of blood, or deficiency in general vigor, which may be easily remodied by an appropriate tonie. It is most unwise, hovvever, for mothers to select at randora