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Full text of "Maternity: or, the bearing and nursing of children. Including female education and beauty"

MATERNITY: 



OR THE 



BEARING AND NURSING 



OF CHILDREN. 



INCLUDING 



FEMALE EDUCATION AND BE A FIT. 



BY O. S. FOWLER, 

ZDITOR OF THK AMERICAN PffRENOLOQlC iL J 



She ii queen on earth who brings forth and brings up the tet c v 11 1- H 

A perfect mother is a perfect beauty. 

Oh I I had rather bear one flne child, than enjoy all other ei , ^ good 



NEW YORK: 

POWL.KR AND WELLS, PUBLISHERS, 

No. 808 BEOADWAT. 



jjttared, according to act of Gongresa, in tiie year 1848, by 

0. S. FOWLER, 
fa the Clork's Office of the District Court for tli3 SoutLDrn District of New York. 



PREFACE, 



THAT the vaiious states of the mother's mind and oody 
Defore the birth of offspring, go far toward determining their 
health or debility, amiableness or ill nature, intelligence or 
stupidity, and all their other mental characteristics, is a mo- 
mentous truth which all prospective mothers should fully 
understand, and which renders child- bearing inconceivably 
momentous in its influence on human destiny. To the eluci- 
dation and enforcement of this eventful law of nature, this 
work is devoted. It teaches mothers what regimen and con- 
ditions, in them, will secure the best constituted children ; 
shows how to provide beforehand for a safe and easy delivery ; 
teaches husbands what duties they owe their wives during 
pregnancy and nursing ; gives directions respecting infantile 
regimen, and the early habits and management of children; 
and, last but not least, it shows how to prepare girls to bear- a 
far higher order of children, as well as how to rear them after 
they are borne ; that is, it shows how to fit them for the great 
function of the female, namely, CHILD-BEARING and REARING. 
It moreover, in doing this, analyzes female beauty. In short, 
it reflects upon this whole subject the sunlight of Phrenology, 
Physiology, and Magnetism ; and as such, supplies a connect- 
ing link between the author's other works on man's social re- 
lations. Thus, his " Matrimony" treats SELECTION, COURT- 
SHIP, and MARRIED life phrenologically ; his " Hereditary De- 
scent" applies the laws of transmission to the perfection of the 
ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION of offspring, by showing what unions 
will produce the most highly endowed germs of humanity ; 
while his " Love and Parentage" teaches husbands and wives 
into what states of mind and body they should throw them- 
selves in order to stamp the highest order of mental and phys- 
ical organization upon prospective offspring, or how tc PA 



IV PREFACE. 

BENT offspring. This work crowns the climax, by teaching 
mothers how to CARRY children, that is, how to manage them- 
selves while fulfilling the highest and only SPECIFIC relations 
of the female as such, namely, the maternal. His " Physiol- 
ogy," " Self-Culture," " Memory," " Religion," etc., then 
complete this range of subjects, by showing how to conduct 
the physical, intellectual, and moral education and govern- 
ment of the young in accordance with the physical, mental, 
and moral laws of our being.* When mankind understand 
and obey the laws of love, matrimony, generation, maternity, 
and education, will the millennium open upon our benighted 
world in very deed, and our race be regenerated and infinite- 
ly exalted, but not till then. Right education can do much, 
yet infinitely more when its subjects are endowed by NATURE 
with strong physical, high moral, and powerful intellectual 
capabilities, than when they are weakly, vicious, and addle- 
brained by CONSTITUTION. These reproductive and education- 
al laws, understood and applied, will almost banish sin and 
suffering from our earth, restore to all mankind the garden of 
Eden in ten-fold luxuriance, and render our world a literal 
paradise of holiness and happiness. Man, so far from being 
a base-born son of perdition, " is created in the image and 
likeness of God" himself, and all required to restore to him 
his primitive god-like capabilities and perfections, is RIGHT 
GENERATION, BEARING, and EDUCATION. Prospective mothers, 
be conjured, by all the ecstacy of maternal joy with which 
splendid children will swell your exulting souls, and by all 
that untold shame and anguish with which their inferiority 
and depravity will rend your souls perpetually, to LEARN and 
FULFILL these infinitely-momentous relations. 



402. PROPRIETY OF OUR SUBJECT. 

Some condemn this subject as improper and injurious ; but 
if it be so incompatible with female purity to study these 

* All these works will be intimately related to each ocher, arranged 
!n volumes, bound in uniform stvle. and entitled, " Phrenological Li 
brary." 




PREFACE. V 

maternal relations, how much more so to FULFILL them! 
Away with such prudery ! It is a relict of American squeam 
ishness, as unnatural as it is injurious, and fast passing away. 
Whether the author's MODE OF PRESENTING this subject is or 
is not judicious, is another matter. Of this, mothers are his 
judges, because they have lost their fastidiousness, yet retain 
all their true delicacy ; but neither girls or old maids are 
proper umpires. Thousands of mothers, after having heard 
his lecture on this subject, have exclaimed, " Oh, I would have 
given the world to have known this at my marriage !" LOVE 
OF OFFSPRING is one of woman's predominant and most charm- 
ing characteristics. Hence her hungering and thirsting after 
this species of knowledge. Nor should the maiden blush 
to learn how to fulfill those maternal relations which are as 
much a necessary consequence of marriage, as heat of fire. 
For what but to bear children was woman was the female 
AS SUCH created? For what else was the conjugal instinct 
ordained ? Nor should any female ever be led to the hyme- 
nial altar till she knows how to manage herself at this period. 
My daughters must understand this whole subject thoroughly. 
None are marriageable till they do. Nor can young women 
learn any thing of equal value to themselves or their prospec- 
tive offspring, or neglect to, learn any thing equally at their 
peril. To show woman how to bring forth and bring up a 
high order of human beings, instead of those scrawny, imbe- 
cile, and depraved offcasts which throng our earth : to save 
mothers from those pains and premature deaths now so inci- 
dent to maternity, are these pages sent forth. May they 
make better MOTHERS and better HUSBANDS of all who read 
them. 

403. EXPLANATION OF THE SMALL RAISED FIGURES OF . 
REFERENCE. 

To secure all the advantages of copious repetition without 
any of its evils, or even disfiguring the page, and to present 
the various bearings of the various points treated in this 
work upon each other, as well as to form into one connected 
series all the author's works, each general principle proved 
1* 




Vl PREF> IE. 

and point presented in them all has ils appropriate heading 
NUMBERED, and reference is made to them by small elevated 
figures called SUPERIORS. And the various works referred to 
are designated thus: P17 refers to that passage of Physiology 
numbered 17; 8 to "Self-Culture," M to "Memory," m to 
"Maternity," My to " Matrimony," w to " Woman," R to " Re- 
ligion," etc. The utility of this original device of thus con- 
necting and fortifying subjects in hand by those previously 
presented, will doubtless be appreciated by thorough readers 
who would comprehend the bearings of the principles present- 
ed on each other, and grasp and digest each work, or all hw 
writings, as a whole ; yet each book can be as fully under- 
tood separately as if such reference had not been made. 




CONTENTS 



SECTION I. 

PHYSICAL RELATION OF OFFSPRING TO THE MOTHEX. 

404. Every thing must have its Mother 408. Intimacy of the Rela- 
tions of Child to Mother 406. Appeal to Prospective Mothers. 11-18 



SECTION II. 

THE NOURISHMENT OF THE EMBRYO. 

407. The Embryo's requisition for Nutrition 408. Amount of Nutri 
tion required 409. The Female Secretion 410. The Bearing Procesi 
increases Appetite 411. All very young Animals require extra Care 

412. Weakness invites Disease 413. Mrs. G 's Miscarriage and 

Death ; Cause 414. Castigation of wife-neglecting Husbands Appeal 
to Husbands 415. What Husbands should do at this Period 416. Di- 
rections to pregnant Mothers Sleep much Let nothing disturb your 
night's rest Your food be nutritious, yet easy of digestion Breethe 
copiously of fresh air Regular evacuations are particularly important 

417. Signs of Maternal Qualifications Rationale of Female Fashions 

418. The constituent Elements of the Feminine 419. Female Beauty; 
in what does it consist 1 420. Philosophy of Bustles, Corsets, Extra 
Skirts, etc. Philosophy of the Bustle Cotton and plaited Breastwork* 
421. Let Woman be what she would seem 422. Effects of these 
False Appearances on the young Bridegroom 423 True Mode of 
increasing the Beauty of Girls 424. Blighted Love weakens the Fe- 




Vlll CONTEXTS. 

male Organs and Charms 425. Appeal to Man 426. Early Marriages 
and yoang Mothers 427. Tight Lacing ; its ruinous Effects on Offspring 
428. Requisition for Heat, Muscle, Bone, Nitrogen, etc. Muscle- 
Nitrogen Fruit 42.9. Offsetting the Mother's Excesses and Defects 
430. Marks and Deformities A Strawberry mark A Lobster mark 
Mouse marks Plum marks Cherry marks Amputated Thumb A 
Wine mark Turning black and blue Fife mark A mark of intoxi- 
cation A Menagery mark A Monkey mark An idiotic mark Mark 
by fright A broken back Mrs. Butler and her strong, but frantic 
Idiot A club-footed mark A Cat mark The mashed Head Dumb- 
-Hankering after Gin Explanation of these Marks. . . 18-105 



SECTION III. 

INFLUENCE OF THE VARIOUS STATES OF MATERNAL MEN- 
TALITY, OR THE PRIMITIVE CHARACTER OF OFFSPRING. 

431. The Child's Mentality derived directly from its Mother's 
Hagar and Ishmael Samuel and his Mother Mary and Christ Bo- 
naparte's fcetal History James I. A timid Friend of the Author 
Mrs. D. and her Children A half-starved, despairing Mother The 
Son who could never face his Father A foolish, but fiendish Son A 
provoked Mother and provoking Child Mrs. M'C. and her Bonaparte- 
admiring Son Sweetness of temper in the Mother Duty of Husbands 
to their Wives at this period Bad-tempered Children to be pitied 
The bad-dispositioned Daughter How to secure Affection in Children 
Fear and Anxiety in Mothers 432. How to endow Children with 
euperior natural Intellects before Birth The arithmetical Girl Zera 
Colburn's foetal History 433. Securing Balance in Offspring The 
Regimen required at different stages of Advancement 434. Appeal to 
Mothers. 106-156 

SECTION IV. 

DELIVERY ITS PAINS LESSENED 

435. Severe Labor-Pains unnatural and avoidable Are they neces- 
sary T Natural Delivery easy Causes of severe and dangerous Labor 




CONTENTS. iX 

Sedentary Habits Mode of obviating Labor-Pains A vigorous muscu- 
lar System 437. Developing the Muscles of Girls 438. The Midwife's 
Office Water-Cure in Child-Bearing Case of Mrs. Shew Bleeding, 
Chloroform, etc. Male and female Midwives Fitting Women for Mid- 
wives Female Practitioners for female Complaints 439. Abortion 
440. Recovery from Confinement Relapses The Diet of recently- 
confined Mothers 441. The Nursing and Management of Infants Timo 
of cutting the Navel Cord Washing Dressing " A Dose of Sweet 
Oil" Natural Food of Infants Large Breasts Times of Nursing 
The crying of Children Management of sick Children Nursing Chil- 
dren when the Mother is angry How long shall Children nurse ? 
442. The Education of Infants Retain their Normality 443. Female 
Beauty ; its elements and perfection A handsome set of Teeth- 
Plumpness of Form Bright, clear, expressive Eyes A fine, soft Skin, 
and fine Hair Auburn-colored Hair Fine, glossy, black Hair Grace 
and ease of Motion Perfection of Form Strong social Faculties A 
high moral Tone Superior intellectual Endowments Female Home 
lines* and Deformity 444. What is wanted m a HusbaH or Wife ? 

156-221 




MATERNITY. 



SECTION I 

PHYSICAL RELATIONS OF OFFSPRING TO THE MOTHER. 

404. EVERY THING MUST HAVE ITS MOTHER. 

MATERNITY is the door through which all that lives en- 
ters upon its terrestrial existence. As earth is the com- 
mon mother of all those endless forms of life within and 
upon her, so every vegetable, every animal, every human 
being, has each its own specific mother. Thus ihe fruit 
tree is the mother of those seed-bearing fruits which re- 
produce their kind, while the pulp, or edible portion, is 
to the seed, what its mother's milk is to the infant ani- 
mal a deposite of nutrition, to feed and moisten it till 
it can take root, so as to sustain independent life. And 
thus of all berries, nuts, and the seeds of every tree and 
shrub that grows ; while the straw of grains, grasses, 
weeds, and herbs, are their veritable mothers, and the 
edible portion of grains and seeds is to the chit, or 
germ, what the maternal breast is to animal and man. 
Potatoes, onions, bulbous roots, etc., all have their 
mothers, and, in turn, become mothers ; and thus of all 
that grows upon the face of the whole earth. 

This maternal law likewise governs every species, 
every individual of the animal kingdom. The femalo 




12 RELATIONS OF OFFSPRING TO THE MOTHER. 

fowl is the moUier of the egg, and the fish of the spawn, 
by which all feathered, all finned, all the reptile tribes, 
reproduce their kinds ; and these eggs and spawn, be- 
sides containing the life-germ, likewise embody, in com- 
mon with fruits, grains, roots, and seeds, a nutritious 
deposite, in the form of the yolk, to feed the embryo 
during the process of hatching. All lower forms of 
life are equally governed by this maternal law. So are 
all higher. Every individual of all the mammalia tribes 
horses, cattle, dogs, lions, tigers, swine, sheep all 
four-footed beasts and creeping things, are offsprings of 
their specific mothers, and, where nature has her per- 
fect work, receive nourishment from her life-giving 
milk. 

All human beings, savage and civilized, past, present, 
and to come, likewise owe their existence to this mater- 
nal instrumentality. Who of us all but owes an eter- 
nal debt of gratitude to our mother, for, at least, bring- 
ing us into the world, if not for nursing and caring for 
us till able to take care of ourselves? Heathenish 
wretches they, who neglect their own mother, even 
though she may abuse them ; and let us all cling to and 
cherish our mothers, with filial piety, nor fail to admin- 
ister to their every comfort, to our utmost capacity. 

405. INTIMACY OF THE RELATIONS OF CHILD TO MOTHER. 

Nor is it unimportant to the recipient of life, who or 
what is its mother. On the contrary, " like mother like 
offspring." That law, "EACH AFTER ITS KIND," so fully 
explained in Hereditary Descent 301 , applies to mater- 
nity quite as forcibly as to parentage. Be the mother 
vegetable, or tree, or creeping thing, or fowl, or brute, 
or human, what she bears will partake of her structure, 




THEIR RECIPROCITY. 19 

form, and nature, mental and physical, both general and 
specific. This is a necessary institute of nature. How 
could it be otherwise ? How incongruous for a tree to 
bear a brute, or a human mother a lion ! How wise 
how promotive of happiness, this law that "like bears 
like r 

Nor does this maternal law of similarity govern the 
various orders, genera, and species, of the vegetable 
and animal kingdoms, in their general peculiarities 
merely. It likewise extends even to all the MINUTIAE of 
their respective characteristics and relations. Not only 
is the offspring of the human being also human endow- 
ed with all the physical organs and mental elements of 
humanity in general but it likewise takes on all those 
minor shadings and phases which characterize the 
mother. That same blood which sustains and re-sup- 
plies the organs of the mother, forms and nourishes 
those of her embryo. The blood is the grand instru- 
mentality of all nutrition, of all formation, of univer- 
sal life. All those materials out of which all parts 
of the infantile body are formed, are conveyed to their 
respective places of destination by means of the blood. 
And since it is the grand messenger and instrument- 
ality of life, as is this blood so is that life which it pro- 
duces. Now, since the child is formed out of its moth- 
er's blood, and since the mother must be like her own 
blood, and the child like this same blood, of course, 
mother and child must be alike, because both are like the 
mother's blood. True, the nature of the father is faith- 
fully repiesented in the seminal germ, as fully shown in 
" Love and Parentage," yet the child's partaking of this 
nature does not prevent its taking on that of the mother 
likewise. The reception of the paterna pature in no 



14 LAT10NS OF OFFSPRING TO THE MOTHER. 

wise expels, or even smothers, that of the maternal. 
The former may be stronger, in some cases, than the. 
latter, but what there is of the latter will be THERE, and 
all there. Indeed, this apparent exception proves our 
lule ; for, when the maternal nature is weak, and, there- 
fore, but faintly impressed upon her progeny, does not 
this debility of these maternal qualities, in both mother 
and child, establish the perfect reciprocity of the inter- 
relation existing between them ? This is one of the 
very proofs of our law, and shows mothers how, by 
STRENGTHENING this or that quality, as occasion may 
require, in themselves, to transmit it, thus enhanced, to 
their progeny. Indeed, this is the great thought, the 
prevailing moral, of our work. 

The fact that the various conditions oi the mother 
vegetable, animal, and human while bearing, affects 
the progeny, is so palpably apparent, as to have im- 
pressed itself, though only indistinctly, upon the pub- 
lic mind. Why do we ; ^lant the largest and fairest ears 
of corn, and raise o'ur seed-grain seed every thing 
on our richest fields ? Because the better the maternal 
stock is fed, the fairer the progeny, and the better adapt- 
ed to re-produce still fairer and better grain. Why are 
we so very careful to feed well, and not to overwork, 
and especially overdraw, our breeding mares, during 
the entire period they are with foal ? Because, setting 
a great deal by colts, experience has taught us, that the 
various states of the mother during carriage, materi- 
ally affect their size, beauty, and usefulness. Mothers, 
especially, evince extra care for them, at this period, 
and see that they are doubly cared for; yet, those who 
appreciate this point most, far underrate its influence on 
the unborn progeny. 



THEIR INTIMACY. J5 

Is, then, the human mother an exception to this univer- 
gal law of the maternal states as influencing progeny ? 
Is she not, even, its highest example ? Is it not a fea- 
ture of this law, that, the higher the grade of vegetable 
or animal, the more intimate this relation between moth- 
er and progeny, and the more her states of body and 
mind affect its physiology ar\d mentality? Why do 
vegetable and brute mothers cast their seed and young 
the sooner, the lower they are in the scale of being, and 
carry them longer and longer, as a general thing, the 
stronger and more perfect the animal or vegetable? 
So that the progeny may imbibe more of its mother's 
strength, and become the more perfected at the very 
starting point of life. But, to argue the fact of such 
relations is superfluous ; and that the reciprocity is PER- 
FECT between the states of mother and embryo, will be 
seen as we proceed. Suffice it to sum up this point by 
applying to it that law of UNIVERSALITY, demonstrated 
and often referred to in the author's works, that where 
cause and effect govern a PART of a given class of 
functions, they govern the WHOLE of that class p - 1T . 
Nature never works by piecemeal. What she does at 
all, she does by WHOLESALE. If ANY ONE state of the 
mother, however extreme, during carriage, produces the 
least effect on her offspring and who does not KNOW that 
it does? then EVERY CONCEIVABLE state of the maternity 
affects the embryo. Either the whole, down to the mi- 
nutest item of health, intellect, and feeling, or else no- 
thing. If any one state of the mother's mirid or body 
causes, or induces, a corresponding state of the child's 
mind or body, then must every possible state of the 
maternity similarly modify the original nature of the 
offspring. 



16 DELATIONS Of OFFSPRING TO THE MOTHEB. 

406. APPEAL TO PROSPECTIVE MOTHERS. 

Bear it then in mind, ye mothers of our race, thai as 
you are while bearing every child, so will be that child. 
Every pulsation of health in you, will throb through 
their young veins. Every pang of grief you feel, will 
leave its painful scar on the forming disk of their souls. 
Every flash of sweet and pleasurable emotion you ex- 
perience, will sweeten and beautify, not their conduct 
merely, but stamp the original impress of amiableness 
and goodness upon their inmost souls. Every intellect- 
ual effort you put forth, will it not render them the more 
thoughtful by nature, the more fond of study, the more 
clear-headed, contemplative, intelligent, and talented? 
And every exercise of anger, every feeling of temper, 
every item of crossness and fretfulness in you, at this 
period, will it not brand this hating and hateful spirit 
mto their inmost souls, to haunt them as long as 
they exist, here or hereafter? Will you, then, render 
them demoniacal, when you can make them angelic ? 
Will you even give this eventful subject the go-by ? 
What other compares with it, in its momentous bear- 
ing on your and their present and eternal health, 
virtue, and happiness ? Why have mothers thus neg- 
lected it? And will you still continue to render YOUR 
OWN DEAR CHILDREN devils incarnate and that by your 
own sinfulness instead of imbuing them with the spirit 
of love and goodness, by cultivating the heavenly 
virtues in ^our own souls ? Hear, O ye mothers of 
our race ! Learn the mighty import of those eventful 
relations you are COMPELLED to fulfill. Turn a deaf ear, 
ye who will, and, worse than the neglectful ostrich, tor- 
tiire your children, and, through them, your own selves, 



APPEAL TO M. THERS. 17 

with satanic predispositions ; and,"when grown, flay them 
alive, in vain attempts to beat out of tbf m, by the cruel 
lash, what your own selves burnt into their inner na- 
tures in embryo ; but ye who are true to your mater- 
nal relations, will pause will pray for light, and eager- 
ly clasp to your maternal bosom, whatever will enable 
vou to stamp a higher and ho.ier impress upon your 
prospective little ones. Oh, I do admire the motherly in 
woman the love she bears to her darling infant ! Ev- 
ery thing which appertains to this subject, sweeps the 
most powerful chord of woman's soul 8 - 222 with, to her, 
the most thrilling of all notes. Woman, married and 
single, I KNOW I SHALL HAVE YOUR EYES, EARS, AND IN- 
MOST SOULS. NOTHING ELSE DO YOU ECIUALLY DESIRE TO 
LEARN. NOTHING ELSE COMPARES WITH THIS IN INTRIN- 
SIC INTEREST, OR IN ITS BEARING ON HUMAN DESTINY. 

Woman, a new era is dawning on our race. The 
American and European revolutions are no trifles. They 
are the harbingers of the millennium. As Christ came 
out of the expected channel, so will the future day glory. 
Republicanism is its usher its mother. As republican- 
ism here, in a single generation, hurled those old thrones 
to the ground, and is sweeping the entire feudal order 
of things, with the^)esom of destruction, in one genera- 
tion, it will, in the next, completely renovate and regen- 
erate society, purge it of all existing evils, political, 
civil, and religious, and prepare our race for a great 
advance for a mighty ascent toward heaven. And 
what we now want is, A CORRESPONDINGLY HIGHER ORDER 

OF HUMAN BEINGS, TO ENTER UPON THIS PROSPECTIVE 

GLORY. AND YOU MUST PRODUCE them. Oh, what chil- 
dren you could bear, if you knew just how to carry 
them ! Inconceivably more powerful and perfect than 
2* 



18 THE NOURISHMENT OF THE EMBRYO. 

any numan beings now on earth ! And SOME OF YCU 
WILL LEARN. This subject is too palpable too momen- 
tous to be longer neglected. And those who heed not 
practice not must be content with inferior, ill-na- 
tured, depraved children. But to those who would 
learn, that they may practice, the maternal laws, so as 
to bear magnificent offspring, are these pages addressed. 



SECTION II. 
THE NOURISHMENT OF THE EMBRYO. 

407. THE EMBRYO'S REQUISITION FOR NUTRITION. 

THE maternal function, vegetable and animal, is com- 
posed of two departments the RECEPTION of the gerrn 
of life, and its NUTRITION. How infinitely much de- 
pends upon the former upon the mental states of both 
father and mother when they unite to stamp the impress 
of life upon issue the author has shown in " LOVE AND 
PARENTAGE :" as well as how much depends on the for- 
mer, and how much upon the latter a subject which 
prospective mothers are most solemnly bound to investi- 
gate. NOURISHING the life-germ, tilljt has acquired suffi- 
cient strength to sustain independent life, is the second 
great maternal function. Nor is a mother less necessa- 
ry here, than in generation itself. 

As no living thing can be generated without maternal 
agency, co-operating with paternal, so no vegetable or 
animal con be reproduced without a mother to NOURISH 
it during the first stages of its existence. What would 
become of embryo seed, grain, root, fruit, or animal, if 



AMOUNT REUUIRED. 19 

separated from its mother the moment generation had 
taken place ? The entire time between the blowing and 
seed ripening of all forms of vegetable life is one continual 
drainage of maternal nutrition for the embryo. Pluck a 
flower or head of grain as soon as impregnation has 
been effected, and what becomes of the seed? Tear 
the brute or human ovum from the mother the moment 
parental intercourse has taken place, and how soon it 
dies. Fowl, fish, reptile, may at first seem to be excep- 
tions, but, observe, all eggs and spawn are furnished by 
the mother with a nutritious deposite, in the form of the 
yolk, the sole object of which is to feed the embryo till 
able to eat for itself. Why does the maternal stalk of 
grain, straw, grass, weed, beet, bulb, etc., fade and die 
as soon as it has ripened its seed? Because its entire 
stock of nutrition and it puts forth its every energy 
to augment that stock at this period is drawn from it 
by its ripening seed, and in ORDER to such ripening. The 
sole object of the life of the animal and vegetable mother 
after impregnation, is to thus nourish the embryo seed. 
Every leaf, every root, every branch, evey item of 
growth is for this purpose, and this only. 

408. AMOUNT OF NUTRITION REQUIRED. 

So, too, the draft of the animal embryo on its mother 
for vitality, is even greater. The latter does not, indeed, 
like the former, die the moment she completes her first 
reproduction, because her life is required for subsequent 
ones, but her embryo's draft on her life-power is as much 
above that of vegetable seed on its mother, as animal 
surpasses vegetable.* And it is indeed a general law, 

* The fact that many other females, as the horse, cow, elephant, lion- 
H, etc., carry their young quite as long as the human mother, may seem 



80 TSTAL NUTRITION. 

that the higher the order of vegetable or animal, the more 
exhausting the reproductive process. Thus a single 
vegetable often reproduces millions and the more the 
lower the grade and the inferior animals, fish, toads 
frogs, etc., multiply hundreds and thousands of times fast- 
er than horses, cattle, elephants, tigers, lions, monkeys, or 
man, because the higher graded the offspring, the more 
life it requires from the first for the formation of organs, 
and imparting to them the required impetus in the start. 
Is it not reasonable that the greater the number of the 
embryo's organs, and the more numerous and powerful its 
functions, the more sustenance it requires to draw from its 
mother, both to form these organs, and to support the 
requisite power of function till independent life is estab- 
lished ? 

But why dwell thus? Why amplify a principle which 
needs only to be stated to be admitted ? Because I wish 
to impress, not merely the law itself, but also its BREADTH 
and POWER. Only think of it ! Over two hundred and 
fifty bones, and five hundred and twenty-seven muscles, 
besides heart, blood-vessels, lungs, liver, digestive appa- 
ratus, glands, eyes, ears, etc., etc., throughout the entire 
system of organs which make up the body ! And this 
only the beginning ! Behold that complicated net-work 
of nerves, and, above all, that brain ! And every one of 
these organs the embodyment and utmost condensation 
of nutrition ! Mark, also, that all organs, to become 
strong, must be EXERCISED. Hence that great amount of 
muscular motion put forth by the child before birth. And 

to be an exception, yet mark, the latter are again prepared for the recep- 
tion of another life-germ in a few days after delivery, while nature 
requires the human mother to wait till after she has weaned her last, 
which, in case nature had her perfect work, would probably be years***, 
to that the multiplication of mac is slower thai: that of any other animal. 



ITS AMOUNT. 21 

t takes far more vitality to sustain this exercise than 
merely to form the organs. In short, this bearing func- 
tion is one of the most exhausting in nature. And the 
higher the grade of animal, the more it draws on the 
mother's vitality, because the more power is required 
with which to begin life. Hence the higher the animal, 
the more slowly it propagates. Accordingly the human 
mother is ordained by nature to bear slowly, to wait for 
the reception of the germ of life till she has attained the 
age of from fifteen to twenty years, and to wait for a 
second till she has weaned the first, which, at the short- 
est, cannot be much less than two years ; and evidently 
the order of nature is to nurse children some two or 
three years 443 , which would separate births some three 
or four years, because this process is so exhausting as to 
require all this time to recruit so as to prepare for 
another. 

409. THE FEMALE SECRETION 

Furnishes an additional illustration of the amount of 
nutrition required by the embryo ; for what is the secre- 
tion but the life's blood of the mother the very essence 
of nutrition secreted by the very organ which nour- 
ishes the embryo, and imbibed by the carrying and 
nursing process, yet discharged, because a surplus, when 
not wanted for these the specific purposes of its creation ? 
And in general, the greater its abundance and health, 
except when in diseased excess, the more perfectly the 
embryo is nourished during gestation and nursing. This 
secretion is 'only an excess of nutrition over and above 
what the mother requires for her own self, so that the 
embryo may have that abundance of vitality which it 
must have, or starve to death before it comes into life. 

Still another proof of this aw is the HEARTINESS of 



22 FOiTAL NUTRITION. 

mothers at this period, provided their general nealtli is 
good. Though weakly mothers are often qualmish, sick 
at the stomach, languid, and troubled with all sorts of 
ailments, yet, mark, this is NOT THE ORDER OF NATURE. 
On the contrary, truly healthy women, whose female 
organs are healthy, and functions vigorous, have BETTER 
health at this period than at any other; and all would 
have if they should bring a fair degree of constitution 
and health to the fulfillment of these relations. 

410. THE BEARING PROCESS INCREASES APPETITE. 

This statement is rested on the experience of al. 
healthy mothers. Let the lower classes of Irish, Ger- 
man, Welch, Arabian, Indian, and other hale, hearty fe- 
males settle this point experimentally. Let even any 
really healthy woman say whether she has not more ap- 
petite and better digestion, does not sleep better, and 
breathe more freely at these times. And let woman, whc 
at these periods is so weakly, full of aches, and deadly 
sick at the stomach, remember that these pains are not 
nature's curse stamped upon child-bearing, but the pen- 
alties of her previous violations of the laws of health, 
aggravated at this period because of the greater draft on 
her vitality, which her previous debility prevents her 
from supplying. 

And why should not all the vital functions naturally 
be more vigorous at this period? The mother has to 
eat, digest, breathe, exercise, sleep, etc., for herself as 
much as ever, and for her child in ADDITION. Behold, 
then, the oeauty of nature's provision for an increase of 
the vital functions in mothers at this period ! What else 
couid be expected ? A beautiful adaptation of increased 
iupply according to increased demand. 



AMOUNT REQUIRED. 23 

Nor let mothers neglect the great practical truth taught 
by this principle, but by all the intellect, all the maternal 
yearnings of their nature, avail themselves of its advan- 
tages. Let them, by every means in their power, 
enhance the flow of vitality in themselves, that their dear 
prospective child, instead of literally starving for want 
of life-power, may have supplied to it all it can receive. 
Any surplus nature will evacuate by that secretion insti- 
tuted^ for this very purpose. Too much can do no man- 
ner of damage. Too little weakens and stints the tender 
bud in its first start, from which it can never fully re- 
cover. To look at this point in the light of a general law. 

411. ALL VERY YOUNG ANIMALS REQUIRE EXTRA CARE. 

If you want good cabbages, or onions, or beets, or corn, 
or any thing, keep it well weeded WHILE YOUNG. All prac- 
tical gardeners are my witnesses that this is THE SECRET 
of good gardening. The reason is this : If the young plant 
is choked and robbed of nourishment in the start, no 
after attention can ever make it any more than barely 
tolerable ; whereas, if well weeded AT FIRST, it acquires 
that headway which carries it through finely, however 
much it may be subsequently neglected. 

Good practical farmers bestow extra care and food 
upon their CALVES and COLTS. Young stock, if neglected 
the first winter, NEVER RECOVER FROM THE CONSEQUENT 
STINT, but if well fed and sheltered the first winter, 
subsequent neglect is not minded. A practical farmer 
related to me the following anecdote : 

"I had a mean calf in the fall, sired by an inferior 
male, and apparently worthless. I took extra care of it 
during the wirrter, and in the spring it eclipsed all my 
neighbors' calves so that I sad it for more than double 



24 FCBTAL NUTRITION. 

the going price." And he certainly lias now the finest 
yearling colt I ever saw, just by observing this rule 
He also took extra care of it during the first summer. 
This law holds true of lambs, chickens, and every young 
thing, and the younger the more true. And this princi- 
ple requires not merely that they be well cared for the 
first winter, but the previous summer. Indeed, the 
younger they are the better they require to be fed and 
sheltered, because the weaker they are, the less*able 
to withstand cold, hunger, storm, etc. 

Of children this is quite as true as of animals. Why 
this shocking mortality among children under two 
years ? This principle answers : Their systems have 
not yet acquired sufficient vital power to resist infan- 
tile ails, yet, if they can be got through the third year, 
their systems become so established as to ward off" 
disease. And the younger they are, the less they can 
withstand causes of disease. Oh, mothers, if I could 
only impress this one truth upon you, I should save 
many a darling child from a yawning grave, and many 
a bereaved mother from a broken heart ! 

But, mark, this law applies with redoubled force to 
children BEFORE BIRTH. Better half starve the calf and 
colt the last part of its first year than the first part, and 
better stint it the first half year than neglect its mothei 
before its birth. The earlier this starvation, the worse, 
and far more detrimental before birth than after. As 
adults withstand cold, fatigue, deprivation of food, and 
all other hardships, vastly better than children, and hnlf- 
grown children better than young ones, so even infants 
are injured far less by too little clothing, food, and air. 
than while in the foetal state. Is this not too obviouslv 
REASONABLE to require additional proof? Nor do any 



AMOUNT REQUIRED. 25 

of us at all realize HOW important is a full supply of 
vitality to the young vegetable, animal, child, every 
thing. 

Prospective mothers, do be entreated to ponder well 
this law, and apply it to -your own selves while carrying 
your dear ones. You are compelled, by an institution 
of nature, to breathe for them, eat for them, exercise for 
tnem. every thing for them as well as yourself. All the 
vitality they can possibly have, they must obtun from 
you. Every other source is cut off. Suppose, then, 
you have not enough for them and yourself? You in- 
flict upon them all the horrors of semi-sxARVATioN and 
SUFFOCATION, and of protracted deprivation of food and 
breath. Does such deprivation after birth debilitate 
and disease them, and not far more so before ? THE 

YOUNGER THEY ARE THE MORE FATAL THE CONSEQUENCES ! 

Has nature taken so much pains to provide the female 
with this extra supply of nutrition, a part of which is eva- 
cuated in her monthly discharges, and a part by increas- 
ing digestion, sleep, etc., when such extra supply is of no 
special consequence ? Does nature take such extra pains 
to do what, when done, is of little account ? This se- 
cretion, when. not required for child-bearing and nursing, 
its exceedingly inconvenient, as every woman practically 
knows. Would, then, nature burden her thus for no- 
thing? Does not this fact show how IMPERIOUS nature's 
requisition for this extra supply at this period ? And by 
as much as this demand is imperious, BY so MUCH is ITS 
DEFICIENT SUPPLY FATAL to offspring and mother ; be- 
cause it leaves the former weakly, small, languid in all 
its functions, and only half made a SLACK-BAKED spe- 
cimen of a tried-to-be-but-could-not specimen of hu- 
manity, exposed to be blown into the grave by the 
3 



26 NECESSITY OF NUTRITION. 

least adverse breeze, having a name to live whil- it is 
almost dead, and at the same time leaves its mot'.er so 
far exhausted as to expose her likewise to disease and 
death. Mark, as bearing with momentous import on 
this point, the physiological law that 

:U ! . ''-'. 

412. WEAKNESS INVITES DISEASE. 

As long as the system is supplied with a full head o. 
vitality, that vitality keeps disease at bay, restores pros- 
trate organs, and secures is health. But let this 
font of health run low, ami it leaves weak organs doubly 
exposed. Diseases, which a full supply of vitality would 
eject from the system, or at least bury up, a sparse sup- 
ply allows to gain complete ascendency, and master 
what little life-power remains. Vitality is the city senti- 
nel and soldiery. When abundant, it stations its pro- 
tecting corps all around and upon the wall of life, and 
fills the citadel completely with guards the most faithfu/ 
and powerful, so that the least approach of disease o> 
every kind is hailed and expelled. Be it that the gatcr 
are all open be the exposure to disease what it may 
this fullness of vitality is both watch-all and cure-all. 
But, when vitality is low, the weaker organs are left pe- 
culiarly exposed, the citadel of life is feebly guarded, 
WHILE ITS GATES ARE WIDE OPEN, so that disease finds 
ready access, sacks, and destroys it. This point is im- 
mensely important. How is it that some men retain 
their health half a century of habitual drunkenness ? 
Does this being soaked in alcoholic poison do no injury ? 
Aye, but their full supply of life-power casts out disease 
as fast as alcohol introduces it. So of exposure to mias- 
mas, confinement to unhealthy occupations, etc. And 
thin hows why what 'loes a given person m percepti 



CVIL3 OF ITS DEFICIENCY, 27 

ble harm at one time, at another prostrates him with 
sickness, or hurries him into his grave. Before, this 
life-power fortified him. Now its absence invites dis- 
ease to enter, ravage, and destroy 

Prospective mothers, in view of this palpably apparent 
law of health, I lay the solemn unction to your own 
souls. Say, have you not, by having so little vitality at 
this period, brought forth children so feeble that slight 
exposures blew out the flickering rush-light of life ? Oh, 
if mothers only knew how many infanticides they had 
thus committed, instead of sending missionaries to In- 
dia and China to preach the wickedness of child-murder, 
they would preach to themselves and their neighbors 
the great practical truth before us! MORE INFANTICIDES 
ARE COMMITTED IN OUR ENLIGHTENED, (?) CHRISTIAN (?) 
AMERICA, THAN IN ALL HEATHENDOM ! MANY READERS 

HAVE ACTUALLY PERPETRATED THIS HORRID CRIME igHO- 

rantly, of course yet, did this save your child? And 
is ignorance of such momentous truth, when attended 
with such direful consequences, no crime? The slow 
starvation and suffocation of your own darling child, 
till it becomes too weak to live ! what is more horrible ? 
O ignorantly cruel, wicked mother ! You richly deserve 
that your lacerated soul bleed thus at every pore. You 

SHOULD NOT HAVE KILLED YOUR CHILD. SEE T } iT THAT 
YOU MURDER NO MORE. 

413. MRS. G 's MISCARRIAGE AND DEATH. CAUSE. 

In 1844, while practicing Phrenology in G., Mass., 
two married women called upon me for phrenological 
examinations. As I always remark also upon the physi- 
ology, when occasion requires, I said to one of them 
whose vital apparatus was too weak to support even her- 



88 NECESSITY OF NUTRITION. 

self, " AlKw me, madam, to give you one item of advice, 
to you all important namely, never to become a moth- 
er ; because you have barely sufficient vitality to keep 
even your own self alive much less, enough to give 
birth to a living child ; and this extra drain would al- 
most certainly jeopardize your own life." The next 
day her friend called to state, that she was then some 
three months advanced, and that my remark made her 
feel most awfully, because her only child, born four- 
teen years before, died at birth, and the father was in- 
expressibly anxious for issue, and now had hope. I 
replied, that if I had been aware of her existing situa- 
tion, I should certainly never have made the remark, 
true though it was, because it was calculated to alarm 
and discourage her, which was especially prejudicial ; 
yet, that I should be glad to talk with her, because I 
thought I could yet give her that advice which, rigidly 
followed, would save herself and child. They accord- 
ingly cplled. I explained to her fully the physiological 
law involved, yet added, that if she would do all she 
could to enhance her vitality, and husband it ALL, she 
might bear a living child; and was confirmed in this 
decision by the fact that her appetite and general health 
had IMPROVED since she had been in this way. I told 
her that this single fact held out the star of promise, 
yet warned her, that she must pay the utmost attention 
to her health ; must lie down every day ; must not do a 
stroke more work than barely to get what exercise she 
required ; that she must be much in the open air it 
was then June and eat easily digested food ; masticate 
thoroughly, etc. ; that she must have no care of the 
family, as such, but be simply an uninterested boarder, 
etc. She replied, that her hisband earned their living 



MRS. a 29 

b) day's works, and was just getting something ahead 
for a home ; that she had been much expense to him by 
sickness, and hated to saddle him with servant's hire, 
while she was able to be about the house ; that she could 
illy afford time, even to lie down, during the day, etc. 
I answered, emphatically, "Madam, THIS is A CASE OF 
LIFE AND DEATH, to your child, at least, and probably to 
you, too. You MUST DO AS I SAY, or you will surely 
MISCARRY, and probably die yourself. Take your choice. 
Would not your husband rather hire help, and have a 
living child, than have no heir to enjoy his home and 
property ?" She replied, " Yes, but " and stopped. I 
followed, " Yes, but it is the one or the other. Which, 
n for you to say in ACTION." 

Being in an adjoining town the next November, and 
feeling a deep interest in her case, I called upon her, 
and found her in a small kitchen, full of the smoke of 
burnt fat, frying dough-nuts. "Good woman, what did 
I tell you ?" I exclaimed. Her unborn child was still 
alive, and I besought her, at this eleventh hour, to fol- 
low my advice. My next news from her was, that she 
had been delivered of a still-born child, which died 
three days before its birth ; and that she was extremely 
feeble. She is now dead ; and her working thus at this 
time, was just as much bu\cide as if she had died of 
poison. She committed CHILD-MURDER, and on her ONLY 
CHILD. She blighted her husband's last ecstatic hopes, 
and turned his holy joys into an agony of sorrow. She 
broke his heart, by killing his dearest wife, as well as 
only child. And all because too parsimonious to hire 
help, and too short-sighted to see that even true ECON- 
OMY, to say nothing of the life of mother or child 
required that she be relieved of family cares and 
3* 



30 AN ALLEGORY 

wearisome drudgery, just for the balance of her timo 
only. 

Mothers, know you no like cases? Have you not 
even perpetrated them ? Or if your dear child did not 
die before birth, did it not soon after ? or, at farthest, 
barely drag out a precarious existence for a few months, 
only to fall a victim to some form of infantile disease, 
because you did not endow it with sufficient life-power 
to resist even trifling disease ? Oh, prospective moth- 
ers, do be entreated to pause here, and ponder well this 
momentous truth the ABSOLUTE necessity that you fur- 
nish an abundant supply of the life-principle to your 
precious charge, during the entire period of its car- 
riage and then ask yourself whether you have enough 
both for yourself and it. If any doubt remains if your 
own vitality runs low take timely warning from the 
following allegory : 

A traveler started alone on a nine months' journey, 
and took with him barely meal enough for food, though 
used with the utmost economy, to carry him through ; 
nor could he obtain any re-supply on the road. But, 
improvidently, he did not husband his sparce supply 
of meal, but wasted much without baking it, carelessly 
let fall on the road many pieces of bread, and. to crown 
all, TOOK ALONG A COMPANION, whom he might just as 
well have left behind, and fed him all along their jour- 
ney. But for this last imprudent act, he might, after all, 
have had food enough to carry him through ; but this 
told the fatal story. Their food failed them. He starv- 
ed himself he starved another to death ; first by wan- 
ton waste, and then by dividing his sparce supply. 

Reader, hast thou seen no kindred instance of folly 
and wickedness? Know you no mother, herself pog- 



EXHAUSTION. 31 

aessed of barely suffici -nt vitality to live along, between 
hawk and buzzard, load herself down with an embryc 
child, completely exhaust her vital powers, fall into a 
rapid decline, and fill a self-dug grave, whereas, but for 
such child she might have lived or have still lived if 
she had economically husbanded what little health and 
vitality she had ? And her child, rendered weakly and 
sickly before it was born, by its mother's debility, if it 
barely lived a few brief days or months, kept mother, 
father all concerned in perpetual fear for its death, 
and, finally, yielded up its feeble hold on life ? 

Another phase of this doleful picture. See you that 
sickly mother, fast sinking into a premature grave, per- 
haps of consumption, or nervousness, or female com- 
plaints, or some other forms of disease, who was well 
when she married, and till she had her first child, which 
was smart and healthy? But this shook her constitution 
to its centre. She became pale, emaciated, debilitated, 
and afflicted with female complaint, and various other 
ails. Yet they only crippled, but did not disable her. 
She still worked, though in pain ; but hardly aware that 
she was not able still to endure as formerly, thinking 
that, perhaps, after all, it was only laziness, and being 
very desirous of saving all outgoes for extra help, and 
helping her husband lay up something for the future, 
worked on, as hard as ever, and far beyond her strength. 
And, worst of all, she did more sewing, and more wash- 
ing, and more scrubbing, than was at all necessary, 
merely to have her house, and all about it, look just so 
A'ery nice, and clean, and orderly, and array her dear 
babe in fashionable, highly worked frocks ; whereas, 
plain ones woul 1 nave answered f very purpose except 
maternal vanity, even better. 



32 REQUISITION FOR NOURISHMENT. 

Again she finds herself in the bearing state , and is 
much more sick at the stomach, n.ore nervous, and full 
of all sorts of pregnant ails, than before, and wonders 
why in the world she suffers so dreadfully is so dif- 
ferent from what she was before. Her husband is, per- 
haps, building, or carrying on some enterprise which 
requires her to do for hired men, though barely able to 
drag one foot after another. In perpetual torture she 
carries that child. Having barely sufficient vitality to 
keep the wheels of her own life from stopping short, 
she divides this little with her embryo babe, and thus 
STARVES BOTH ! Her system, too weak to resist the in- 
gress of new diseases, and even to keep out what pre- 
vious weakness had introduced, is besieged on all sides, 
and gives away now here, then there, and anon yon- 
der till her time arrives ; and a most dreadful time it 
is. But the life-power, though sunk to the lowest point, 
here rallies, summons every energy, and taxes every 
function to its utmost, and, after suffering all but death, 
carries her through. Yet she is completely exhausted; 
though gradually recovers, after a long lingering on the 
confines of death. 

But her child is small, shriveled, squailid, and ex- 
tremely feeble. Though it has almost robbed its mother, 
yet it could rake and scrape barely enough of the mate- 
rials of life to form only an imperfect organization, and 
just keep the fire of life from going out. 

Added to all this, its mother's aggravated and com 
plicated diseases find their way into its daily food. It 
drinks in poison from its mother's breast. It lives on 
death I Griping pains and infantile disorders cramp ita 
stomach, interrupt its>sleep, and render its young life, 
otherwise so quiet and happy a torture. And, to cap 



DUTY O? HUSBANDS. 33 

ihe climax, officious nurse, or meddlesome aunt, or fussy 
granny, determined not to let nature have even the 
small chance of restoring it left, keeps dosing it, night 
and day, with this tea, and that drug castor oil, of 
course, included till its feeble powers barely suffice to 
keep soul and body together. Yet, wonderful the powei 
of nature, it still lives ! It would still weather the cape 
of death, if its frail bark were not forced upon the quick- 
sands by over-nursing. 

Its mother, also, lives a marvel that she does be- 
cause the life-power clings with desperation to her yet 
young organization. COMPELLED to take some rest, be- 
cause utterly unable to work, her constitution slowly 
recovers the drugging doctor to the contrary notwith- 
standing and a hundred dollar fee must be paid to him 
for interfering with nature, and another hundred for in- 
cidentals ; whereas, a moiety of it paid out for help, so 
as to have allowed the mother time to rest, and kept 
her up while carrying her child, would have brought 
her safely through, saved her constitution from the ut 
most verge of ruin, and given her darling babe a fair 
hold of life in the start, so that it would have grown 
finely, been intelligent, and withstood the current of in- 
fantile complaints. But no, they could not afford to be 
thus penny wise. 

414. CASTIGATION OF WIFE-NEGLECTING HUSBANDS. 

Let us turn to the husband's barn-yard. There is 
his old mare, worth, perhaps, twenty dollars, turned out 
to do absolutely NOTHING, yet is well fed every day, at 
a greater cost than would suffice to hire a girl to do 
house work. She was treated very carefully all sum- 
oseu uiii" r HI iigni worK, oecause neavy oraw- 



84 REdUlS TIOV OF NUTRITION. 

ing might produce a sad loss that of a c o 1 t! 

For two or three months before her time, the lazy beast 
is never harnessed, because her pampered excellency 
would not " come in" QUITE as well for it. And the 
hired men are charged to pay the horse-mother extra 
attention, while, at the same time, the human mother is 
made a pack-horse a perfect family drudge notwith- 
standing her sickness in ADDITION to her pregnancy, to 
these very hired men ! And the human mother must 
work, and keep working slave, and keep slaving must 
toil her very life out all day, and then worry all night, 
with cross or sick children, up to the last hour of her 
time, and even after her pains have come upon her 
because POSSIBLY they may, after all, prove to be false 
and it is so necessary for her to work so MUCH better 
that she work an hour too long, than leave off and rest 
a minute before compelled to do so ! Out upon this 
extra care to stop up the spigot, while you knock out 
the head aye, stave the whole barrel to pieces ! Oh, 
blindness without excuse ! Oh, folly ! thickened up 
with unpardonable guilt ! 

But to return to the sick mother and child ; after a 
world of anxiety, and labor, and expense, both mother 
and child slowly recover. But no sooner is this down- 
sick woman able, by straining the point, to sit up half 
an hour, than she must take her SEWING. Nature must 
be allowed no chance to rebuild her wrecked consti- 
tution, but just as fast as she obtains the least surplus 
vitility, must that surplus be eked out in work and 
very likely, work which it would be just as well all 
around if left undone. But as she must still keep help, 
because extremely weak, she gets some rest though 
her infant is very wearisome her remaining child 



IK SHANKS BEPRO/ED. 35 

restless, and her husband too completely engrossed in 
business to give her a. single sustaining word during 
the day, and sleeps too soundly at night to relieve her 
in the least from her night-watchings. Poor, neglected, 
self-abused, and husband-abused woman ! And is this 
indeed the suitable return you get for bearing children ? 
My soul bleeds for you. I would fain lay violent hands 
on that horse-caring, but wife-killing dolt. I would 
shake enough paltry business, or dollars, or stupidity 
out of his head, to leave room for one warm feeling 
one right idea about wife and children. But no ; that 
pitiable victim of his neglect, racked all through with 
pains a deadly weakness paralyzing every limb and 
function more dead than alive and above all, LONELY 
IN MIND, and completely broken in spirits barely living 
along yet every night or two, brute-like aye, worse 
than any brute, he must assault her, commit a perfect out- 
rage upon her person, and heap on new fuel to those fierce 
Tires in her sexual department, lit by his own excessive 
msts, which are burning up the little life left that miser- 
able martyr to child-bearing. Yet still she lives. Her 
original hold on life was strong, and hence she is so 
<ong in dying. But she is too weak, and has too many 
and aggravated female complaints, to again receive the 
germ of life. 

She is, moreover, a continual bill of expense, to the 
serious and perpetual annoyance of her driving hus- 
band, who loved her once and sort of pities her now ; 
yet is becoming a little weary of her, AND SHE FEELS IT. 
This fills her bitter cup to its very brim, and with a|l 
dregs. 

But that poor, dear child, racked with pain, cries till 
complete exhaustion compels a few minutes' respite. 



SO EVILS OF OVER'i.lXINC 

only to give it strength for a new onset. It grows no 
better. Oppressed with its mother's diseases, both 
hereditary and by nursing, and so weak withal, it 
barely makes out to live till warm weather, when 
teething and bowel complaints, or some other infantile 
disease, which if naturally strong it would have mas- 
tered at once, bring it down, and the doctor is called in 
to kill it off SCIENTIFICALLY. Yet well that it is dead. 
For the first time, it sleeps now. Peace to its cold 
remains. Better dead, else it would have lived. Yet 
the COLT is alive, and grows finely. 

But, oh, that agonized mother ! That dear babe, 
which she carried for nine long months in perpetual 
misery ; which she bore in agony worse than death 
itself; which roused her from so many half- waking 
sleeps, when so completely exhausted rendered doub 
ly dear to her by its very sickness from birth yes 
that darling little pet is dead, and cold, and buried ! 
And she, too, wishes she lay cold in death by its side. 
Life has no charms left, and death no terrors. But she 
has not been sufficiently tormented. Wait a little 
longer. 

Her enterprising husband is, however, really getting 
into a very fine business, though he has made several 
bad debts, and would have had more money if he had 
done less business. Yet, his wife and children are 
nothing unworthy of one minute's fond regard, or 
casual word, or look of sympathy though he did shed 
one tear at his child's funeral. But his colt grows 
finely, and since money is the only thing needful, drive, 
drive ; stew, stew ; hire, hire ; give notes and pay 
notes, puff, blow, crack, break, fail, and at it again. I 
mistake; his wife is no wholly neglected, but is made a 



AND NEGLECTING BEARING WIVES. 37 

rery ooor port in very bad storms, till at length she 
becomes completely used up, and all broken down 
throughout every department of her whole nature. 
One of the main timbers of life has already given way. 
One spoke after another in the wheel of life breaks, the 
tire loosens and runs off: it strikes a stone only a 
small one goes to pieces, and sh slides gradually into 
a welcome grave a child-bearing martyr to her own 
suicidal ignorance, and her husband's thoughtlessness, 
parsimony, and superior business talents. But that colt 
is becoming a fine horse, and its mother receives another 
furlough, with extra feed, because she promises an- 
other. 

As the simpleton who thought little of his wife, but 
every thing of his daughter, comforted himself on the 
death of his wife thus : " What though my wife be 
dead, my daughter Dorothy can now have her clothes," 
so these stock-caring, but bereaved husbands, have this 
great consolation left, namely, " Though my wife and 
child be dead, yet only just see what a magnificent 
span of colts I have raised !" Aye. and if you had taken 
half the care of bearing wife that you took of breeding 
mare, what splendid children you would have had, and 
mother alive to care for them and you ! 

These husbands now brush up, and sally forth after 
another victim, and are beset by lots of caps, all eager 
to follow in the footsteps, because he is so respectable, 
so intelligent, so rich, and so extra-excellent a husband ! 
This is a great country, and full of great fools, and 
greater sinners. 

Not that these particularly good and smart farmers 
take one item too much pains with either colt or mare. 
A fine horse is worth all t\e pains required to rear it ; 
4 



88 APPEAL TO HUSBANDS 

for without such pains, colt and mother would fare 
worse than child and mother. He cannot have a good 
colt withou* all this pains, and has sagacity enough to 
see it. Ye, where are his wits where his conjugal 
love and parental affection that, he does not see that a 
similar treatment of wife is indispensably necessary to 
secure a" fine child ? No, this colt-care is all just as it 
should be is underrated, rather than overdone but in 
the name even of common humanity and common sense, 
why this senseless, this cruel, this criminal neglect of 
wife and child ? 

APPEAL TO HUSBANDS. 

Husbands and fathers, do stop your drive, drive, 
hurry, hurry, tew, tew, long enough to learn your duty 
to your wife while bearing your children. See you 
those dear little birds ? They have built themselves a 
pretty home, and the female is filling it with eggs. 
How charming those little attentions he lavishes upon 
her ! How completely devoted and exquisitely tender ! 
Thereby he renders her all happiness and sweetness, and 
this stamps the impress of loveliness upon her embryo 
eggs. Now comes incubation. How near her he 
keeps ! How sweetly he warbles in surrounding 
branches ; thus charming away her tedious hours, 
and making her happy by notes of love ! She hungers, 
and he feeds her. His entire time, " from early morn 
to dewy eve," is devoted to her. Nor storm, nor wind, 
nor scorching sun, nor love of flight nothing can 
allure or drive him from her side. As the delightful 
period approaches for the birth of all he holds dear on 
earth, oh, how his glad soul leaps for joy ! They 
emerge, and he is electrified with parental esstacy 



THE BRUTE MALE. 3Jf 

And now how ousily and delightfully he employs him- 
self in feeding and sustaining both exhausted mate and 
darling little ones ! Is he too busy in building, or 
farming, or speculation, to notice them ? Does he do 
ANY THING ELSE ? Every moment every energy are 
they not surrendered WHOLLY to her ? Even the 
coarse-grained gander can fences, can hunger, can 
any thing but impossibilities, keep him long at a time 
from the side of his dear mate ? Approach their rude 
nest at your peril. And when his dear ones begin to 
peep in their shells, what joy, what devotion ! Go, 
thou indifferent husband, and take warning and instruc- 
tions from your GANDER. One would think you could 
hardly tear yourself from your wife's side at these soul- 
ravishing periods ; yet alas ! for her and her charge 
how seldom are you there ! Oh, no ; you must attend 
to your pressing BUSINESS. Instead of taking care of 
her, your enslaved wife must take care of herself, her 
precious burden, AND HER HOUSE, FILLED WITH YOUR 
WORKMEN BESIDES, or else with a pack of rowdy chil- 
dren, which craze, woi ry, and torment her very life out 
of her, or perhaps of BOTH. 

But what is it that your wife now requires ? RELIEF 
AND RECREATION FIRST. She begins pregnancy worn 
almost out by day-drudgery and night-watching ; yet 
you put your mare into " good condition" by extra rest 
und feed BEFORE IMPREGNATION for the utility of which 
see " Love and Parentage" and after it, she must do 
nothing for days or weeks, because this is the only way 
to get a good COLT ; yet not one of your poor wife's 
outward burdens are taken off, though her inward is 
thus immensely enhanced. To household burdens al- 
ready crushing, without rest, -without sympathy, you 



40 APPEAL TO HU&BAND3 

load her with this most exhausting burden of all. Hei 
former burdens were all she could possibly endure. 
She was breaking down under them ; yet repined not, 
because she bore them for one she dearly ioved, and 
you therefore thought she felt them not. But you force 
upon her this second burden, without relieving her 
strained energies in a single other respect. How CAN 
you be so thoughtless ? Your gander is less a brute 
than you, and would teach you, but you are too stupid 
and too busy to learn. He is a better conjugal partner 
than you are, and more true to the masculine office. 

415. WHAT HUSBANDS SHOULD DO AT THIS ?EB T OD. 

"But do not be so severe on me, I never saw this 
matter in this light before," you apologetically answer. 
Aye, that's it. WHY not seen it in this light? Is cloud- 
less noon-day sun more palpably apparent than that *his 
view is the only correct one? How could you FAII to 
see it ? You DID NOT DULY LOVE YOUR WIFE, OR YOU 
WOULD have thus seen it. 

" Yes, but I get every thing wanted in the family- - 
buy her nice dresses, rich furniture, etc." 

Aye, but you are INDIFFERENT toward her, and this 
cause of your inattention to her is even more cruel than 
the neglect itself. 

" But what would you have me do ?" 

Duly LOVE your wife, and this will suggest all the 
rest. If you cared a tithe as much for her as for busi- 
ness, these things would have FORCED themselves upon 
your attention beforehand, and have told you what to 
do. 

Yet, as you wish to learn, I will be more specific. 
What is it that your wife requires at this period 1 Just 



WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. 41 

what her formal child requires, and that is, first, VITALITY. 
What it requires, and about all it requires during the 
first few months, is, ABUNDANCE of that animal energy 
derived from sleep, food, fresh air, etc. Without this, 
It must begin the race of life under every disadvantage, 
and always lag behind. Vitality is the sole motive- 
power of every organ of mind and body. It is to the 
organs what the steam or water is to the machinery ; 
and as the latter moves slowly and feebly, or briskly 
and powerfully, according as this head of power is high 
or low, so of all the bodily organs so especially of the 
brain. The first great condition of HEALTH in children 
is this maternal vitality. The paramount condition of 
talents in them is this same vitality. In short, maternal 
vitality is the alpha and omega required. Furnish this, 
though you deny every thing else, and you lay a deep, 
and broad, and solid foundation for life, health, talents, 
morals every thing; but refuse this, and all else goes 
for nought. 

B Be it, then, your paramount concern, to ENHANCE YOUR 
WIVES' VITALITY. True, you cannot eat, breathe, and 
sleep for her, BUT YOU CAN RELIEVE HER FROM FAMILY 
CARES, and thus allow her time for that rest which na- 
ture will then compel her to take. If you cannot 
breathe for her, you can, at least, get her out of the 
stived-up kitchen into the fresh air, so that what breath 
she does get shall do her some good. You can per- 
suade her to rise early ; can provide others to see to 
restless children during the night, so that her sleep shall 
not be interrupted. And when she awakens refreshed, 
instead of sending her into the smoky kitchen to get 
breakfast for you and all hands, you can proffer her your 
fond arm she will not refuse you and take a refresh- 
4* 



42 POOR HUSBANDS. 

ing promenade before breakfast, and an exhilarating 
ride after it ; and then insist that, whenever she feels 
the least appetite for rest or sleep, she shall be furnished 
with every help to it. You can do a thousand such 
little things, which circumstances and a high order 
of love will prompt, and thus give her nature time and 
facilities for providing an increased supply of vitality, 
adequate to her own and child's demand ; so that her 
pregnancy, instead of causing such deadly sickness and 
complete prostration, shall really revive her constitution, 
and bring her to her accouchement full of that life-power 
which alone can carry her through, as well as secure a 
healthy issue. 

" But I am a poor man ; how can I afford the time, 
the extra help, and the horse-hire, to execute these ends, 
which I admit to be desirable, when practicable ?" 

You can afford all this far better than to LOSE YOUR 
WIFE, or have her or her child sick. Help is less ex- 
pensive than doctors. Reference is now had to this 
matter in a PECUNIARY point of view, merely. Granted 
that you are poor, THE MORE so THE BETTER YOU CAN 
AFFORD TO PURSUE THIS COURSE. Are you not too poor 
to render wife and child sick, and then to pay doctor's 
bills, nurse's bills, and funeral expenses ? If you were 
rich, you might better afford to have your wife work in 
the kitchen ; but you are too poor to make her sick for 
the time being, and break down her constitution for life, 
by kitchen drudgery while pregnant. Relieve her, then, 
and she will make it up, ten-fold, by subsequent ability 
to labor. And is not this carrying your child enough, 
in all conscience, for her to do, for the time being? Al- 
ready is she loaded clear down to the water's edge ; 
why sink her, by imposing additional freight ? 



ADVICE TO BEARING MOTHERS. 43 

By one other most effectual means you can relieve 
ner labors; by requiring LESS TO BE DONE IN THE FAMI- 
LY ; by putting up with many a cold dinner, and per- 
suading her to leave every thing not absolutely neces- 
sary undone to let household matters slide and do 
only what she is abundantly able to do, and let the bal- 
ance go. Most of your wants are purely artificial. 
" Man needs but little," and at this period should want 
still less; and then should mostly help himself, allowing 
his wife to do barely enough for exercise. 

416. DIRECTIONS TO PREGNANT MOTHERS. 

You thus perceive the imperious necessity of a full 
cupply of vitality, that your forthcoming child may be 
healthy, strong constitutioned, full of life-power, and 
possess strength of brain and mind. What can be done 
to secure it ? 

RIGIDLY OBSERVE THE LAWS OF HEALTH. You SHOULD 
STUDY PHYSIOLOGY. No woman should ever approach 
the hymenial altar, or suffer herself to be put into a way 
to bear a child, till die KNOWS HOW to manage herself 
during this eventful period. Oh, if fashion-lovirg wo- 
men would appropriate to physiological and other stud- 
ies, and preparations for bearing children, the time and 
money they now squander on chasing the butterfly of 
French fashion, how incalculably more happy would 
they be, and how infinitely superior the children they 
would bear, to those puny Liliputians they now bring 
into the world ! The accursedness of these fashions 
God only knows. Be entreated, O prospective mothers ! 
to sacrifice to-day's fashionable glitter uoon the altar of 
your prospective child's eternal good. You need not 
sacrifice one single comfort, but multiply them all. I 



14 DIRECTIONS TO BEARING MOTHERS. 

ask only that you do not expend in perfectly non-essen 
tials, that life-power so absolutely indispensable to youi 
own future well-being and your child's forming capaci 
ties. 

SLEEP MUCH. 

The restorative power of sleep you know too well to 
require amplification here. Nothing does a pregnant 
woman require more imperiously, or more in quantity. 
How clearly does nature point to this necessity. How 
sternly and perpetually does she urge you to sleep, and 
also to take relaxing lounges, on sofa and bed, though 
not tired enough to sleep. Giving yourselves abundant 
sleep and rest at this period, will alone, with due feeding 
and breathing, carry you safely through incredible la- 
bors, even during pregnancy. Bear this in mind, and 
every day, whoever may call, however pressing your 
work, or however well you may feel, take an hour's 
sleep before dinner, and another hour's lounge after it. 
Especially, 

LET NOTHING DISTURB YOUR NIGHl's REST. 

Retire early, and if children cry, be entreated to lodge 
them in some room where they will not disturb your 
repose. Oh, I wish I could impress upon you the im- 
portance of sleep, and the evils of its deprivation ; its 
ruinous effects on you on vour prospective babe. Do 
heed and practice. 

LET YOUR FOOD BE NUTRITIOUS, \ET EASY OF DIGESTION. 

As you have to eat and digest for your child as well 
as yourself, you especially require to take ever^ advan- 
tage in aid of this function. Waste none of your stom- 
atic energies, either on innutritious f x>d, or on clogging 



THEIR DIET AND RESPIRATION. 45 

Digestion by overloading your stomach, or any viola- 
tion of the dietetic laws. And you will be an infinite 
gainer if you study these laws, merely to guide you in 
this eventful matter. 

Yet the great difficulty is, not to eat enough, but to 
DIGEST what you eat ; to convert it into good chyle for 
nourishing yourself and unborn infant. But this is not 
the place to develop the laws of digestion, or give full 
directions concerning it, but to point out its IMPORTANCE. 
The author has written another work, entitled " Physi- 
ology, Animal and Mental," the express object of which 
is, to give those PRACTICAL directions as to food, bathing, 
recreation, sleep, and the other conditions of health re- 
quired by all, and especially by pregnant mothers. 
That book will tell you in detail what you require to do. 

BREATHE COPIOUSLY OF FRESH AIR. 

Imperfect ventilation, is bad for all, and doubly bad 
<br prospective mothers. They must breathe for two. 
Our fronticepiece shows the red current, freighted with 
life, flowing from mother to child, and returning to the 
mother, darkened, its vitality all spent, to be re-charged 
from the mother's vivifying lungs. If she remains most- 
ly within doors, and in heated rooms, where the vitality 
of the air is mainly burnt out, and what there is is highly 
rarefied, so as doubly to reduce its life-imparting oxy- 
gen, how can she inhale oxygen enough, even for her 
own self, much less for her child too ? Hot, stived-up 
rooms, are bad for all, but ruinous for bearing mothers. 
BE MUCH OUT OF DOORS. Air your bed-room, and open 
its door at night. OFF WITH ALL CORSETS, so as to give 
your lungs full play, and wear perfectly LOOSE DRESSES. 
Than compression here, nothing can be worse. 



46 DIRECTIONS TO BEARING MOTHERS. 



, 



But many women are so ashamed of themselves, tha 
they girt in their protruding abdomen, and house them 
selves as though they had committed some disgraceful 
crime, and must hide it under stays and within doors 
Shame on your prudery. For what were you created 
i woman as such ? Simply to bear children, AND FOR 
NOTHING ELSE. Then why be ashamed to be seen while 
r ulfilling your destiny your ONLY destiny as a woman? 
Do you not know, that all pure-minded men and -women 
regard you with redoubled interest at this period, and 
sympathize with you ? These maternal relations mate- 
rially enhance your feminine attractions : nor do any 
but those who are adulterers at heart, look upon you 
with any other feelings than that of increased respect 
and pure regard. They instinctively admire in you 
this fulfillment of your natural destiny. Hence you 
should take pride in appearances, rather than strive to 
repress them. Or, more properly, you should neither 
pad nor lace, but just let nature have her perfect work. 
A.nd since your being in this situation enhances your 
attractiveness, and also the happiness of others on 
beholding you, why not appear abroad ALL THE MOBE ? 
Why not glory in your prospects, instead of sneakingly 
trying to hide them under a bushel? The current idea, 
that women must not appear in society at this period, is 
all stuff. Such prospects are her PRIDE, not her shame : 
so that she should appear in street and drawing-room, 
church and lecture-room, just as much ther as ever, if 
not more. Say, common-sense readers of both sexos 
are not these views every way correct ? Then il 
becomes your duty to draw prospective mothers INTO 
society, instead of frown and shame them back within 
the lonely, sfifled precincts of their own chamber. 



ADVifCE TO SEALING MOTHERS. 47 

Another reason for their appearing in society,' founded 
on the child's mentality, will be given as we proceed. 

; 
REGULAR EVACUATIONS ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. 

Torpor of bowels, produced by foetal pressure on the 
rectum, is one of the prospective mother's great annoy- 
ances, and still greater evils. The evils of constipa- 
tion, and directions for securing regularity in this impor- 
tant function, are given in p ' 169 . The special attention 
of mothers is invited to this point. Nor should they 
tail to secure peristaltic regularity beforehand, so that, 
when they are in this state, this function may be kept 
regular with the more ease. 

Other like directions, touching scarcely less important 
functions such as bathing, keeping up the tone and 
action of the skin, etc. are scarcely less important ; 
yet the object of the book is to call attention to the 
importance of these subjects, and incite mothers both 
'u> study physiology and to take extra care of their own 
health at these periods, rather than to go into detail 
of the modes and means of securing this vitality. Pro- 
spective mothers, do be entreated to give this whole 
subject, of the abundant supply of vitality to your un- 
born child, the attention it deserves. You can give 
your child only vvhat you have, and if your fund of 
life-power is weak how can its be any thing else ? 

417. SIGNS OF MATERNAL QUALIFICATIONS. 

Yet this law has one exception. As some trees 
grow poorly because all their energy runs to bearing, 
while others bear little but grow rapidly as some 
cows, sheep, etc., are always poor while pregnant, yet 
bear fat and fine young so some women naturally rob 



46 SIGNS OF A GOOD MOTHER. 

themselves cf vitality, and thereby, though weakly, fur- 
nish a good supply to their embryo ; that is, they are 
good bearers. And this IB an excellent quality, if not 
carried to extremes, so as completely to exhaust the 
mother, and thus ruin her constitution. 

This shows why some women will be very feeble 
and down sick during their entire time, so that you 
would think their offspring must be too weakly to live ; 
yet it proves to be a fine, healthy child. It also ac- 
counts for the converse fact, that some prospective 
mothers, though remarkably healthy, bear very puny, 
email, delicate children. In the former, the placenta is 
so vigorous as to rob the mother of life to bestow it 
upon the child ; while in the latter, its feebleness leaves 
the mother well supplied, yet gives but little to off- 
spring. As the food and vitality of some cows go 
mainly to milk, so as to keep them always poor, while 
those of others go to beef and fat ; so of the human 
female, as to both carriage and nursing. Nor is it 
probably difficult to tell even before marriage, and from 
visible signs,, whether a given woman will, in this sense, 
be a good or poor bearer whether she will involunta- 
rily rob herself to feed her child, or starve the latter 
while she revels in health and looks fresh and rosy. 
There are undoubted signs by which this matter can be 
predicated beforehand, with perfect ease and certainty. 
Why not, since we can generally determine this identi- 
cal point in cows, or that which involves it ; namely, 
whether they will be good for milk ; and thus of all 
females ? And why will not those same signs which 
enable us to determine the one, also apply equally to 
the other? They will, only that we have not yet 
learned to apply them. But men WILL learn. Whethei 



FEMALE FASHIONS. 4& 

a given young woman will make a good or a poor 
child-bearer and nurser, is too practically important not 
to be scanned by this utilitarian age. And let females 
remember, that their MATERNAL qualifications, as such, 
or to use a plain term, because it exactly expresses the 
sense intended their BREEDING qualifications, AS SUCH 
are more easily and more generally observable than 
they suppose. And though cotton breastworks and 
circumvironing bustles may mislead green ones, by 
there appearing to be something where there is noth- 
ing, yet the real state of your maternal department is 
perfectly apparent to the first scrutinizing glance of the 
well-informed physiologist. 

RATIONALE OF FEMALE FASHIONS. 

I see I shock and offend many, but do not scorn my 
book till you have read a little further. I have an 
object and that object is your own and your chil- 
dren's highest good in making this personal allusion. 
And first, I beg to ask, if cotton padding and pelvic 
distenders are so very vulgar, why, in the name of all 
that is modest, do you wear them ? If it be so decidedly 
vulgar to name them, how much more so to WEAR them ! 

Yet it is not surprising, that women pad and bustle 
themselves off thus ; nor that young, modest girls do 
this, " because it is their nature." Because the en- 
tire attractiveness of the female as a female all that 
is beautiful and lovely in woman as such consists in 
these indices of her being a good child-bearer. You 
spurn this idea, but wait and examine it. Indulge me 
in a little plain talk ; not by any means for the talk 
itself, but on account of the PHILOSOPHY, and the moment- 
ous child-bearing TRUTHS taught by that philosophy. 
5 



50 WHAT CONSTITUTES FEMAI E EXCELLENCE. 

:\ > -i ! ^! *5>rri$ n 

418. THE CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF THE FEMININE. 

In what, then, does female beauty consist ? In femald 
perfection, of course. But what constitutes this perfec- 
tion? A fitness to fulfill her destiny; for in this con- 
sists all beauty, all perfection. Then what is that des- 
tiny ? What is the primary, paramount function she 
was created to subserve ? Not what subordinate offi- 
ces she can attain, and good effect, but what is the 
GREAT, the specific, the ONE cardinal end she was or- 
dained to fill? Every thing in nature has one PARA- 
MOUNT function, and but one. The heart subserves one 
PRIMARY end, the lungs another, the eyes, ears, and other 
organs, each another. And thus of every genera, every 
species, every individual every part of every thing in 
nature. 

Then what is woman's one great destiny her primi- 
tive end her paramount office her controlling func- 
tion ? What the rationale of her being ? In short, why 
was she created a woman, instead of any thing else? I 
ask not now why she was created a human being, but 
why she was created a human FEMALE? She was cre- 
ated a female simply to bear OFFSPRING, and rendered 
a HUMAN female solely to bear human beings. MATER- 
NITY is the one destiny and function of woman that 
alone for which she was created. All the other ends 
she is fitted and required to sul serve, are secondary to 
this. All the female beauties and perfections centre 
here, and consist in perfection as a child-bearer. And 
she is the most beautiful and perfect woman, who is 
fitted by nature to bear the best children ; while those 
who are the least fitted for this end, are, THEREFORE, the 
most homely. 



MATERNAL SUPERIORITY. 51 

Of course, woman will raise one general hue and cry 
against this doctrine. She will affirm that this detracts 
from her high ends and exalted capacities. But con- 
sider a little. Let not mere prejudice determine so im- 
portant a question. Let your natural ADAPTATION de- 
cide it. This umpire is final, and its decision too palpa 
ble to be mistaken. 

What answer do woman's anatomical conformation and 
physiological constitution give to this question ? I speak 
not of her anatomy as a human being, but as a WOMAN 
PER SE. She has bones, muscles, limbs, eyes, and other 
organs, like those of men ; but these are common to 
both sexes, whereas our ordeal has exclusive reference 
to her SEXUAL anatomy and physiology. That this 
points to child-bearing as its paramount and ONLY func- 
tion and destiny, is too apparent to be argued. Who- 
ever disputes it has no philosophical ideas of adaptation 
whatever. This granted, does it point to any thing else ? 
I pause for a reply. What one organ and function of 
the female, as a female, has primary reference to any 
other end ? 

The female pelvis is constitutionally larger, relatively, 
than that of man. This is the great and final test, of 
whether a given skeleton is that of a male or female 
This point is illustrated by the following engraving, illus- 
trative of the masculine and feminine foim. Man ia 
broadest at the shoulders, from which central point he 
tapers both ways ; while woman is widest at the hips, 
because her maternal function requires the concentration 
of her power at this point. 

WHY this greater pelvic development ? Because it 
contains these very child-bearing organs ; and the larger 
it is, the larger these organs ; and the larger and more 



52 



MALE AND FEMALE FORM. 




MASCULINE FORM. 



FEMALE FORM. 



ADAPTATION OF WOMAN. 53 

\igorous they are, other things being equal, the better 
children will she bear, and. consequently, the more per- 
fect the woman, as a woman. The female anatomy 
then, settles the question, absolutely, in favor of our 
view; because the only distinctive point of difference 
between the female skeleton and that of the male, is 
that which adapts it to, and fits it for, this sole end. 
What can be more conclusive than this argument, 
drawn from her anatomical ADAPTATION ? 

Turning from the anatomy of her bones to that of her 
fleshy organs, we find this view confirmed. For what 
other end were these organs created, but to receive, and 
mature, and bring forth, the germ of humanity to bear 
children? Absolutely nothing. And the very name, 
woman womb-man man being the generic term for 
the race, and womb the adjective, or descriptive part 
of her name, refer to this same child-bearing appara- 
tus, and TO NOTHING ELSE. What can more completely 
establish any point, than the argument drawn from 
woman's anatomical organization, establishes our doc- 
trine obnoxious though it may be to many adapts 
her EXCLUSIVELY to child-bearing that, in short, the 
MATERNAL function is the only specific female function 
and destiny ? 

If it be urged that the female breasts constitute an 
exception, the answer is that they confirm our argument. 
For what were they created ? What destiny do they 
subserve, other than the nourishment of the infant? 
And is that not an integral part of the child-bearing 
function ? We use this term child-bearing in the gene- 
ral sense of bringing UP, as well as bringing forth, child- 
ren, and consequently mean, that the sole destiny of the 
female, as such, is to BEAR, NURSE, AND EDUCATE, till thcv 
5* 



ADAPTATION OF LOVE. 

are capable of caring for themselves concentric ends 
of course, included. 

" But," it is here objected, " woman is certainly adapt- 
ed by nature to become a WIFE, quite as much as a 
mother." Aye, but a wife solely that she may become 
a mother. The whole philosophy of love and matri- 
mony centres in, and appertains to, propagation. All 
these delicate attentions, and pure and exquisite feelings 
of oneness and love, are instituted for the express pur- 
pose of fitting and inclining them to become parents. 
Nature brings them together in wedlock, SOLELY that 
they may unite in propagation. Nature's only end in 
instituting love is propagation, just as much as the ulti- 
mate end of eating is nourishment. Neither love nor 
marriage have any other natural adaptation. They are 
not primary institutes of nature, but secondary to that 
one end of both the masculine and the feminine crea- 
tion namely, the continuance of the race. 

Fair reader, pout and poh at this institute of nature 
as you will, it is nevertheless true, AND YOU KNOW AND 
FEEL IT. It accords with your inner consciousness, as 
well as your perception of adaptation. And you may 
as well admit this point first as last may as well know 
what your natural destiny is, that you may know how, 
and be fitting yourself, to fulfill it. I have not rashly 
put forth this principle. On the contrary, it has bur- 
dened my mind for years, and is one of only two points 
which I hardly dared to bring forward. The other will 
be forthcoming in duo time my moral courage being 
ready for the sacrifice, as soon as time and strength will 
permit me to present it effectually. 

Nor have I brought forth this view of woman's desti- 
ny to lower her in the scale, but to elevate her ; for, 



* IMPORTANCE OF MATERNITY. 55 

'hough limiting her to mere babe-bearing and nursing 
might, at first, seem to confine her to a very insignifi- 
cant destiny, compared with that of man, yet he does 
nothing more important, if equally so. The magnitude 
of this destiny it is not possible for the human mind to 
conceive. What causes, wielded by man, equally 
affect human happiness and destiny, here and here- 
after? What condition equally determines the fate of 
individuals, and the race? How far the mother, in her 
distinctive capacity as mother, controls human health 
and power of body and brain, has just been seen. How 
far she likewise determines, by the same means, human 
virtue and vice, talents and imbecility, moral propensi- 
ties and animal propensities, will be seen hereafter. 
What one function, throughout universal nature, is as 
important as the maternal the seed-bearing, animal- 
bearing, and child-bearing? What other does nature 
take such extra pains to secure ? To what other does 
the natural destiny of every vegetable, tree, animal, and 
human being, point with equal force, as the PARAMOUNT 
function of herb, brute, and man ? What if there were 
no mothers ! What other calamity could equal this ? 
Our RACE cut short, and all the capacities of every one 
of its prospective myriads, throughout all coming time 
and eternity, of enjoying and accomplishing, covered 
with the mantle of oblivion ! 

I said no calamity could equal this. I except one ; 
the destruction of all the males ; of the horrors of 
which, the women of Benjamin, when their men were 
nearly all slain in battle, give a faint idea. I would not 
put the feminine function above the masculine, or wo- 
man and her destiny above man and his, yet I would 
put her and her natural destiny at least on a PAR vith his. 



56 WHO 13 THE MOST PERFECT WOMAN ? 

Is this degrading her ? I tell you, women, you infinitely 
underrate the maternal function its power over human 
weal its importance in the scale of being and there- 
fore when I circumscribe you to this destiny, you wrong- 
fully accuse me of lowering you. If this function were 
a trifle, and your only destiny, then indeed might you 
properly complain ; but not all the encomiums ever 
lavished upon woman at all compare with the exalted 
character implied in this her maternal destiny. In the 
language of our motto, " She is queen on earth who 
produces the highest order of children." Voting, legis- 
lating, public speaking, swaying the destinies of nations, 
wearing crowns and diadems all are trifles compared 
with bringing forth and bringing up superior children. 
Was not Washington's MOTHER quite equal to Washing- 
ton himself ? Could we have had him without her ? Do 
the world owe him a greater debt of praise and thanks- 
giving than her ? and him, BECAUSE of her ? Then 
why accuse me of detracting from your importance, 
relative or absolute, by limiting you to the maternal 
destiny ? 

Nor do I put forth this definition of woman to expose 
her to ridicule. No ; I worship the true woman in 
general, and the maternal function in particular, too 
devoutly to make light of either. I set too high a price 
on woman's delicate susceptibilities, to wound them, 
except to benefit her. I also love her too well not to 
tell her the truth, and the WHOLE truth, as a means of 
perfecting her. Man is the one to tell woman her 
faults, and how to perfect herself, and woman to tell 
man his. The order of nature is for man to mould 
woman into the image he loves, and for woman to 
mould man. LCVE TO THE FEMFN NE dictates every 



SHE WHO PRODUCES THE BEST CHILDREN. 57 

word of this book. And the paramount labor of my 
life my one "heart's desire and prayer to God" 
centres in woman's improvement. This is the grand 
focus of all my lectures all my writings all my life. 
But to obviate her faults, and improve her virtues, I 
must teach her her NATURE, and this is precisely what 
I am now attempting. I would disclose the true phi- 
losophical necessity of the feminine, the rationale of 
woman, the female ADAPTATION, and therefore sphere. 
I would show her in the light of her philosophical 
adaptation, that her one specific function is to bear 
children ; that by perfecting this one constituent ele- 
ment of her nature, she may thereby and therein per- 
fect the quintessence of her inmost self. Till she 
fully understands her natural use, how can she fit 
herself for that use ? Nor can she possibly improve 
her maternal capabilities without therein proportionably 
enhancing every female charm, and heightening every 
female virtue ; for in this one point centre all her at- 
tractions all her perfections. This is the mainspring 
of her nature, which keeps all her subordinate powers 
in harmonious action. It impaired, she fades ; it de- 
stroyed, she dies ; it improved, she shines forth in new 
splendors. MATERNITY this is her holy of holies 
this her decalogue. Then what good can I do her at 
all to compare with enforcing this very point under 
discussion, that CHILD-BEARING, nursing, feeding, training 
education, and accompanying ends included is her 
specific and only natural use ? that MATERNAL excel- 
lence is the one embodiment of female charms and 
perfections ? And what truth can she learn of equal 
practical moment to herself -to the world ? Be not 
then offended : nor will any but squeamish prudes, 



58 FASHIONABLE FEMALES. 

whose only glory is their shame, and whose sole excel- 
lencies are faults. No true woman but will see the 
intellectual force of this philosophy, and feel the in- 
ternal consciousness of its truth. "Am I then your 
enemy, because I tell you the TRUTH ?" Sensible wo- 
men will prize me the higher, and help me the more. 
As to those sounding brasses and tinkling symbols 
who are only what the silk-worm, milliner, and dress- 
maker has made them, polished off by boarding-school 
glitter why, it matters as little what they !ike and say 
as what the fluttering insect likes and does. They are 
perfect inanities. They have the outward form of 
women, but are too deficient in feminine soul or char- 
acter to weigh a feather in the scale. They are mere 
motes on the sun-dial of time, and tolerated by nature 
only because their room is not now wanted. Better 
them than nothing, though not much ; but as fast as 
true women require their places, will they vanish like 
the morning cloud and the early dew. Let them pout 
and turn up their ninny noses, or laugh, or praise, will 
any thing they can say or do affect ME, or interrupt 
TRUTH ? Flutter on, ye apologies for your sex ! Fash- 
ionable THINGS what are you to the mountain torrent, 
the ocean wave, the fierce winds ? Yet is any thing I 
have said CALCULATED to offend any one of correct and 
enlarged views? But whomsoever nature's stern truth, 
delivered in her oracles of adaptation, offends, let them 
be offended. 

419. FEMALE BEAUTY IN WHAT DOES IT CONSIST ? 

On this point, many men have many minds. Some 
fancy small, others large women ; some tall, others 
short j some plump, others spare ; some one color of 



CONSTITUENTS OF FEMALR BEAUTY. 59 

eyes and hair others other colors ; and so on to the 
whole end of tastes, for most of which there is indeed 
no accounting. "How could he ever have fancied hei, 
for I could not ?" says one ; and the latter thinks the 
same of the tastes of the former. Yet is there no fixed 
standard of female beauty ? Thei3 is, and our principle 
develops it. SHE is MOST BEAUTIFUL WHO is CAPACI- 
TATED TO BEAR THE BEST CHILDREN. All in Woman 3S 

such, which ever does or ever can excite the normal 
admiration or love of man, is INDICES OF MATERNITY. 

But, you ask, what have ruby lips, a sweet mouth, 
fine teeth, a sweet breath, flowing tresses, expressive 
eyes, alabaster skin, finely-moulded limbs, an enchanting 
form, and this whole round of feminine charms to do 
with their making fine mothers ? 

Much every way. No woman can bear an exqui- 
sitely-organized child, without being exquisitely organ- 
ized herself, in accordance with that great hereditary 
law, that like begets like ; and all these are but so 
many signs of such exquisiteness. Such women are 
fine-grained and susceptible, and will bear highly-or- 
ganized children. Does not beauty in a child enhance 
its excellence, and does not beauty in the mother pro- 
mote beauty in her offspring ? Tell me not, then, that 
these that any other elements of female beauty bear 
no necessary reference to the female function. 

That men, in general, admire a full development of 
the pelvis in woman, is too apparent to require a 
moment's argumentation. WHY ? Solely because it 
indicates a large female apparatus, which, other things 
being equal, of course contributes materially to child- 
bearing. It surely contributes to the NOURISHMENT of 
the embryo, the importance of which has just been 



60 THE PHILOSOPHY 

shown to be paramount 41S . A large pelvis indicates 
capacity to carry a large child ; and good size in chil- 
dren and of course adults, is certainly a great deside- 
ratum. It also indicates a large placenta, which, othei 
conditions being the same, will of course secrete pro- 
portionably more blood from the mother, and impart 
more vitality, and more of all the conditions and mate- 
rials of fetal formation and power. And this has just 
been shown to be a PARAMOUNT requisite of superiority, 
mental and physical, in the prospective child. And 
this is THE reason, and the only reason, why a large 
pelvis is an element of female beauty. 

It also of course facilitates parturition, another of the 
milernal functions. 

420. PHILOSOPHY OF BUSTLES, CORSETS, EXTRA SKIRTS, ETC. 

This law that man constitutionally admires fullness 
of pelvis, because it promotes this great function of the 
female, gives Ihe only true philosophy the real ration 
ale of bustles, corsets, extra skirts, etc. 

" These things have their philosophy ?" it is inquired. 
"A RATIONALE for all these fashionable accoutrements?" 
Yes, verily. In all her extravaganzas, fashion is per- 
fectly philosophical, and that philosophy is based in this 
very rationale of female beauty we are developing. 
And I call up philosophers, and fashionables of both 
sexes, as witnesses of the ' fixed fact," that the female 
fashions, in all their variations and mutations, PUFF OUT 

AND ADORN THE PELVIC REGION. The phlloSOph V of the 

hoops of Queen Anne's time, was to keep the bottoms 
of the dresses flaring, because pregnancy does the 
same. Thi? fashion was attractive, because it pro- 
moted whaf maternity promotes ; that is, it filled out 



OF FASHIONABLE FEMALE ATTIRE. 61 

the skirts. This attractiveness was what rendered .t 
fashionable. 

And what is the philosophy of tight lacing ? for this 
most accursed of all fashions, which has slain more 
women in a score of years than the sword has men in 
a century stifled more children than the Ganges has 
its rationale, and thai is this : by rendering the waist 
small, it increases the apparent size of the pelvic devel- 
opment by CONTRAST. Mark the fact, that this lacing 
has always extended down just to the' very point which 
the early stage of child-bearing distends. 

The bodice waist, too, in all its infinitesimal forms, 
has its philosophy in this same law of female beauty ; 
namely, it ADORNS, and at the same time fills out the 
pelvic region. In other words, it enhances a woman's 
apparent beauty, because it makes that part seem large 
and fair, which when large and full indicates an ex- 
cellent child-bearer. Of course our fashion-following 
females, ever so make-believe modest, never think of 
this, and will frown daggers on me for this unpardon- 
able insinuation against their delicacy. Being thus 
broadly accused of thus swelling out and setting off* 
their pelvic region, so as to make believe they are all 
prepared for receiving and developing the germ of 
life, will torture their sorest corn beyond endurance. 
But it is true. Let it. Yet very few except the Pa- 
risian fashion-makers know this. In that city, no way 
noted for female modesty, do all these fashions originate; 
the following of which makes, and the neglect of which 
breaks, our women. Why, in the name of all that 
is sensible, must shameless PARIS must the Court of 
the TUILLERIES, the most openly wanton in the civilized 
world alone give birth to the fashions of the civic 
6 



62 PHILOSOPHY OF THE BUSTLE. 

world?. BECAUSE IT is thus unblushing. The entire- 
study there, is to present woman in her most volup- 
tuous, because this is her most attractive light ; and all 
the ton all the pride of civic female life is to dress 
here as female voluptuaries in Paris dress ! Monstrous, 
yet true ! Blush, oh, American mother and daughter 
yet own the corn, till you pluck it out I 



PHILOSOPHY OF THE BUSTLE. 



Completely does this law explain the philosophy of 
the bustle. Maternity enlarges the pelvis, fills out 
around the hips, and throws the lower part of the 
spine out backward, while it causes its middle portion 
to bend inward the very shape produced by child- 
bearing. Now the entire paraphernalia of bustling, 
extra skirts, sacking, and all that, is to imitate, as 
nearly as may be, the form of a woman while carrying 
a child ; and the entire philosophy of this hip-dressing, 
is to render the wearer INTERESTING, by making her ap- 
pear as if actually in an " interesting situation." This 
is what gives to this apparent abdominal enlargement 
all its beauty. Woman knows by instinct that man 
loves to view a fullness of this region and he does so, 
because he instinctively admires whatever resembles or 
promotes child-bearing and, therefore, puffs out these 
parts by cotton, bran, hemp skirts, and surplus petticoats 
by the half-dozen, simply to excite this male passion. 

" Shame on that vulgar fellow who writes thus," says 
many a blushing, squeamish miss. Then double shame 
on women who DRESS thus. Is it, indeed, so very vulgar 
to allude to this matter ? Then is it not a perfect out- 
rage on every principle of female modesty thus to MAKE 
BELIEVE in a certain way so as to be admirec by men T 



DEMANDED BY t. BERTINE3. 63 

I know this will cut to the very quick. I mean it 
shall. Not that I love to torture woman's fine sensibili- 
ties, but that I would probe this gangrene of female 
folly to its core, and lay it open to public inspection: 
nor that I would lower woman in mnn's estimation by 
exposing her weaknesses; but tha by pointing out 
these faults I may obviate them, and thereby infinitely 
ENHANCE her in his regard. Since she will make her- 
self such a laughing-stock, let me turn it to her practical 
advantage. 

I know this philosophy of the bustle, and its substi- 
tutes, will be denied by nearly all females, and indig- 
nantly spurned by many even of those who are deserv- 
edly esteemed for their fine sense and taste ; but their 
pouting does not alter the FACTS. Besides, the burden 
of proof is thrown on them by this self-evident rationale 
of the bustle; and there it must rest till they remove it, 
by giving some other more satisfactory explanation of 
it. That men love large pelvic realities, and if they 
are wanting, APPEARANCES of fullness of the female ab- 
domen, is not to be questioned, nor that he loves them 
because they indicate child-bearing capabilities. Now, 
till she can show some other more PLAUSIBLE motive for 
dressing thus, we are compelled to adopt this ; and we 
are confirmed in it by the fact, that she is so intent on 
adapting herself to his tastes to dress as he likes to 
see her dress. 

But mark : it is not the most virtuous of men the 
most pure-minded and elevated who thus extol these 
artificial forms, but those fashionable bucks who are 
known to be no better than they ought to be. For her 
to so far forget true modesty and propriety, and do 
ihus unblushingly wl at sho :ld crimson her face with 



64 ITS INJURY OF THE FEMALE ORGANS. 

the deepest shame, to please RAKES ah, that is the rid 
die woman, can you solve it ? 

" But why, by probing so exceedingly tender a point 
so aggravate woman's keen sensibilities as to make hei 
dis.ike you, and break your influence over her ?" 

Because it involves this mighty moral, that by dressing 
thus, woman is blasting herself, by weakening her female 
organs,, in the most effectual manner possible. Nothing 
could possibly make such perfect havoc of this specific 
female function child-bearing as the way she dresses 
her abdominal region. She hangs all this extra-clothing 
upon her hips and bowels, and this of necessity PRESSES 
DOWN her female organs, gradually DISPLACES and DIS- 
ORDERS them, and thus weakens and diseases that speci- 
fic function, the perfection of which constitutes female 
perfection, and the impairment of which blights the very 
essence of the female nature, and with it every female 
charm and function. But for this mighty moral if 
dressing thus were only a piece of foolery if it did not 
stab her beauty, her utility, her inner self, in the most 
vital part possible I should have held my peace. But 
for years has this momentous truth been struggling for 
deliverance. Thank heaven, I have now done rny duty. 
I shall thereby stop a few women from loading the 
pelvis with such a huge pile of clothing, weakening 
them by excessive warmth and perspiration, and displa- 
cing them, which is the most effectual way of deranging 
her maternal organs and functions, and thus deteriora- 
ting herself as a woman, and her offspring as human 
beings. To hang this pile of extra skirts on her shoul- 
ders by straps would be most detrimental ; but to girt 
her pelvic region by tying them tight enough to stay 
on, of necessity displaces both bowels and all the adja- 



THE BUSTLE INJURES POSTERITY. 65 

cent organs, and is one of the greatest causes of in- 
ducing those female complaints which are so almost 
universal, and so very fatal to female charms, and to 
human offspring. Be tntreated, foohsh, wicked woman, 
if you will still continue to pile on these enormous loads 
of extra clothing, to at least hang them by straps upon 
your SHOULDERS, instead of, as now, by strings upon 
your hips, to the perpetual girting of your abdomen. 
Call this trifling if you will, but it is one of the great- 
est curses of civic life. Licentiousness, in all its forms 
and degrees, is nothing in comparison with the evils it 
is inflicting upon mankind, because that no more effect- 
ually ruins its victims, or their issue, and is less univer- 
sal. If it did not damage woman in her CHILD-BEARING 
relations in the very heart of her nature if it did not 
so effectually weaken her female apparatus as to rob 
her OFFSPRING of vitality, and thus produce all the evils 
ascribed to imperfect fetal nutrition I would have let 
her dress on as now. But though I could have borne 
to have seen her inflict trifling damage on the outskirts 
of her nature, yet how could I endure to see her igno- 
rantly stabbing herself under the fifth rib, yet hold my 
peace : nor merely stabbing herself, but inflicting upon 
her prospective issue the very worst evil it is in her 
power to inflict ? Can I endure to stand coolly by, and 
see her strangle infants by the million, so that they die 
a lingering death, and so that the remainder has barely 
vitality enough to survive, and are poor, puny speci- 
mens of humanity, in mind and body ? No, I can- 
not longer hold my peace, and see women dress thus, 
and thereby commit suicide and infanticide on this 
scale, commensurate with civic life. I am COMPELLED 
thus to " cry aloud and spare not, whether ye will hear 
6* 



66 PHILOSOPHY OF COTTON BREASTWORKS. 

or whether ye will forbear." I have done my duty, and 
done it faithfully, yet tenderlv. Woman, do yours, b) 
looking this truth fairly in the face. 

I know 1 shall put you in an awful predicament, be- 
cause so few women have any pelvic developments 
left, and would appear so ridiculously if the form of 
their dress corresponded with that of their persons; and 
also, because they will now be ashamed to make believe 
in a delicate situation, just to appear interesting, for this 
will now press upon the corns of their modesty. The 
dilemma is indeed inexpressibly trying ; but it will turn 
the current of female attention toward actually ENLARG- 
ING her abdominal organs, instead of making them SEEM 
large by dressing thus; and no good will ever bless our 
race at all to compare with this, as no evil approximates 
toward this injury to the female consequent on dressing 
thus. 

COTTON AND PLAITED BREASTWORKS. 

The great law involved in our subject, that woman 
pads and bustles off those very parts which child-bear- 
ing enlarges, shows why she pads and finnifies her 
breasts. Their full development facilitates one part of 
the maternal relations the nourishment of the infant. 
Man admires fullness here because it promotes mater- 
nity, and woman, instinctively as well as experimentally 
conscious of such admiration, pads, and plaits, and fixes 
off these parts with her utmost ingenuity. Woman, 
shame on you, to make believe so much where you are 
so little ! And the fact that American women generally 
are so flat-breasted, shows hov r miserable their maternal 
qualifications. Fullness here, besides indicating good 
nursing qualifications, as such, also betokens a vigorous 
female apparatus m genera ., Other things being the 



AN IMPORTANT SIGN. 67 

same, the fuller the breasts the better the mothers. 
Not that the largest-bosomed wonaen will bear the best 
children, or the smaller the breasts the more inferior 
the offspring, but that, taking a given woman, she will 
be better as a mother if full breasted than that same 
woman would be if small breasted. Yet a small-.bo- 
somod woman may bear better children than another 
whose mamma? are large, because she may exceed the 
other in other qualifications, which more than compen- 
sate for this deficiency ; yet this flat-breasted woman, 
if full here, would be a better mother, and of course a 
more perfect woman, than she now is. 

This point has been introduced mainly in order to 
enforce on woman this great practical truth, that the 
shrinking of her bosom, from month to month and year 
to year, is a sure sign that her female apparatus, as a 
whole, is waning, and she becoming less and less capa- 
citated for this great function of her nature, child- bear- 
ing that is, she is becoming a less and still less per- 
fect woman, as well as less and less attractive that 
the various states of the breasts and womb are recipro- 
cal that the flaccidity of the former indicates decline in 
the latter is evinced by the fact that the former swell 
during maternal carriage, and are firm during virginity, 
but fall and lose their tension and elasticity by commerce, 
even when maternity does not follow ; so that here is 
an infallible test as to whether a given woman has or 
has not ever " known man." 

421. LET WOMAN BE WHAT SHE WOULD SEEM. 

She bustles off her pelvis and cottons off her breast- 
works so as to make believe have large pelvis and bo- 
soms, and be fitted to bear fine children. And these 



68 HOW TO ENHANCE FEMALE BEAUTY 

parts should be fully developed. Indeed, this is indis- 
pensable to female perfection not a sign merely, but a 
constituent ELEMENT of such perfection. Then how 
much better to fill out these parts by internal develop- 
ment, instead of hoisting false co.lors ! If it is so desi- 
rable if it enhances her charms to thus APPEAR to be 
fully developed in these only two female parts which it 
is the entire object and labor of fashion to fill out and 
set off, how infinitely better to actually FILL out these 
parts by INTERNAL development instead of external 
show. 

But you ask, HOW can this be done ? BY PROMOTING 

YOUR HEALTH BY INCREASING YOUR VITALITY. These 

were created for the express purpose of imparting 
vitality to offspring. Hence a greater amount of vitality 
is concentrated in them than in any other portion of 
your system, and the more you augment that vitality, 
that is, the better your health, the more will that flow 
to and enlarge these parts, relatively. 

To return from this seeming but not actual digres- 
sion. We have shown that one of the first offices of 
the woman is to supply vitality to the embryo 407 - 408 , 
and that a full pelvic development a large abdomen, 
placenta, womb, bowels, etc., are essential to such 
manufacture and secretion of such vitality. By in- 
creasing the health and vitality, therefore, you enlarge 
these female developments, and thereby enhance all the 
charms of your sex. If, therefore, I have mortified 
your Approbativeness by either tearing off your bustles 
and cotton pads, or making you ashamed while wearing 
, them, I have more than made the loss good by showing 
you how to SUPPLY the loss of the outward resemblance 
by the inward reality, and this will gratify your Appro- 



BY IMPROVING HEALTH. G9 

bativeness in the most effectual manner possible. As an 
approbative coach-maker is proud of a perfect coach 
because it is a perfect riding vehicle, nor is he ashamed 
of it because it is a poor water conveyance ; and as 
the ship-builder is proud of his ship because it is perfect 
OF ITS KIND and fulfills its object, not because it cannot 
traverse land ; so woman's great pride should be, not 
lo be a perfect orator, or artisan, or farmer, etc., but 
to be a perfect WOMAN, and as this implies a full devel- 
opment of her female organs as such namsly, pelvic 
and mammal therefore, by showing her how to enlarge 
these organs, the ample development of which indicates 
and constitutes female perfection, what can mo'-e effec- 
tually gratify her pride ? 

To illustrate. You are a young woman. Of course 
it is your great pride, and should be your paramount 
desire and aim, to become a perfect female as such. 
How can you do this ? First by rendering yourself 
healthy by increasing your vitality, and THUS develop- 
ing your breasts and pelvis. Not that this is all ; yet 
it is all that appertains to the female FIGURE to the 
PHYSICAL woman. Refinement, exquisiteness, good- 
ness, etc., are elements of perfection in the MENTAL 
female of which in its place yet reference is here 
had to the female form AS SUCH. And I repeat, that by 
developing these female organs, you develop the con- 
stituent element of female bodily perfection. And this 
can be done by improving the health. 

On the contrary, whatever impairs your health, first 
flattens your breasts and abdomen, and narrows your 
hips, and thus attacks the very citadel of your beauty 
and all your charms, as well as proportionally unfits 
you to bear children, because you have not sufficient 



70 EVILS OF SEWING. 

vitality and nDurishment for them and yourself. Be 
persuaded, O woman, to heed and practice the great 
practical truth involved in this law, nor practice or 
allow any thing to impair your health, both because it 
fades all your charms, and unfits you for your only mis- 
sion and destiny as a woman. 

Does sewing injure your health ? Then you are very 
foolish for sewing, because every hour diminishes your 
attractions not their outskirts, but their CONSTITUENT 
ELEMENTS. Rather go poorly clad, poorly fed, poorly 
housed, poorly every thing else, than be a poor woman, 
as such. Besides, if you wear less bustles, skirts, and 
cotton, and put fewer stitches into your breastworks 
and waist- works, you could support yourself by far less 
sewing than it now requires especially, if you should 
lay aside other fashionable yet useless accoutrements. 
No, you must work thus hard, and break down your 
health, not to live, but to be FASHIONABLE, and this to be 
ATTRACTIVE. But infinitely more attractive would you 
be, if more healthy though less fashionable. I protest 
that all this extra dressing actually DETRACTS from fe- 
male beauty, instead of enhancing it. A good-looking 
woman, when adorned least, is most adorned. All these 
extra fixings detract from her beauty by hiding it. Her 
attractiveness consists, not in exhibiting the art of the 
milliner, but the qualities of the WOMAN, as such. If she 
be plain, fashionable attire makes her look still plainei 
by contrast. This attempt to corceal her deformities 
only reveals them in the more bcld relief. Simplicity 
of dress will set off your natural charms to far better 
advantage than all these fashionable flummeries. You 
could sew abundantly to supply all your REAL wants, 
and clothe yourself in the most truly attractive habilia- 



NEW MOONa. 71 

ments, witfr half the money and stitches you now take, 
and thus save your health, and, of course, your charms. 
I am not over fastidious ; my science has taught me 
to overlook human faults and follies ; yet I must here 
mention one thing which perfectly disgusts me. It is 
the combination of the bowing back produced by exces- 
sive bustling, ALONG WITH the flat breast and inward 
warp. To put on a strapping great bustle, and a shawl 
or mantle over the whole, so as to make the woman 
bowing from the head around the back to the feet, and 
to add to this a sinking of lungs and vital organs, and 
consequent warping inward of the chest, is, accord- 
ing to all my ideas of female beauty, a perfect mon- 
strosity. I can conceive of no greater distortion of the 
natural form of woman, and, therefore, nothing more 
disgusting, than this pretend-to-be-pretty deformity. 
When the shawl or mantle is off, so that we see the in- 
ward curve at the small of the back, the sight of the 
bustle may be tolerated ; but this bowing shape is that 
assumed by age, is clumsy, is awkward, is perfectly 
ridiculous, and completely disgusting. It makes one 
sick, really, and the lack of both taste and sense it indi- 
cates, nauseates me of those that dress thus. 

422. EFFECTS OF THESE FALSE APPEARANCES ON THE YOUNG 
BRIDEGROOM. 

Yet this bustling and padding, however they may aid 
a girl who has small pelvic and mammal developments 
in exciting the love of a husband, they do not aid her in 
RETAINING it. If they enable her to cheat him into the 
belief that she is something where she is nothing and 
.hat, in these specific embodyments of female beauty * !8 
what effect will the naked truth have upon him T J/ 



72 EFFECTS OF THESE FALSE DEVELOPMENTS 

he is green enough to be caught in her snares, his 
first introduction to her as his wife will show him, that 
what he thought was food for love was only cotton 
above and hemp below. Such disappointment, and in 
an ESSENTIAL respect, will reverse his love. Seeing no 
charms on which love can feast, piqued at having been 
thus outwitted, and angered at thus having been gulled, 
he hates where he would have loved if he had found 
what he had a right to expect. She has thus poisoned 
her matrimonial cup in the outset; and a life of dissatis- 
faction on his part, because of her barrenness of female 
charms, and of soul-breaking disappointment on hers, 
because she has lost the one thing she desires on earth 
his love is the legitimate finale of her appearing to 
be what she was not. More than half our unhappy 
marriages have this for their chief cause. Husbands 
do not disclose their barbed arrow ; wives cannot ima- 
gine what they can have done, to thus change their 
love from that tenderness and enthusiasm evinced be- 
fore marriage, to present indifference or disgust. Let 
me tell you. You HAVE UNDRESSED YOU HAVE SMALL 

BREASTS AND ABDOMEN YOU ARE INFERIOR WOMEN PHYSI- 
CALLY. It is not possible for them to love you, because 
your female developments your only female charms, as 
such are insignificant ; whereas, if you had full breasts 
and ample abdomens, you would retain the love you 
have excited. 

"But," nearly every female reader will object, "I 
don't want this carnal love. If a man cannot love my 
MIND, instead of my person my mental beauties, in- 
stead of my sexual I don't want his love." Aye but 
remember, that these outward female developments are 
infallib'e tests of inner feminine loveliness ; that the 



ON THE BRIDEGROOM. 73 

physical woman is but a symbol and type of the mental 
woman ; that you cannot have a perfect female mind 
and character, without having as perfect a female FIG- 
URE, which, as already proved, involves a large and 
vigorous sexual apparatus 41!t . Have I not already 
demonstrated this law of reciprocity, as existing be- 
tween the mental and physical sexuality of women 419 ? 

"But," it is objected, "ill health shrinks both the pelvis 
and breasts, and thus detracts from female beauty." It 
equally detracts from the mental loveliness of woman. 
The mind flags with the body. Physical disease fades 
the emotions, substitutes irritability for sweetness, and, 
though calculated to awaken sympathy, makes us 
feel that its subject's mental loveliness, however great 
by nature, wanes as health declines, but revives as 
health restores the sparkling eye, lively tongue, gushing 
emotion, intensity of feeling, etc. Yet, for proof of the 
great law here involved, of reciprocity between the 
outward and inner man, and beauty of form as indicat- 
ing and accompanying corresponding beauty and per- 
fection of mind, the reader is referred to my other 
writings p " l <- ir M ** " * 8 - *" 21 . It is not possible 
to disorder or debilitate the female sexual organs, with- 
out therein and thereby diseasing or paralyzing the 
MENTAL woman, nor to be a perfect mental woman, 
without being proportionably perfect physically. Full 
breasts and pelvis, therefore, imply corresponding 
strength and power in the mental feminine department 
of your nature, and smallness and flabbiness of the 
former, that your mental attractiveness as a female, are 
weak. 

7 



74 FEMALE BEAt'TT. 

. >)"/j I-;!'; i-.>oni/<? a Juu KJ Ufiifiow Jfii'i'.vittt 

423. TRUE MODE OF INCREASING THE BEAUTY OF GIRLS. 

The paramount desire of mothers touching their 
daughters is to see them well MARRIED, and in order to 
this they strain every point to enhance their attractive- 
ness. But they pursue diametrically the wrong course. 
They dress them to death on the one hand, and press 
them forward in studies on the other, at the same time 
violating every cardinal law of health as to diet, exer- 
cise, respiration, etc., and thus blight their charms by 
enfeebling their bodies. The present fashionable mode 
of bringing up girls interdicts, in the most effectual 
manner possible, nearly every thing calculated to de- 
velop the female as such, and substitutes artificial fool- 
ery for the natural charms of female excellence. It not 
only does not fit them for their sole natural destiny 418 , 
but nothing could possibly be contrived which would 
so effectually unfit them for becoming mothers, or, by 
consequence, efface the primitive rudiments of beauty 
419 . Mothers, if you would render your girls perfectly 
enchanting, give them perfect HEALTH. This is the first, 
second, and third condition of female beauty. We have 
already seen that maternal health is a paramount con- 
dition in child-bearing, and therefore in beauty ; then 
make this health as PARAMOUNT a feature of their educa- 
tion. Especially, let them RUN. The more they romp, 
the more perfect woren they will become, because this 
very wildness is a primitive condition of health. ' Have 
no fears that their becoming tomboys will militate in 
the least against perfect female propriety and delicacy 
when they become women. Love Will bring out this 
female accomplishment, and the more perfect the romp, 
the more material wUl there be for it to polish. Bat 



MEAMS OF INCRE^ING IT. 75 

Keep them cooped up in the house all their lives and 
penned up in a fashionable strait-jacket at that how is it 
possible for them to get any physical basis on which to 
rear the superstructure of attractiveness ? Let girls be 
girls be wild and free as colts till at least eighteen to 
twenty. Let them take no thought about their appear- 
ance, or even try to be pretty, for this only spoils that 
natural simplicity which infinitely excels the attractive- 
ness of art. 

424. BLIGHTED LOVE WEAKENS THE FEMALE ORGANS AND CHARMS. 

But the worst evil of keeping girls within doors and 
pressing them on in their studies, is that, besides rob- 
bing their bodies in general and pelvic organs in partic- 
ular, it preternaturally excites their nerves and brain, 
and thus causes them to get in love prematurely. Of 
course these young loves must be broken off, AND THIS 

BLIGHTS THE ORGANS OF THEIR SEX, and of COUrSC the 

constituent condition of beauty 418 . 

For example. Take a woman of fair health and 
attractiveness for our subject. Engage her affections, 
and you thereby quicken the action of all the organs, 
all the functions of her sex proper ; and thereby en- 
hance her every female charm and virtue. For the full 
exposition of this law and its reason, see " Love and 
Parentage." Then break that love, AND YOU CRIPPLE 

ALL THE FEMALE FUNCTIONS AND ORGANS, and of COUrSC 

break down the very elements of female attractiveness 
* 18 , because of the perfect reciprocity which exists be- 
tween the mental and the physical sexuality. This 
reciprocity compels you, when you blight her love, 
thereby and therein to impair the PHYSICAL organs of 
her sex. 



76 BLIGHTED LOVE 

Abundant proof of this law, founded in universal 
experience, is the fact that when mothers lose their 
husbands or children, they almost invariably experience 
concomitant female difficulties falling of the womb, 
unhealthy uterine discharges, etc., for the first time, if 
perfectly healthy in these parts before, and a great 
aggravation of them if previously diseased here. No 
exceptions to this rule occur except where the female 
apparatus was peculiarly strong before, so that the 
grief was not adequate palpably to disorder it. Inquire, 
and you will find the concomitance of domestic grief 
and female complaints uniform. Since, therefore, the 
iversed action of the social faculties in one case causes 
uterine complaints, similar reverses of affection, and of 
course of love among the first, must produce female 
weaknesses or disorders, and thus blast woman's 
charms. So will disagreement between husband and 
wife, provided true love previously existed 

425. APPEAL TO MAN. 

In view of this law, behold, O faithless man, what 
wholesale havoc of all that is loving and enchanting in 
woman's mind and person you are effecting by trifling 
as you do with her affections ! If you but realized how 
effectually you thereby blight tne very soul and essence 
of the woman as such, and thus diminished your plea- 
sures in woman in general as well as your wife in par- 
ticular for while you have prostrated and diseased 
the female organs of A's wife, by calling out only tc 
blight her love while young, B has been doing the same 
damage to the girl you have married or may marry 
It does seem that you could net thus wantorilv trifle 



AS INJURING BEAUTY. 77 

with woman's love. It is not permitted to man or devi'i 
to do a greater evil. Even if it were confined to the 
suffering females and their wronged husbands, no other 
evil could equal it; yet it is not. Blighting her love 
weakens her female organs, and this impairs her off- 
spring, and diseasing this department of her nature 
diseases unborn generations 418 . This trifling with wo- 
man's love is not, then, after all, so very trifling a mat- 
ter. It may be sport to your fiendish soul for none 
but fiends incarnate will thus call out only to blight 
the confiding love- of woman but it is death to her and 
her prospective issue, or at least an essential damage to 
both, and if not literal death no thanks to you. You 
drilled and charged the rock, and if the explosion only 
tore off a piece instead of blowing it all to shivers, it is 
not because you did not take the very means to do all 
this damage to lovely woman and her darling children. 
Whatever else you do or omit, be entreated never to 
pluck this central gem from a single woman's crownlet 
never to girdle this vine of female loveliness at its 
root never to tear out this heart's core of woman's 
inner soul. 

And woman mother and daughter, married and sin- 
gle be entreated 10 keep your affections from being 
blighted, by every means in your power. Nor is this 
difficult. Take an independent stand. Instead of al- 
lowing your gushing affections to go forth just for the 
fun of it, put yourself on high ground. Let men see 
that however intelligent you may be in conversation 
however moral, or religious, or literary, or domestic 
however freely you may give forth all jour other feel- 
ings and excellencies, yet that not one expression or 
emotion of love can be extorted from you till your 
7* 



78 APPEAL TO MAW. 

choice is made and PRELIMINARIES ARE SETTLED. Let 
men see that you hold your love as the choicest trea- 
sure of your being, not to be conferred, even in the 
smallest degree, except upon an affianced husband, and 
this very dignity this high-toned stand more than 
every thing else, will bring men upon the bended knees 
of confession and solicitation. This is the very thing 
they most prize. This will exalt you in their estimation 
incomparably above all other charms or excellencies, 
for it strikes the very highest chord of his being. Any 
man who is worth having and you want no others 
will " go and sell all that he hath" to obtain such a wo- 
man. But, as long as you hold yourself " dog-cheap," 
by showing anxiety to love and be loved, by yielding 
to his advances and reciprocating love feelings with 
him before he has declared any matrimonial .intentions 
especially as long as you allow love to be put upon 
a partially animal basis, so long will he be content to let 
things remain in this forward state. As long as you 
seize the bait as far as he proffers it, and even run with 
it to show that you have swallowed it, he will feel "A 
fish thus easily caught is not worth hauling up, yet I 
like to have her sport with the hook ; and when I have 
done playing with her, I'll cut the line. May be it will 
trouble her to digest all she has swallowed." Yet, if 
she had paid no regard to his love-tale till he proposed 
matrimony which he would have done if his intentions 
were sincere and if they are not, you want nothing to 
do with him your high stand would soon have brought 
him to his bearing. Nothing disgusts a man quicker 
than undue forwardness in a woman. Nothing so exalts 
her in his eyes as reserve during the settlement of the 
matrimonial preliminaries. Women lose many offers 



EABLY MARRIAGES. 7ft 

by evincing too great a readiness to love and marry. 
And this extra readiness on your part spoils him after 
you get him. It puts you in his power, because he has 
obliged you by marrying you. Woman, over-anxiety 
to marry is the great maelstroom of your affection and 
matrimonial felicity. 

426. EARLY MARKIAGES AND YOUNG MOTHERS. 

This imperious requisition for abundance of maternal 
nutrition, rebukes severely the prevailing custom of 
early marriages, or rather, of premature maternity. It 
does not say at what age a girl should marry, but it 
does say that NO female should become a mother till 
FULLY MATURED. Till her own organs are formed, and 
growth completed till she has spread, filled up, and 
become consolidated and her life-power overflows, 
and becomes almost painfully abundant none of it can 
safely be diverted. Especially is it dangerous to make 
so powerful a diversion as that required for foetal nutri- 
tion, because it induces that robbery of mother and 
child already shown to be so fatal to both 4r>412 - 413 . Thai 
this bearing process is most exhausting, has already 
been shown 408 . That none but full grown and healthy 
females can furnish the required amount of nutrition, is 
apparent from the entire tenor of the work thus far 4OT - 
40S . What consummate folly, then, for young GIRLS to 
rush into the hymcnial embrace, and thus endanger pre- 
mature maternity and consequent exhaustion, disease, 
and an early grave. A wrinkled, worn-out, superannu- 
ated woman, having every .appearance of being forty- 
five, applied to me for physiological advice, under a 
complication of female complaint, anxious to know 
whe'.her there \ras any hope left 01 her rising above 



80 



EARLY MARRIAGES. 



tnem. I was surprised to learn, that she was only 
twenty-six that she had ceased bearing. And on 
inquiring to what she attributed the premature failure 
of her functions, she replied, " I married at fifteen, 
became a mother at sixteen, and am an old woman at 
twenty-six, when I might otherwise have been just 
coming into my prime." Few married women but have 
suffered from this same cause. The number of mothers 
and of children it has hurried into premature graves, is 
beyond all human computation. How many of you, 
mothers, owe your wrinkles, your prostration of the 
life-power, your pains, and your aggravated diseases 
to this cause ! Then sound the alarm. Put girls upon 
their guard. Warn them of the imminent danger they 
incur. Above all, keep your DAUGHTERS from incurring 
this evil. Old age will overtake them quite soon 
enough, without thus hurrying it with railroad speed. 

In view of this law of nature, what shall we say of 
those foolish girls who, not content to wait for the natu- 
ral appearance of that function which transforms them 
from the girl to he woman, use every means to hasten 
its advent, that they may become early MARRIAGEABLE ! 
Mothers hasten this period often by artificial means 
in their daughters, so that they may be earlier in 
market. To such, "early ripe, early rotten," applies 
with redoubled force. It is like plucking green fruit, so 
as to hasten its maturity ; but what is it good for when 
ripe ? Several years too soon is this period hurried on, 
by all those hot-bed influences of boys' and girls' parties, 
puppy loves, in-door corfinement, boarding-school fool- 
eries, late hours, hot drinks, bad diet, impaired health, 
and thousands of other like things. Wait and GROW 
before you attempt to ri^en. Let nature choose hei 



TIGHT LACING. 81 

own time ; yet better late than early, because the later 
before this function appears, the later before it takes its 
final departure, and leaves you a superannuated, wrin- 
kled old woman, exchanging the rich foliage cf young 
beauty for the sear and yellow leaf of withering age. 

427- TIGHT LACING ITS Rl r .XOUS EFFECTS ON OFFSPRING. 

That this practice inflicts the very worst form of 
ruin on woman, as a mother, and on prospective off- 
spring, is rendered evident by every page of our work. 
No evil to mother or child can equal that of curtailing 
the supply of vitality to both ; and nothing can do this 
as effectually as tight lacing. If it were merely a mark 
of female folly and ignorance, or if its ravages were 
confined to its perpetrators, it might be allowed to pass 
unrebuked ; but it strikes a deadly blow at the very 
LIFE OF THE RACE. It girts in the lungs, stomach, heart, 
diaphragm, etc. it cripples every one of the life-manu- 
facturing faculties, impairs circulation, prevents muscu- 
lar action, and lays siege to the very citadel of this 
child-bearing function. By as much as abundance of 
vitality, air, exercise, and good digestion, are required 
in the mother, by so much is this practice murderous to 
both child and mother, because it stifles them all. It 
allows so scanty a supply of vitality to the embryo, as 
often to prevent its entering the world alive, and if it 
does, to hasten its death ; by most effectually cramping, 
inflaming, and weakening the vital apparatus, it stops 
the flow of life at its fountain-head. It slowly, but 
surely, takes the lives of its tens of thousands before 
they marry, and so effectually weakens and diseases, as 
ultimately to cause the death of millions more. No 
tongue can tel ., no finite mind conceive, the weakness 



82 TIGHT L.\C'NQ 

and misery it has occasioned, or the number of deaths, 
direc.tlv and indirectly, of young women, bearing mo- 
thers, and weakly infants it has occasioned, besides 
those millions on millions it has caused to drag out a 
short, but wretched existence. If this murderous prac- 
tice continues to rr.ge for another generation as it has 
done for the last, it will bury all the middle and upper 
classes of women and their children, and leave our race 
to be perpetuated by the uncivilized, and the coarse- 
grained, but healthy lower classes. Most alarmingly 
has it already deteriorated our RACE, AS A RACE, in 
physical strength, in power of constitution, in energy, 
in talents. Reader, how ir.any of YOUR weaknesses, 
pains, headaches, nervous affections, internal difficulties, 
and wretched feelings, were caused by your mother's 
corset-strings ? Such mothers deserve the universal 
execration of their children of all. 

Those who prefer to bury their children to the troub- 
le or expense of raising them, may love or marry tight- 
lacers ; but those who would rear a healthy, talented, 
happy family, to bless mature life, and nurse declining 
years, as well as to perpetuate their name and race 
upon the earth, are earnestly enjoined to marry full- 
chested and large-waisted women, for such will be 
likely to live long, and bear a vigorous race ; but those 
who would not have their souls rent asunder by the 
premature death of wife and children, are solemnly 
warned not to marry small waists : for, in the very 
nature of things, slim, small-waisted women must die 
young, and bear few and feeble offspring. 

Whence that mortality of children which consigns 
more than one half of all that are born in our cities 
to an early grave ? Is it a part of the NECESSARY 



INJURIOUS TO OFFSPRING. 83 

operations of nature ? No ; it is vie:, VTED nature : and 
I fearlessly avow, and appeal to the decision of any 
man of science acquainted with the subject, to say 
whether this is not the most effectual cause of infantile 
death, or, what amounts to the same thing, the means 
of that most revolting of all crimes infanticide ? Re- 
member, ye young ladies who, in dressing yourselves 
off for the ball, or fashionable party, or promenade I 
beseech you, remember that you are not only sowing 
the seeds of disease and premature death, which will 
nip all your own pleasures in the bud, but which must 
also yield you a harvest of sorrows too many to number 
and too aggravated to endure ; that you are bringing 
down not only your OWN soul with sorrow to an un- 
timely grave, but in case you become mothers, your 
CHILDREN also, with you or before you, into their graves. 
If you wish to exclaim, under a burden of nervousness 
and mental distress which you cannot support, " Oh, 
wretched life that I live !" if you wish to break the 
heart of your husbands and friends by your premature 
death, and have your own souls pierced through with in- 
describable anguish by the death of your children if you 
wish to die while you live, and to die finally before your 
time if you wish to disgust every sensible man who 
sees you if you would exchange the rosy cheek of 
health, for the portion of laced and sickly beauty ; and 
the plump, round, full chest and form of unlaced health 
for the poor, scrawny, haggard, sunken, and almost 
ghastly look of all who lace then buy corset after 
corset, lace tighter and tighter, and still tighter, and 
keep laced night and day till the wheels cf life, com- 
pressed within limits too narrow longer to continue 
action, cease to move, and tiFi that fountair of life, and 



84 TIGHT L. ICING 

vitality, and happiness, flowing from these compressed 
organs, is dried up at its very source, and ceases longer 
to flow. 

Yet this suicidal, this infanticidal, this INFERNAL 
practice, is still perpetrated. It is indeed stoutly denied, 
yet almost universally practiced, even in this age of 
light is practiced even by CHRISTIAN mothers by 
pretended DAUGHTERS OF ZION. Yea, more ; these 
: nfanticides, WITH THEIR CORSETS ACTUALLY ON, are 
admitted into the professed " sanctuary of the Most 
High," and to the communion-table of "the saints!" Aa 
though Jesus Christ loved them the better the lighter 
they laced ! Than a corseting Christian, no self-contra- 
diction can be greater. There may possibly be such 
anomalies as a Christian drunkard, or praying rascal, 
or pious cheat or liar ; but how CAN infanticides and 
suicides ever enter the kingdom of heaven ? If at all, it 
must indeed be "so as by FIRE." How can corseted 
MURDERERS OF HABES worship God ? What profanation 
of God and things sacred can exceed wearing stays to 
church ? Yet where else are a tithe as many worn ? 
Still, our dumb-dog ministers either do not know that 
corseting involves the worst of crimes, or, know- 
ing, dare not open their mealy mouths ; and even ad- 
minister the SACRAMENTS tO those " IN THE VERY ACT*' of 

perpetrating the worst of crimes, in two of its most 
aggravated forms. Yet Christian missionaries must be 
sent to the benighted heathen, to proclaim the horrid 
sinfulness of their committing these same crimes, though 
by a process as much less horrible than that by which 
these very female missionaries, as well as those who sent 
them, actually perpetrate these identical crimes, as to be 
iuddenly killed outright, is less tragical than gradual 



CAUSES INFANTICIDE. 85 

starvation and strangulation : for wherein consists the 
difference between causing death directly or indirectly, 
so that the death is caused ? It is even as much worse, 
to preface death with DISEASE of body and mind, as to 
torture BEFORE murdering. 

Moralists, Christians, reformers, philosophers, and 
philanthropists, of all sects and grades ; come, let us 
unite our moral force, and present a frowning front to 
this RACE-RUINING practice. Let us all point the fin- 
ger of derision at all tight-lacers. Let us insist upon 
" NATURAL WAISTS, OR NO WIVES." What is as desira- 
ble, yet what is so destructive, of this gem of paradise as 
lacing ? Men, in particular, should root out this prac- 
tice, because they introduced it. Woman laces thus to 
please the MEN, not herself. As soon as we cease to 
enforce on her this practice, she will abandon it. And 
be assured, that you look incomparably more maternal, 
more womanly, more interesting, and every way more 
acceptable, to all of correct taste, when dressed in your 
loose gown allowed to hang upon your shoulders 
without any thing, or at least any thing but a loose belt, 
at the waist. 

" But I do not dress tight," says one : " Nor I," says 
another: "Nor I either," says a third ; " this practice is 
now obsolete." 

This is not so, as the following test will prove *Any 
woman dresses tight, whose dress parts far enough to 
show its hooks and eyes ; and how few dresses but do 
this ! It is not mere corset strings that do this deadly 
mischief, but ALL compression of the vital organs 
whatever interrupts perfect freedom of breathing or 
motion. 

Bearing women, bs entreated to allow not the least 
8 



86 BEARING MOTHERS 

tightness of your clothes, from the shoulders downward. 
Do not even tie or girt your clothes tight enough to 
stay on, but let them depend in flowing looseness from 
your shoulders. I call your attention to the great dis- 
comfort you experience from even a trifling pressure, 
and how great your relief when you unloose them at 
night. Now all this is full of meaning, and of warning. 
It is nature's admonition, not to prevent the free motion 
and enlargement of your whole frontal region. Com- 
pression would not inflict this uneasiness, if it were not 
exceedingly injurious to you to your precious charge. 

428. REQUISITION FOR HEAT, MUSCLE, BONE, NITROGEN, ETC. 

Though vitality in mothers is the paramount condi- 
tion of health in offspring, yet it is by no means the 
only thing required. ANIMAL HEAT is scarcely less im- 
portant. I say animal heat in contradistinction from 
artificial. It is not enough that the mother warms her- 
self by fire, she must keep a full supply of INTERNAL 
heat. Specific directions for doing this will be found in 
"Physiology, Animal and Mental flo - 9t n) - 115 ." Let pro- 
spective mothers who are troubled with cold hands, 
feet, skin, etc., or feel chilly, inquire out the cause 
whether a want of carbon, consequent on impaired 
digestion, or a deficiency of oxygen, consequent on im- 
perfect respiration, breathing a vitiated atmosphere, 
etc., or feebleness, or oppression of the heart, and con- 
sequent impairment of the circulation and obviate the 
effect by removing the cause 

MUSCLE. 

A full development of the muscular system of the 
child is most desi-able. Few things are more impor- 



REQUIRE MUSCLE. 87 

tant, than a strong and active muscular system. The 
materials for its formation, must of course be furnished 
by the mother. .This requires her to do two things to 
EXERCISE her muscles habitually ; not merely in light 
work, such as sewing, walking about house, etc.; but in 
something which requires her to put forth much strength, 
and that often. In this respect, how deficient are most 
American women ! How far inferior to the women of 
any other nation ! English women those of rank in- 
cluded often take walks of eight and twelve miles, 
just for exercise, and ride much, practice gymnastics, 
etc. But the muscular feebleness of most American 
women, is as disgraceful to them as injurious to their 
children. At the down-hill rate we are now going on, 
the next generation will be too weakly to do any kind 
of hard work, and fit only for sedentary occupations. 
Nor can this muscular debility be prevented, except by 
our girls romping more, and our women taking more 
vigorous exercise. .Scarcely any thing would do more, 
for either mothers or children, than the general practice 
of gymnastic exercises by females. 

But as we shall hereafter point out another imperious 
demand for muscular power in mothers, when treating 
of delivery, we take leave of this point here, by recom- 
mending one other promotive of muscularity in both 
mother and child, namely, a diet composed mostly of 
wheat, either boiled, cracked, or coarse ground, without 
bolting, because it contains a large amount of this ma- 
terial for the formation of muscle. Yet prospective 
mothers should, if possible, avoid fine flour bread. 
Lean meat also contains muscle, yet I am not partial 
to a meat diet, especially at this time. The vegetable? 
and especially the fruit kingdom, will furnish both mus 



88 DIRECTION TO BEARING VOMEN. 

cle and su; h other materials as the child requires, quite 
as well as the animal : yet better to obtain these mate- 
rials from meat than not to have them. And if meat 
is omitted, its place must be supplied by food rich in 
fibrin. 

NITROGEN. 

This chemical substance enters largely into the com- 
position of all forming organs, and therefore the mo- 
ther's food should be rich in this substance. Milk 
contains it in considerable quantities, and easily soluble. 
So do fruits. My impression is, that cocoa, and choco- 
late also, contain it, and ar*>. especially good for pro- 
spective mothers 

FRtflT. 

But probably no one article of diet is as well adapted 
to women in this situation as FRUIT particularly berries 
of all kinds, peaches, and good pears. They should al- 
most live on them ; and sweet fruit, is doubtless prefer- 
able to sour. Fruit is cooling, aperient, nutritious, full 
of the materials required by the forming child, and 
withal, delicious. Prospective mothers will do well to 
live on wheat and fruit almost wholly. 

429. OFFSETTING THE MOTHER'S EXCESSES AND DEFECTS. 

To one other most important application of the great 
law already presented, namely, that the embryo takes 
on most of those ingredients which abound most in the 
mother, special attention is invited. To again illustrate 
the law, that its mighty import may be fully perceived 
and felt : Suppose a naturally strong-muscled mother to 
exercise her muscles but little at this period, her child 
will have but feeble muscles ; whereas, a mother whose 



OFFSETTING THEIR OWN DEFECTS. 89 

muscles are naturally feeble, if she puts forth much 
healthful muscular exertion at this period, will render 
the muscular element more abundant in herself than is 
natural to her, and this will endow her child with more 
of it by nature than she originally possessed : and thus 
of digestive power, the respiratory function, nervous 
susceptibility, etc. 

Now what your children require, and ALL they re- 
quire, in order to become perfect and powerful- physi- 
cally, is VIGOR AND BALANCE of all the bodily functions. 
Behold how this law enables mothers to secure so great 
a desideratum ! Suppose, then, your skin is naturally 
weak ; by taking special pains to excite it by friction, 
right bathing, etc., you can so quicken this function for 
the time being in yourself, as to send to your forming 
child abundance of the skin-forming material, together 
with cutaneous activity, and thus remedy in your child 
this defect in yourself. 

Or suppose your lungs are weak, but muscles good. 
Your child will be almost certain to inherit a good mus- 
cular system, even without your taking much extra 
pains to cultivate it in yourself; and if you employ every 
means to invigorate your lungs, its lungs will be stron- 
ger than yours, and its muscles as strong, so that this 
want of balance in yourself will be obviated in your 
offspring. 

Having thus clearly stated the law involved, and 
mode of applying it, we urge upon prospective mothers 
to learn wherein they are defective, and to offset such 
defects in their children by the cultivation in themselves, 
at this period, of their weaker functions. This law puts 
it in the power of mothers to render their children far 
better, every w^y than themselves. Be entreated, 
" 8* 



90 ^ MARKS AND DEFORMITIES. 

prospective mothers, to learn your maternal defects, 
and then to supply them at this period, so that your 
prospective children may be marred with none of those 
defects, or pained with none of those diseases which 
afflict you, but shall be PERFECT men and women in all 
their bodily organs and functions. In short, study and 
apply this whole subject of foEtal nutrition, offsetting, 
and development, and you car bear children far better 
by nature than yourselves. 

430. MARKS AND DEFORMITIES. 

If proof were wanting that all the various states of 
the mother's mind and body stamped their impress upon 
the forming character of her child, the fact that mothers 
frequently mark their children before birth furnish such 
proof. But this point is universally conceded. It only 
remains, therefore, to inquire HOW FAR these maternal 
states affect the child. Nature's answer is, " ALL, or 
none." And our object in entering this new field of 
inquiry is to re-rivet the great thought of the book the 
perfect reciprocity existing between mother and child 
by showing that certain emotions and states of the 
mother's mind actually change and distort even the 
child's bodily shape, so as to occasion deformities and 
monstrosities. Medical men have long and ably dis- 
cussed this question, and finally decided both against it 
ai.d the FACTS in the case, because they could not see 
now such maternal states of mind can affect the fetal 
form. To deny what we see because we cannot EXPLAIN 
it, is not exactly philosophical. We ought rather to 
admit nature's facts, even though our limited reasonings 
cannot comprehend their mode of production. Let us 



STRAWBERRY AND LOBSTER MARKS. 91 

\>ok first at a few of these facts, and sum up with an 
ttempted solution or rationale of them. 

A STRAWBERRY MARK. 

A physician of considerable science and talent, who 
resides near Philadelphia, after expressing his disbelief 
in the doctrine, and opposing it strenuously, related the 
following fact, in proof and illustration of it : A woman, 
some months before the birth of her child, wanted some 
strawberries very much, which she could not obtain ; 
and fearing that this ungratified desire would mark her 
child, and having heard that the mark would be on the 
child just where she touched her own body, put her 
hand on her hip. BEFORE THE CHILD WAS BORN she pre- 
dicted that it would have a mark, told what the mark 
would resemble, namely, a strawberry, and WHERE it 
would be found, namely, on the child's hip, and when 
the child was born it hnd a mark resembling a straw- 
berry, and on its HIP. He also mentioned several other 
similar cases, but still maintained that there was nothing 
m this doctrine. 

An aunt-in-law to the author, while riding out with 
her sister, saw some strawberries spilled by the side of 
the road, which she wanted very much. But her sister, 
who was driving, only laughed at her, and drove on, 
turning a deaf ear to her entreaties to stop, and to her 
apprehensions that the child would be marked. The 
child WAS marked, on the back of its neck, with a cluster 
of red spots, in shape resembling spilled strawberries. 

A LOBSTER MARK. 

At Frye village, Mass., in 1844, the author saw a Miss 
El<7i Cl ickering, who had an extra thumb, resembling, 



92 MARKS AXO DEFORMITIES. 

with the true thumb, a lobster's claw. Its joint and 
muscles cause it to work inward, so as, with the thumb 
proper, to be a close imitation c 1 " a lobster's c'aw : and, 
during her youthful days, it and the thumb were of a 
bright red, like a boiled lobster. The history of it, as 
given by her mother, is this : She bought a large, fine 
lobster, while enciente, and left it for a moment, when 
it was stolen. She was disappointed in the extreme by 
the loss, and could not replace it ; and this lobster's 
claw on her daughter's hand was the consequence. Of 
late it has lost its redness. 

MOUSE MARKS. 

Wm. H. Brown tells the story of his having a mark 
on one of his legs resembling a mouse, and that his 
mother, while carrying him, was in a room in which a 
mouse was confined, which t>iey were trying to kill, and 
which, jumping up under her clothes, frightened her 
terribly. 

In Philadelphia, a lawyer has on his forehead, and 
running up into his hair, a dark, dingy-colored mark, 
elevated, and covered with short hair, which he said 
his mother supposed was caused by her being much 
frightened, while carrying him, by a mouse. 

D LTTM MASKS. 

My father relates the blowing as having occurred 
in my native town. A woman rode by a tree full of 
ripe wild plums, common in that region, which she 
craved very much, but. which she could not obtain. 
Her child, born some months after, had a fleshy append 



CHERRY MARKS AMPUTATED THUMB. 83 

igc hanging from the thumb, resembling a wild plum, 
and hanging by a stem of flesh. 

A pregnant mother in Hanover, Mich., longed for 
butter, which could not be obtained, it being in the win- 
ter, and there being more emigrants than eatables. Her 
child was born with a running sore on its neck, which 
yielded to none of the remedies applied to it, till tho 
mother remembered her disappointed longing after but- 
ter, and anointed it with butter, by which it was soon 
cured. 

CHERRY MARKS. 

The author knows a little girl marked on the forehead 
with a bright- red excrescence resembling a cherry, 
caused, as its mother says, by her longing one evening 
for a cherry, the last of the season, which she tried in 
vain to reach. 

An old neighbor of the author was wont to show us 
boys the cherries on his arm, which almost covered it, 
caused, as his mother supposed, by her disappointed 
longing after that fruit. 

AMPUTATED THUMB. 

The author's wife has often seen the thumb of an in- 
fant, a younger playmate of hers, preserved in spirit, 
and found among the mesentery, it having been sepa- 
rated from its stump before birth. Some months before 
the birth of this child, the mother saw her husband's 
thumb cut off by an axe, which excited her feelings to 
the highest pitoh. 



94 MARKS AND DEFORMITIES. 

A WINE MARK. 

Joshua Coffin relates the following of one of his play 
mates, whose face, neck, and body, were spotted, as if 
some liquid, like wine, had been spattered on him. His 
mother accompanied her husband, a deacon, to town, to 
procure wine for communion, a taste of which she want- 
ed very much, but for which she durst not ask. While 
going home, the cork got out, and the wine was spilt all 
over her new white dress. The mortification caused 
by soiling her dress, and the disappointed longings after 
the wine, marked her child with the spots alluded to. 

TURNING BLACK AND BLUE". 

A Mrs. Lee, of London, Canada West, witnessed, 
from her window, the execution of Burly, from the jail 
window, who, in swinging off, broke the rope, and was 
precipitated to the ground, with his face all black and 
blue, from being choked. This horrid sight caused her 
to feel awfully ; and her son, born three months after- 
ward, whenever any thing occurs to excite his fears 
becomes black and blue, or livid-like, in the face, an 
instance of which the author witnessed. 
-T: m 'i> d ft if if " ' * **''' <*V>ii>5.sj OH| 

FIRE MARK. 

Dr. Curtis, the young but gifted lecturer on Physi- 
ology, relates the case of a woman who witnessed, from 
A distance, the burning of Pennsylvania Hall, and whose 
son, born some three months afterward, has a spot 
which resembles a flame of fire streaking uf in different 
places ; and several highly interesting facts of this kind 
will be found stated in the work entitled, " Mental and 
Moral Qualities Transmissible " 



PROMISCUOUS CASES. 



A MARK OF INTOXICATION. 



96 



la Waterbury, Vt, there lived a young man who ap- 
peared as if intoxicated, supposed to have beer caused 
by his mother's seeing a drunkard while carrying him. 
His intellect was good. 

A MENAGERY MARK. 

In Woodstock, Vt., several years ago, a pregnant 
mother visited a menagery, and became deeply inter- 
ested in the animals she saw. Some five months after- 
ward she gave birth to a monster, some parts of which 
resembled one wild animal, and other parts other ani- 
mals. It died soon after. 



A MONKEY MARK. 

[ 

There is a child now living in Boston, whose coun- 
tenance bears such a strict resemblance to a monkey, 
as to be observed at once. The mother visited a men- 
agery while pregnant, and while there, a monkey jump- 
ed upon her. 

4.N IDIOTIC MARK. 

James Copeland, forty-four years old, is below par in 
intellect, and under guardianship, and quite inferior to 
both parents in intelligence. He is good-natured, quite 
mechanical, and very fond of whittling ; understands 
how to do most kinds of work, but is quite slow, and 
very particular to have every thing in proportion and 
order ; can count money but poorly, and does not put 
the cash value to any kind of property, though he dis- 
tinguishes between good and poor cattle, and looks 



06 MARKS AND DEFORMITIES. 

behind him while eating, probably fifty times each meal 
His parentage, on both sides, is good ; and his idiocy 
and looking behind him when eating, were caused by 
his mother's fear lest she .should be surprized by an 
idiot who lived near her, who often tried to frighten 
her. At table, she usually sat with her back toward 
the door, and often turned around, while eating, to see if 
he was not making his appearance. She apprehended 
the fate of her son, before he was born. 

MARK BY FRIGHT. 

I saw a man in West Randolph, Vt., who was ?ome- 
\vhat deficient in mind and body, occasioned, as is sup- 
posed, by his mother's being frightened and thrown 
from a wagon some months before his birth 

A BROKEN BACK. 

Mrs. Dyke, a feeble, nervous woman, who han borne 
no children, though she had been married twelve years 
while pregnant, on a gun being fired under her window 
sprung up, exclaiming, " That broke my back !" Some 
months afterward a child was born, WITH ITS BACKBONE 
ACTUALLY BROKEN dead, of course. The father went 
to my informant, a lawyer, to get a writ to take up the 
one who fired the gun, whom he had cautioned NOT to 
fire it, lest it should produce abortion. 

MRS BUTLER AND HER STRONG, BUT FRANTIC IDIOT. 

Mrs. Butler, of Williamstown, Vt., was the town 
bully for twenty-three years, and whipped every man 
in it who opposed or offended her. She was a strap- 
ping great woman, tremendous in point of strength, and 
was fined some five hundred dollars for assaults and 



A WEAKLY SON. 9 - 

battery on men. All who knew her, feared her. Her 
only child is a fool, and very fierce and ferocions. and 
now confined in a cage mostly under ground, chained, 
and fed as if a pig. His strength is tremendous so 
great that he will hold a crowbar out straight, with one 
hand, by grasping it at one end. 

A husband and wife moved to Sharon, near Lake 
George, while it remained an unbroken forest. Having 
no neighbors, they got out of provisions the first year ; 
and before they could raise any, they could barely ob- 
tain sufficient sustenance to support life, and that by 
eating roots, boiling bark, etc. Their child, born under 
these circumstances, and now living, is the very picture 
of despair poor, dyspeptic, hypochondriac, and feeble, 
both in mind and body. But they put in a large crop 
of wheat, which the influx of emigration enabled them 
to sell at great prices, so that they had abundance, and 
cleared some three thousand dollars the second year 
every thing going prosperously. Their next child, born 
under these auspicious circumstances, is a fine, manly, 
strong, noble-looking, energetic, and highly talented 
man, and a real steam-engine for driving through what- 
ever he undertakes. His mother told him the cause of 
his brother's debility, and charged him to let him want 
for nothing. 

A CLUB-FOOTED MARK. 

Mr. , of W., Vt., is club-footed, produced by his 

mother's being thrown from a wagon before his birth. 
His second son was born some three months after he 
had injured his foot, which his wife dressed and rubbed 
daily. The other children were not thus marked, 
though their mother feared they would be, and suffered 
every thing in consequence. Her other children she 
9 



9S MARKS AND DEFORMITIES. 

feared would be marked, but the one that was mal- 
formed, she did not fear would be. So it seems that 
the mere FEARS of mothers that their children will be 
marked, do not affect the matter, or rather, mothers 
seldom mark those they fear they shall. 

A CAT MARK. 

The following comes so fully authenticated, as to 
leave no doubt of its truth. Magnetism will explain it : 
see the theory and facts adduced in this section. 

A Mrs. , living in H.,Vt., loved a cat very much, 

and the cat reciprocated this attachment. That is, one 
had MAGNETIZED the other. She lived in a house with an 
old woman who disliked the cat, and would frequently 
cuff it off the table, and out of the way. Many a family 
quarrel was occasioned by one liking and the other hating 
this cat. At length she moved away, but the poor cat 
was not taken. Her husband went back for the balance 
of their things, and she charged him over and over again, 
and with great earnestness, to bring the favorite CAT. 
The old woman told the husband that the cat was sick 
and pining, and refused to eat, and advised him to kill it. 
Finally, he took it out behind the barn, and beat out its 
brains. On going home, his wife, the first thing, accused 
him of having KILLED THE CAT. He denied it repeatedly 
and positively, and she as positively asserted that he had 
killed it, and thrown it out back of the barn ; for, said 
she, " I FELT THE BLOWS, and SAW the mangled cat thrown 
out behind the BARN," and took on terribly after her fa- 
vorite cat, so as to be almost beside herself. Her child 
which she carried at the time, when born, resembled a 
cat in the looks of its head, with its brains knocked out, 
or head beat in, and died in a short time. 



THE MASHED HEAD. 



09 



THE MASHED HEAD. 






The accompanying engraving was drawn from a 
plaster cast of a deformed child, born in Lowell also 
reported by Dr. Curtis the mother of which, some 
months before its birth, was terribly frightened by see- 

erh ! . 




THE MASHED HEAD. 



ing her only son brought in with the back and top part 
of his head crushed, as she supposed at first sight, by 
being run over by a loaded cart; yet it proved that only 
the scalp was torn off. 

Dr. Chapin delivered a woman in Abington, Mass., of 



100 MARKS AND DEFORMITIES. 

a malformation, resembling a hideous idol which she saw 
at his house. He has it preserved in spirits, along with 
other malformations, also caused by maternal frights. 

DUMBNESS. 

In 1847, I visited a family, in which was a boy and 
girl that could not speak plainly. The boy was the 
worst, and was underwitted. Their mother said, that 
while carrying him, the daughter, who had before talked 
plainly, was taken with the scarlet fever, that destroy- 
ed her speech, which aggrieved her exceedingly. This 
affection of her girl, by affecting the mother's mind, in- 
capacitated her boy from talking. 

HANKERING AFTER GIN. 

Mrs. K., of Cohocton, N. Y., while carrying a child, 
longed for gin, but could not obtain it. This child cried 
almost incessantly for six weeks, as if in perfect misery. 
Nothing afforded relief till gin was given it, which it 
clutched eagerly, and drank with perfect greediness, 
after which it stopped its crying, and from being a most 
miserable object, become healthy. 

Every close observer will meet like cases every where, 
and among all classes, though most frequently among 
the rich, probably because their mothers were ren- 
dered the more susceptible by being nervous. Some 
more recent medical authors have openly avowed this 
doctrine, and Dr. J. V. C. Smith, the able editor of the 
Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, a liberal and 
highly scientific medical work, avowed it in a conversa- 
tion with the author, and cited cases to prove it. 

But there is really no end tc facts of this class incon 



EXPLANATION. 101 

testible, irresistible facts establishing the great principle 
already laid down that the state of the mother's mind 
affects the child's form of body, even far enough to pro- 
duce marks, malformations, and monstrosities. 

But it is neither necessary or desirable to multiply 
facts of this kind, especially since they are so numerous 
and palpable, that those already given will, doubtless, 
suggest analagous ones to every reader. And the more 
so, as the policy of this work is not to swell its pages 
with all the facts that might be collected on every point- 
facts that scores of volumes could not contain but to 
state its doctrines clearly, and bring forward a few 
cases as illustrations mainly, and of suuh a character, 
that the reader will be able to recall many other similar 
ones as having occurred within his knowledge. 

Besides, the belief is general, and pervades all classes. 
What husband, who has the true feelings of a husband, 
but exerts his utmost energies to get for his wife what- 
ever she longs for ; and who does not know that things 
at other times injurious, if longed for, are harmless, and 
even beneficial ! Not that I would, by any means, en- 
courage the whims of pregnant women, or facilitate 
their taking this advantage of their husbands, but I 
would have REAL longings, those that are too strong to 
be subdued by force of will, gratified. 

EXPLANATION . f THESE MARKS. 

MAGNETFSM furnishes a rationale or solution of this 
class of Tacts. It shows that particular mental natures 
assume corresponding material forms. Thus the tiger 
mentality always clothes itself in the tiger shape, and 
the nearer any other anirral approaches to the tiger typa 



102 MARKS AND 1 EFORMITIE3. 

of mentality, the nearer its ouf.ward form resemlles that 
of this animal. The monkey tribes approximate to- 
ward the human in mentality, and therefore in shape, 
and the ourang outang still more nearly in both. This 
law of correspondence between shape and character is 
uniform and perfect. 

Which, then, governs? Do given mentalities take to 
themselves their respective physical forms, or do these 
forms control the characters? Does matter govern 
mind, or mind matter? To argue this point here would 
be out of place ; but my own conclusion, based on ex- 
tensive observation, comparison, and reflection, is, that 
the mental character of every thing vegetable, animal, 
and human determines its shape. That is, specific 
mentalities take on each its respective bodily form. 
Consequently, if you could infnse the mentality of the 
elephant into an embryo swine, its shape would propor- 
tionally depart from that of the swine, and approximate 
toward that of the elephant. 

An illustrative fact. An elephant was walking 
through a street in which was a sow with pig, which 
he hit a slight rap with his trunk to remove her. One 
of her pigs can now be seen in the medical college in 
Albany, preserved in spirits, having its snout elongated 
and gristly, and formed like the trunk of an elephant, 
and its feet and other parts approximating toward the 
elephant shape. Other like specimens of brute malform- 
ation are to be seen in other places, and at least estab- 
lish the FACT of such malformation. 

I reason on this matter thus: The elephant ifnparted 
a powerful charge of his magnetism to this sow. This 
elephant MAC.NETISM or mentality, she passed off to her 
embryo pig, whi:h caused it to assume the elephant 



EXPLANATION. 103 

SHAPE, just as tigei magnetism or mentality causes it to 
assume a tiger shape, or human mentality clothes itself 
in human form. 

Another fact reported to the author, by a woman of 
superior natural abilities, and an eye-witness of the fact, 
so that no doubt of its authenticity need be entertained: 
A woman, about four months advanced, was on a visit 
to her native town, on the northern shore of Lake Erie, 
and stopped at her father's. A fishing excursion, in a 
row-boat, and in the night, was proposed, and which 
she was persuaded to join. The fish were to be caught 
with a spear, while asleep in the water, and were dis- 
covered by means of a torch. The kind of fish caught, 
have a gristly snout that turns upward and backward, 
thus forming a kind of hook, and often weighs twenty 
pounds. She took a seat in the middle of the boat. A 
large fish, probably frightened, leaped from the water 
clear over the boat, and right before her face, uttering, 
as it passed, a kind of snort or wheeze peculiar to the 
fish when it jumps out of the water or is captured. 
This frightened her terribly ; so as actually to sicken 
her for several days. Her progeny, when born, proved 
to be a monster, half fish and half human, without a 
mouth, but having a nasal appendage like that of the 
fish alluded to above. Its lower extremity resembled 
that of a fish, and every few minutes it would spring 
and throw itself up a foot or more from its pillow, and 
at the same time utter the same noise made by the kind 
of fish alluded to. Having no mouth, of course it could 
not be fed, and lived only about twenty-four hours. 
Being a monster, it was refused a Christian burial, and 
was interred in the corner of a field. 

Now as animals can n agnetize men and men an> 



104 MARK3 AND DEFORMITIES. 

mals, dia not this fish magnetize the woman, and there- 
by impart to her of its fish magnetism, which she, of 
course, imparted to her embryo, thus causing it to as- 
sume a part of the magnetism, that is, of the NATURE of 
tne fish, ai.d consequently of its form of body? 

And this theory is strengthened by the fact, that the 
magnetizer imparts of his magnetism to the magnetized, 
and the latter is impregnated with that nature. Thus, 
being magnetized by one who has a headache, tooth- 
ache, or rheumatic affection, will cause the magnetizer 
to lose his headache, toothache, etc., and the magnet- 
ized to receive them. Hence, being magnetized by a 
well person, generally invigorates the magnetized, but 
frequently exhausts the operator.* Being magnetized 
by an intellectual person brightens up the ideas and 
quickens the flow of thought ; but being magnetized 
by a slow, or an easy, or a good, or a bad person, makes 
the magnetized slow, or easy, or good, or bad. That 
is, the one magnetized, receives of the mental and phy- 
sical nature of the magnetiz_er. 

This theory is introduced, not because it is fully adopt- 
ed, but because it explains these and kindred admitted 
facts better than any other, and shows that the embryo 
might be so related to the mother as to receive marks 
and deformities from her mental and physical conditions, 
But, be it true or false, the point at issue, namely, that 
marks and deformities are of frequent occurrence, and 
caused by the mother's state of mind, cannot well be 
doubted. Nor do physicians who dispute this doctrine, 
pretend to deny its facts. They are compelled to admit 
them, and yet they evade them by saying that they are 
anatomically impossible. 

* See " Fascination or the Philosophy af Charming." 



EXPLANATION. lOo 

"But," say the doctors, "this point being admitted, 
still, its promulgation will render all our women miser- 
able merely with fright, fearing lest any unusual thing 
they see should mark their children. Better keep them 
in ignorance of this principle, and deny it stoutly, so as 
to quiet their fears." Rather teK women the facts of 
the case, and let KNOWLEDGE put them on their guard. 
Properly to fortify mothers on this point, is to spread 
light, so that they may know what to do, and what to 
expect. Besides, to make women believe that these 
things do not mark their children, is utterly impossible; 
for the whole community, high and low, intelligent and 
ignorant, are compelled either to believe in the doctrine, 
or else deny the evidence of their own senses to dis- 
believe what they see and feel. Hence, since this fear 
cannot be prevented, let it be properly directed. Let 
them know what conditions will prevent their feelings 
from marking their children, and how to avoid feelings 
likely to do injury. 

But, by another method still, should I advise mothers 
to avoid these evil consequences namely, by STRENGTH- 
ENING THEIR NERVOUS SYSTEMS by air, exercise, and pre- 
serving and invigorating their health. It is not the strong, 
healthy, and robust that mark their children, but the weak- 
ly, the nervous, and those easily impressed, that is, easily 
magnetized. But, if our women would follow the advice 
given in preceding sections, so as to keep up a full tide 
of health and vigor, they would seldom mark their 
children, because they themselves would seldom bo 
impressed with these foreign influences, but would gen 
erally resist them. 



106 THE MOTHER'S MENTALITY CONTROLS THE CHILD'S 






SECTION III. 

NILUENCE OF THE VARIOUS STATES OF MATERNAL MEN 
TALITY, OR THE PRIMITIVE CHARACTER OF OFFSPRING. 

431. THE CHILD'S MENTALITY DERIVED DIRECTLY FROM ITS 
MOTHER'S. 

But, however much may depend on the PHYSICAL 
nutrition of the embryo, more depends upon its being 
well supplied with food, for the development of its 
MIND. All that the child gets, it obtains from its mo- 
ther 418 . And as all its material for the formation of 
bone, flesh, and organ, must be furnished directly by 
her, so all the materials for the formation of nerve and 
brain must come from this same maternal source. In 
fact, she must supply its entire MENTALITY, as well as 
its entire anatomy. 

- Then, however important that she furnish it with 
vitality 407 , is it less so that she supply the materials for 
intellect and soul ? And as she cannot supply the for- 
mer unless she possesses them herself, can she the lat- 
ter? Can she whose intellect is dull, and whose feelings 
are obtuse, bear smart, strong-minded children ? Be it 
even that the father is highly mental, and stamps his 
cerebral image upon them, that mentality must be FED 
from day to day with its appropriate food, or it will 
become nearly starved before it is born. Hence it 
requires a superior mentality in BOTH parents to pro 
duce highly-endowed offspf'zg. 



ITS PHILOSOPHY. 107 

But to canvass this whole subject, of the various 
states of the mother's mentality on that of offspring, in 
the light of FACTS yet, to attempt to PROVE this point, 
seems to be superfluous ; for who that has observed or 
thought upon this subject but admits it but mainly to 
IMPRESS IT DEEPLY upon mothers to brand into their 
inmost souls an ever-present consciousness, that their 
states of mind and feeling, while carrying their children, 
will be faithfully daguerreotyped, in all their shades and 
phases, upon those children, AND REMAIN THERE FOR- 
EVER, growing clearer and deeper as their existence 
progresses. 

The real philosophy of this whole matter, is this 
the blood is the grand porter of the entire system. All 
the materials for forming the embryo, bones, muscles, 
organs, nerves, and brain, are derived directly from the 
mother's blood. And since the foetal blood is secreted 
directly from the heart's blood of the mother, of course 
all the ever-varying states of her blood enter into the 
formation and organic constitution of the child's body 
and brain. So, too, all the mother's mental states affect 
her own system throughout. The brain is the organ of 
the body quite as much as of the mind. It generates all 
those influences and powers which keep the entire sys- 
tem in motion. It holds perfect control over the entire 
body. All its states ramify throughout the whole sys- 
tem. A disordered state of the mind does far more to 
disease the body, than that of the body the mind, and 
remedial agents applied to the mind are far more potent 
than those administered to the body merely. The ab- 
solute tyranny with which all the states of the mind 
lord it over heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, nerves in 
short, the whole body to break down and build up 



108 THE MOTHER'S MIND CONTROLS THE CHILD'S. 

to expel disease and to invite it to promote and retard 
digestion, circulation, etc. to drive off fatigue or induce 
it to even protract life and to cut it short is beyond 
computation. This great practical truth how little is 
it realized ! 

Now this law applies with the same power to the 
body of the embryo, as it does to that of its mother, 
and to its brain and nerves as to hers. 

Does it not seem reasonable is it not accordant 
with all we know, as appertaining to this subject that 
in exactly that proportion in which the mentality as a 
whole, and each of the faculties in particular, abound in 
the mother, will they be woven into the texture and 
tone of the child's constitution ? As plants obtain from 
the soil just those qualities which abound in the latter, 
so, if the mother, while carrying one child, has her 
Combativeness unusually excited, that child will take on 
most of the combative spirit, because it abounded most 
in the mother at this particular period no matter 
whether it be NATURALLY large or small in her ; but if, 
while carrying another, Benevolence should be power- 
fully wrought up, it will take on a proportionate quan- 
tity of goodness and humanity : and thus of the mother's 
intellect, or wit, or fears, or devotion, or acquisitive, or 
vain, or amiable, or any other temporary characteris- 
tics. In short, while the parentage that is, the stamp- 
ing of the original impress of life may be called the 
warp of the child's physical and mental constitution, 
the mother's states of mind and body, during carriage, 
are the woof or filling of that warp, and variegates its 
color, texture, tone, durability, and primitive constitu- 
tion, in accordance with itself. This is the inquiry to 
Which we now addrest ourselves. 



HAGER AND 1SHMAEL. 109 



HAGAR AND JSHMAEL. 

The stale of Hagar's mind while carrying Ishmael, 
and his hating every body, and being so hateful, as well 
as the ugliness and ferocity of the Ishmaelites, through- 
out the whole history of that fighting nation, is in point, 
and by it the Bible undoubtedly designed practically 
and powerfully to enforce this law. 

" And when Sarai dealt hardly with Hagar, she fled 
from her face. And the angel of the Lord found her 
by a fountain of water in the wilderness, and said unto 
her, Thou shalt bear a son, and he will be a wild man ; 
his hand will be against every man, and every man's 
hand against him." GEN. xvi. 

Mark Hagar became insolent, because likely to be- 
come a mother, and Sarai became jealous : so that a 
most desperate and perpetual quarrel sprang up be- 
tweeu them, till finally Sarai became outrageous, and 
drove Hagar out into the wilderness to starve, and this 
wiLD-erness babe was " WILD," and both hated and was 
hated of every body the very states of the mother's 
mind giving direction and character to the child. 

What historical fact can be stronger, or more in 
point ? Why should so succinct a history as the Bible 
was there giving, stop to detail minutely this case, un- 
less it designed thereby to teach this identical moral 
truth, this great practical law of the maternal rela- 
tions we are endeavoring to enforce ? Does the Bible 
waste its pages on mere narratives, devoid of moral 
bearing? And is it not surprising that its pretended 
expounders never preach from this text, or enforce this 
truth ? Do they proclaim the WHOLE counsel cf God ? 
Could they disseminate more momentous truths ? 
1G 



110 THE MOTHER'S MIND CONTROI/S THE CHILD'S. 



SAMUEL AND HIS MOTHER. 



Take .he mother of Samuel as an opposite example. 
Her mind was in a peculiarly devout frame all the time 
she was carrying him, and had his exalted piety nothing 
to do with her devout state of mind ? Was it not this 
very maternal devotion which sanctified him " FROM HIS 
MOTHER'S WOMB ?" Did the Bible mean nothing when i* 
put this and that so nearly together ? Did it not intend 
to relate them by cause and effect ? Where have been 
the wits of Bible commentators, great and small book 
commentators and pulpit commentators, and the end- 
less army, in all ages, of Bible defenders and expound- 
ers that they have not seen and reiterated this mighty 
truth, worth more than ship-loads of their old sermons 
and new ones, their big commentaries and little ones, 
and all their sectarian dogmatism to boot, and a thou- 
sand-fold better calculated to regenerate and save man- 
kind, and make them better by NATURE, so that they 
would have less "original sin" in them to be beat out of 
them by preaching, and be more ready recipients of al. 
religious impressions ? 

MARY AND CHRIST. 

And as if this was not enough, it caps the climax by 
a minute account of Mary's happy frame of body and 
holy state of mind, all along before the birth of Christ. 
She was " in the hill country," quaffing copiously the in- 
vigorating breezes of Judea's balmy clime telling her 
friends how happy her vision had made her and full of 
heavenly joy and spiritual exaltation. " My soul doth 
magnify the Lord, and rejoice in God my Saviour !" is 



CHRIST 30NAPARTE. Ill 

her rapturous exultation. Read Luke's account of this 
matter, and especially her song. Would a cross, or 
diseased mother, have ben as well fitted to give birth 
to this embodiment of divine goodness and love ? Does 
holiness of soul and sweetness of temper, in the mother 
during carriage, have no influence in moulding her pro- 
spective infant into a state of loveliness and goodness, 
and her warring passions leave no Satanic marks upon 
its then forming mirror ? Out upon that clerical stu- 
pidity which has failed to perceive this Bible truth, or 
else upon that mealy-mouthed squeamishness which has 
thus far shrunk from proclaiming it. Episcopalians 
pray for " all women in the perils of childbirth ;" then 
why not preach to them on the responsibilities of child- 
bearing ? I hate this pretending to teach man's whole 
moral duty, yet leaving out such cardinal and moment- 
ous obligations ; for what one of them ever opens his 
dumb-dog mouth on this point ? But leaving them to 
glory in their shame, let us look to profane history. 

BONAPARTE'S FCETAL HISTORY. 

Who was the greatest general of modern times ? 
Who chose martial life from innate love of it, and at 
twenty-three planned so wisely, and fought so bravely, 
as to be lifted over the heads of tried veterans, to sway 
the mighty armies of war-loving France ? AND WHAT 

WAS THE STATE OP HIS MOTHER'S MIND ALL THE WHILE 

SHE WAS CARRYING HIM ? On horseback, exercising 
queenly power over her spirited charger and the sub- 
ordinates of her husband, and COMMINGLING WITH THE 
ARMY. Had her state of mind nothing to do with his 
" ruling passion, strong in death ?" 



THE MOTHER'S MIND CONTROLS THE CHILD'S. 



JAMES I. 

Mary, Queen of Scots, wl. ; le carrying that timid foo. 
of a monarch, saw the wild ragings of infuriated De 
structiveness draw the naked steel, and plunge it 
through its falling victim. Oh, horrid sight ! One 
of her own friends, weltering in his gurgling blood, 
gasps and dies in her palace, in her sight, while preg- 
nant ! And her son a paragon of conflicting emotions 
trembling and fainting at even the sight of an un- 
drawn sword, timid as a hare, a prey to mere whims, 
yet tyrannical and vindictive. Did her fright have no 
hand in causing his timidity ? 

A TIMID FRIEND OF THE AUTHOR. 

Jn 1 806, Mr. Purrington, near Augusta, Me., committed 
the most shocking murder on his wife and nine children, 
by beating out, with an axe, the brains of all but one 
boy, into whose back he struck the axe while escaping, 
and completing the tragedy by cutting his own throat 
with the razor a 8 * 3 . This, of course, terribly alarmed 
all the women in the neighborhood, for fear their hus- 
bands might commit a similar outrage upon them : and 
the mother of a friend of mine, suffered every thing 
from fear lest she should be murdered, and this friend, 
born six months after, has suffered more, she says, than 
tongue can describe, from fear of being murdered ; and 
now, though nearly forty, and compelled by her busi- 
ness a seamstress to go from house to house, she can 
hardly endure to sleep alone, lays and thinks by the 
hour together how she shall escape if attacked, and is 
smarted by the least noise, so as to be obliged to get up 



MISCELLANEOUS CASES. 113 

and go down stairs, and kindle the fire. She says she 
has a friend, born in the same place, and a month or 
two younger, who is afflicted by the same foolish fear, 
and whose mother suffered similarly from the same 
cause. 

The brother of a friend of mine was very much 
afraid of being killed, and when crazy, he often ex- 
claimed, " Oh, don't kill me ! don't !" witl. as much 
anxiety as if he were about to be murdered. His fathei 
was a notorious drunkard, and when 'drunk, would beat 
and abuse his wife, and try to kill her. Once he drew 
a large knife on her, and when she fled, he followed her 
up into the garret, where she hid herself among the 
rubbish, so as barely to escape with her life. While 
thus standing in continual fear of being killed, this son 
was born ; and this same fear of being killed always 
haunted and tormented him, till he finally took his own 
life. 

In Charlestown, Mass., I saw an idiotic girl, ren- 
dered such by her mother's having a severe and long- 
continued fever, by which she was confined some three 
months to her bed, which terminated only by the birth 
of her child. In the same time, she buried two children 
in one grave, and had other troubles, which she said 
rendered her COMPLETELY MISERABLE. 

While lecturing in Nantucket, in 1844, an anxious 
mother brought a whimpering daughter to me for pro- 
fessional examination and advice. The first error I 
pointed out, though it was but slight, she burst into 
a flood of tears, and cried and kept crying, though six- 
teen years old, so that I was compelled to suspend the 
examination. I found almost no Combativeness, Destruc- 
tiveness, Self-Esteam, or Firmness, and perfect pusillani- 
10* 



114 THE MOTHER'S MIND CONTROLS THE CHILD s. 

mity and inefficiency, along with the most exquisite sus 
ceptibilities, and extreme Veneration and Spirituality. 
Yet the mother had great Firmness, and full Combative- 
ness and Destructiveness. The child was totally unlike 
her mother, yet I knew she could not take her tame- 
ness from her father HS31 ; so that I saw it must have 
come from her state during carriage, and requested her 
sometime to enlighten me on this point, and bring her 
daughter, as I supposed facts calculated to do her good 
would be elicited. Her sad story was to the effect that, 
well off and genteelly educated, she married, against the 
will of parents and remonstrances of all, one whom she 
supposed to be a good man ; that she was married at 
his father's, and that, after packing and locking her 
trunk, and putting her key in her pocket, she dressed for 
the wedding, leaving the dress which contained the key 
behind ; that after the wedding, on finding her trunk 
locked and key gone, she was for telling her husband 
but his brother and sister seemed very desirous that she 
should not,' and broke open the trunk for her, which 
astonished her ; that the next morning he ordered her 
up, and because she did not mind instantly, broke out 
upon her in a fit of rage and abuse ; that then the dread- 
ful reality burst suddenly and fully upon her mind, and 
she gave up in despair ; that, being at his father's, who 
was wealthy, and having nothing to direct' her mind, 
she gave completely up to soul-crushing despair, refused 
to see any of her old friends, because so ashamed of her 
blind obstinacy, and did nothing but read the Bible and 
cry most of the time from morning to night, day after 
day, for one whole year, till this child was born ; that, 
when a babe, the least unpleasant word or look would 
make hei cry piteously for hours together ; that, when 



MRS. D.'s CHILDREN'. 115 

older, \f spoken sharply to in the morning, she would 
go away by heiself and sob and cry, heart-broken, all 
day long, and was always pensive, yet learned to read 
in the Bible at five years of age, and was so taken up at 
this infantile age with this book that she cared for no 
other. She could not sleep without the Bible under her 
pillow, or the Testament clasped to her breast. Behold 
the perfect contrast between her natural disposition and 
that of both parents, which shows that it could not be 
paientage ; but its perfect accordance with the state of 
her mother's mind during pregnancy, shows that it was 

Wholly MATERNAL. 

Since then I have observed scores of cases in which 
mothers, naturally forcible, but whose spirits were 
crushed at this period, bore children with weak Com- 
bativeness, Destructiveness, and Firmness. These facul- 
ties were crushed in the mother, by the tyranny of the 
husband, or some other cause, so that, being dormant, 
they were but feebly represented in the child. They 
were weak in the mother's mind at this period, though 
strong by nature, and this left them as weak in the 
children as though they were naturally small in the 
mothers. Yet if these faculties had been excited in 
these mothers during their pregnancy, th&v would have 
abounded in the children. 

MRS. D. AND HER CHILDREN. 

Mrs. D. remarked, for the thousandth time, man) 
years ago, that she could trace minutely, in the great 
diversities of character and disposition of her numerous 
children, just those very states of mind she was in while 
bearing them. She was happy while bearing her first 



116 MATERNAL STATES OF MIND, 

child, and it is peculiarly beautiful and amiabk. But 
her husband began to drink, and this overclouded her 
sky, and awakened her displeasure, and her next child 
corresponds to this slate of her mind. Then came pov- 
erty, and that severe buffeting of the waves of adver- 
sity, which called out all her force-imparting and unami- 
able traits : and this is the character of those born 
during this sad period and thus of her other changes 
so that she reads in their characters the history of her 
life and feelings while carrying each one. 

A HALF-STARVED, DESPAIRING MOTHER. 

A husband and wife moved to Sharon, near Lake 
George, while it remained an unbroken forest. Having 
no neighbors, they got out of provisions the first year ; 
and before they could raise any, they could barely 
obtain sufficient sustenance to support life, and that by 
eating roots, boiling bark, etc. Their child, born under 
these circumstances, and now living, is the very picture 
of despair poor, dyspeptic, hypoy, and feeble both in 
mind 'and body. But they put in a large crop of wheat, 
which the influx of emigration enabled them to sell at 
great prices, so that they had abundance, and cleared 
some $3000 the second year every thing going pros- 
perously. Their next child, born under these auspicious 
circumstances, is a fine, manly, strong, noble-looking, 
energetic, and highly-talented man, and a real steam- 
engine for driving through whatever he undertakes. 
His mother told him the cause of his brother's debility 
and charged him to let him want for nothing. 



AS MOULDING THAT OF CFFSPRING. 117 

THE SON WHO COULD NEVER FACE HIS FATHER. 

About 1798, Hezekiah B., of H., Vt., a very pas- 
sionate, blustering man, and VERY angry, when angry, 
but soon over, becoming deeply exasperated by some- 
thing his wife had done, came into the house at a door 
opposite to where his wife was kneading bread her 
back being toward the door and emptied a most abu- 
sive vial of wrath and sputter upon his wife, who, turn- 
ing round to reply, was so overcome by her feelings, 
that she choked for utterance ; and for one hour she 
kept kneading that bread, so stifled by the overflow of 
her feelings that she could not speak ; her back, mean- 
while, being turned toward the door and FROM her hus- 
band. Three months afterward her son Solomon was 
born ; and though he has always lived in the house, and 
worked on the farm with his father, and has a wife and 
child there, yet, till he was thirty-five years old, he never 
spoke the first word to him. Finally, one day, being at 
work in the field with him, and wanting very much to 
ask him a question, he involuntarily came up with his 
face toward his father, and turning short around, so as 
to present his BACK to him, and then walking from his 
father, he made out to speak to him for the first time in 
his life. And now, whenever he addresses him, he 
turns his back to him, for in this way only can he ad- 
dress him, though he has tried his utmost all his life to 
do so while facing him, but all in vain. When a boy, 
he sat peaceably on his father's knee only once. 

These miscellaneous cases will serve to establish the 
great law of the transfer of the mother's mentality at 
this period to her offspring. Both to warn mothers, at 



118 MATERNAL STA7ES OF MIND 

well as to enforce this law, let us examine a lew groups 
of facts. 

A FOOLISH BUT FIENDISH SON. 

MANCHESTER, N. H June 14, 1848. 

O. S. FOWLER A young lady who was an associate 
of my oldest sister, married an enterprising mechanic 
about the time I was twelve years of age. Not long 
after her marriage, her husband got into a collision with 
one of his apprentices and they finally fell into a regular 
battle. So desperate and formidable was the fight of 
the apprentice, that the young wife became alarmed for 
the safety of her husband, and with a terrible spirit of 
revenge and fury rushed to her husband's rescue ; and 
she said afterward that she hardly knew what prevent- 
ed her from killing him outright. Within six months 
from that time she gave birth to a male child, whose 
only cry and roar was that of frantic rage. I recollect 
to have heard of this misfortune at the time. Some 
thirty years afterward I lectured in a destitute part of 
the Empire State, and after the meeting, in compliance 
with an urgent request, I spent the night with this fam- 
ily, who recognized me as an old acquaintance. The 
evening, until a late hour, was spent in tracing the his- 
tories of the two families, and at the time memory did 
not recall her misfortune in her first child. In the 
morning, in descending the staircase, I was arrested by 
the sudden outcry and frightful snarling, or maddened 
yell of that son. I stood for a moment almost petrified 
with horror, but the memory of the past brought relief, 
and had I not recollected the above facts, I should not, 
I could not, have imagined what it was that made such 
a frightful outcry. The idiot had lived to be a man 
in size, but gave no other demonstrations of intellect 



AS AFFECTING THAT CF THE CHILD. 119 

than this frightful maddened cry. On coming down 
the mother, with a downward look, stated the cenditior 
of her child ; and I well recollected the cause to which 
at the time it was attributed. 

Yours truly, G. W. FINNEY. 

A PROVOKED MOTHER AND PROVOKING CHILD. 

Mrs. D. rented a part of a house from a woman \vho 
had a saucy, selfish, haughty girl. Assuming a most 
imperative, authoritative air, because her mother was 
landlady and Mrs. D. her tenant, this girl often ob- 
truded into Mrs. D.'s apartment, was insolent, over- 
bearing, and teased and tantalized poor Mrs. D.'s life 
almost out of her, and this many times a day. Mrs. D. 
was then carrying a child, which, when an infant, was 
as cross and spiteful as a little witch, and cried unmer- 
cifully ; and now grown up, she has a proud, bold, 
imperious air, as though queen of all around her, is 
ungovernable and violent tempered, torments the very 
life out of all those around her, and is the exact coun- 
terpart of the girl which tantalized her mother. Mrs. 
D., a fond mother, has been so tried by her as, though 
kind to her, to hate her most thoroughly. Mrs. D. 
has active Combativeness and Destructiveness, yet a 
great deal of real goodness, and stamped the former on 
this daughter more than on her son a sweet, noble 
boy because these feelings were thus perpetually awa- 
kened while carrying her, and thus sent in that relative 
proportion to the child in which they abounded in the 
mother at this time. 

MRS. M'C. AND HER BONAPARTE- ADMIRING SON. 

Mrs. M'C. bore a promising son during Bonaparte'i 



120 .t MATERNAL STATES OF MIND, 

triumphal career. His life and character intensely 
interested her at this period so much so that she got 
and read all the books she could find out of all the 
libraries public, private, and circulating and cher- 
ished a sort of hobby or passion for his character and 
exploits. 

This son is now a brilliant lawyer in Boston, a splen- 
did speaker, excessively fond of the martial, and a most 
enthusiastic admirer of BONAPARTE. He has read all 
he can hear of respecting him, has filled every nook 
and corner of the house, suitable for a picture, with his 
likenesses, battles, etc., and turns all his conversation 
into something relating to the hero of his soul. I have 
this narrative from the mother's and sister's lips. 

Does it seem necessary or desirable to follow out this 
branch of our subject further into detail ? Have we not 
both abundantly PROVED and ENFORCED the maternal law, 
that when the mother's combative and cross-grained 
feelings are habitually provoked while carrying a child, 
it will infect the THEN-EXISTING state of her temper ? 
But, before summing up, let us look at the converse. 

SWEETNESS OF TEMPER IN THE MOTHER. 

A very superior woman, yielding to her mother's 
'earnest entreaties, married a most inferior and every 
way depraved man, toward whom her repugnance was 
extreme. She submitted gently to her fate, with lamb- 
like resignation, and her first child, inheriting all its mo- 
ther's power of constitution, along with all her meek 
resignation, was a perfect specimen of angelic loveli- 
ness. So complete a paragon of sweetness and amia- 
bleness, as well as beauty, has rarely been born. She 
died in childhood, of excessive doctoring. Her mother 



AS FORMING THOSE OF OFFSPRING. 121 

has large Combativeness, and fu.l Destructiveness, yet 
lulled them to sleep, with the conscientious idea that 
she was a lawful wife, and must bear from a husband 
whatever stripes he chose to inflict : so that this lamb- 
like goodness was not hereditary the father being a 
domineering, violent-tempered man but was caused by 
the mother's subjugation. Her mother, seeing her mis- 
take, urged her to seek a divorce, and slightly rallied 
her resistance, and her next child has a little less ami- 
ableness, yet is an uncommonly sweet-dispositioned 
young woman. She obtained a divorce, and married 
again. Meanwhile, her health had suffered from poison- 
ous medicines, her nerves became preternaturally ex- 
cited, and accordingly her next child is quite spirited, 
cross-grained, and totally unlike any of her sisters. 

Becoming aware of the great maternal law under 
discussion, the husband took every means in his power, 
while she was carrying her next child, to render his 
wife happy in feeling arranged a visit from his father 
and mother, then at the West, which was peculiarly 
agreeable to her placed a horse and carriage at their 
disposal, in which they took many pleasant rides dis- 
missed domestics who were not agreeable to her, and 
relieved her from previously oppressing cares took 
many walks, and had many sweet talks with her sus- 
tained, soothed, and humored her, and did all he could 
to render her situation as agreeable, and mind as happy, 
as possible ; and she has often said that she was in an 
unusually pleasant frame of mind during this period. 
This state she has transmitted to the next child, who is 
peculiarly sweet tempered, affectionate, pleasant, and 
every way lovely, and a perfect contrast to her sister 
next older, born before these oarents understood this law 
11 



122 RESPONS1B LITJES OF MOTHERS. 

But in case any one part of our subject is true, all 
is. If either excessive fear, or anger, or sweetness, or 
gloom, or any ONE characteristic of the mother's state 
Df mind at this period, is stamped upon the constitution 
all is. The whole or nothing 405 . And that a part is 
every mother is the witness. Thousands of times 
while examining the heads of children, have I predi- 
cated correctly the states of the mother's mind and 
body, previous to their birth founding my prediction 
solely on the developments of these children. The va- 
rying dispositions of large families furnish a correct 
history of the mother's states of mind and body while 
bearing them, written not on tables of stone, but en- 
graven, as with the point of a diamond, on the tablets 
of their inner being not only stamping all their feel- 
ings and conduct through life, but perpetuating itself in 
generations yet unborn. What family but furnishes a 
living illustration of this law ? 

Momentous indeed, then, is the responsibility of moth- 
ers as mothers. If their educational responsibilities 
incalculably affect human happiness and destiny, how 
much more these MATERNAL relations ? How many 
tremble when they put their hands to important papers, 
notes, mortgages, etc., and well they may, yet what 
pitiable trifles all these things, compared with stamping 
these sons and daughters of immortality with the die of 
character and consequent destiny goodness or loveli- 
ness, ugliness or amiableness, etc. FOREVER ! 

Prospective mothers, by the love you bear the chil- 
dren of your bodies and souls, be entreated to cultivate 
in yourselves, at these eventful periods, those disposi- 
tions and states of mind which you would delight to 
witness in them. More than language can express, 



ADVICE TO MuTIIERS. 123 

every day and almost hour of your lives, lovely dispo- 
sitions in them contribute to your happiness ; an j sour- 
ness a cross, grieved, teasing disposition in them 
torment you your life ; long and thus of your grand- 
children. All this, and Inexpressibly more, as regards 
yourself, to say nothing of them, depends upon your 
putting yourself into an ngreeable frame of mind at this 
period. And, bear in mind, *hat this your frame, so far 
from being trifling or transient, is to be WOVEN INTO 

THEIR INMOST BEING to form a CONSTITUENT PART AND 

PARCEL OF THEIR VERY NATURES ! What, then, if OUt- 

ward things do provoke, is not this mighty motive suffi- 
cient to bear you far above these trifling irritants ? I 
have closely watched mothers at this period, and found 
them instinctively to guard their precious charge from 
blows, etc., by instantly and unconsciously folding their 
protecting arms upon it, and parrying danger from this 
part, let it strike wherever else it might. I have like- 
wise observed, that when not too jaded out by fatigue 
and fretted by outward privations, they naturally cher- 
ish a calm and happy frame of mind, and that placidity 
and quiet just shown to be so promotive of angelic 
sweetness and purity in children. 

Nature favors this state of mind thus. She has made 
children the most desirable treasure mothers can possi- 
bly possess. The real, sincere feeling of the true mother 
is this: "Oh, I had rather give birth to one dear child, 
than accomplish all other possible ends, and enjoy all 
other conceivable good !" We have already shown that 
to bear children is the great destiny of woman as such 
418 . In beautiful accordance with this law, nature has 
made her pleasure in the prospect of becoming a mother 
commensurate with this ha: paramount destiny that is, 



124 RESPONSIBILITIES OF MOTHERS. 

incomparably surpassing all other. Tue, other feelings 
arc often allowed, by women who are not true to their 
natures, to stifle this feeling. Some women actual 
monstrosities in nature in violation of this cardinal law 
of female being, hate to bear children, and even destroy 
the germ before it sees the light of which in its place 
but does the first cry of her fresh-born babe thrill 
every nerve of her body, every fibre of her soul, and 
should not the prospect of becoming a mother naturally 
tend to fill her with a calm and happy flow of feeling? 
How she delights to talk about her prospects ESPE- 
CIALLY TO A SYMPATHIZING HUSBAND ! recount all her 
signs, and indulge a happy revery of contemplation 
concerning it. Say, mothers, have I not here drawn 
the veil from the inner consciousness of your being, and 
disclosed the maternal altar decked in its sacrificial 
robes ? And it is fitting that this should be thus ? Na 
ture would not be true to herself if she did not implant 
this strong maternal yearning in every female. It would 
be like rendering food absolutely requisite to life, yet 
giving us no relish for it. But this maternal yearning is 
to child-bearing what hunger is to our need of food 
attracting and compelling us to eat with resistless force. 
It is this maternal yearning which induces in mothers 
this happy frame of mind so promotive of goodness in 
offspring. 

Be ye persuaded, then, O mothers, at this forming 
period of your child's mentality, to yield to that eleva- 
ted current of feelings which your situation induces. 
How happy will it render you for the time being how 
happy will it render your prospective heir of immor- 
tality, and you in it throughout the remainder of your 
being ! Why let little things trouble you ? Why not 



CHILD BEARING PARAMOUNT. 125 

rise in the dignity and power of your situation, into a 
mental atmosphere so exalted, so spiritually minded, that 
what provokes you at other times shall only confirm 
your serenity ? 

" But I have my family to see too. I am worn down 
with labor by day, and watching by night, and have 
squalling children always under my feet, so that, how- 
ever desirable this calm and holy frame, I cannot com- 
pose myself till I can attain it," say bearing mothers. 

Better that your family live on bread and water at 
these periods, and you have lovely children, than that 
you do all the work you now do most of which, strictly 
speaking, is intrinsically useless and have ill-natured 
ones. What are clean rooms and furniture, high sea- 
soned dishes and many of them, and all the property 
you do or ever will possess, in comparison with a sweet 
or crabbed child ? Mothers, remember this. While 
" after the manner of women," you are solemnly bound 
to attend to THIS, and give all else at all incompatible 
with it, the go \ y. "One thing at a time." Let these 
household trifles sink into merited neglect, while you 
attend to your GREAT mission. Why leave dollars to 
gather pennies ? Do what else you can without con- 
flicting with this, but give your WHOLE soul and body 
to this as far as it requires either, nor let any thing else 
interfere. Your cooking, and scrubbing, an;! dressing, 
rind dish- washing, and sewing duties what are they 
when they conflict with your maternal ? As the latter 
is the paramount function of your being that expressly 
for which you were created of course your sacred duty 
is to let them all go while you are employed at this. 

Suppose an employer hires a servant, mainly and ex- 
pressly to do a given kind of work yet, as there are 
11* 



126 Dim OF HUSBANDS. 

times when he cannot bo doing this work, but can do 
incidentals, his employer explicitly requires, that us far 
and as long as the PARAMOUNT work requires, he shall 
give up wholly to it all his time, all his energies, arid at- 
tend to these incidentals only when he cannot fulfill his 
paramount and specific service suppose, when this 
paramount work was required to be done, this servant 
should plead, " I have this, that, and so many other 
things to attend to, that I really cannot take time and 
energy to attend to it." Now your child-bearing 
mission has already been shown to be THE mission of 
your being the destiny of your creation. Will you 
then, when fulfilling it, pile care after care, and labor 
after labor, upon yourself? Do this in the very best 
manner possible, and the others only as mere incidentals 
of life. 

Besides, if you had borne your first children just 
right, they would probably have been so sweet and 
)bedient, as well as so healthy, as to have enhanced 
ihat holy state of mind required by yi ur existing situa- 
tion, and bearing this one right will relieve you here- 
after. Do this ONE duty, and " all other things shall be 
added unto you ;" but she " that committeth this one 
sin, is guilty of ALL." 

DUTY OF HUSBANDS TO THEIR WIVES AT THIS PERIOD. 

But has the husband no part nor lot in this matter ? 
Though nature 'nterdicls his exerting a direct influence 
on the forming character of his child, after he has 
stamped it with the FIRST great impress of being and 
character, yet does she not allow him to mould it 

THROUGH THE MOTHER ? Nay, doCS she not REdUIRE 

his co-operation ? Wla. unde w the whole heaven is as 



REQUISITION FOR TENDERNESS. 127 

igreeable to her, at this period, as his caresses and con- 
solations ? What can exert as calm and heavenly an 
influence over her mind ? To be beloved by the father 
of her dear babe, is the true wife's all and in all. No 
other thing at all compares with this, in its soothing, 
happifying, soul-ravishing influence on her mind. And 
if these things be done in the green tree, what shall be 
Hone in the dry ? If a husband's fondness is her soul's 
idol in genera], how much more so now ! If to be 
told, at other times, in sweet accents, how much he 
loves her for other charms, is so enchanting, with what 
overflowings of joy does she hear, " I love you always, 
but oh, I love you now as the prospective mother of 
our dear little babe ! My whole soul is melted with 
parental tenderness for it, and in conjugal love for you, 
as carrying it in your sacred embrace, nourishing it 
with your own heart's blood, and infusing into it your 
own lovely spirit. In the holiest and sweetest relations 
of our being, we united to give it existence, and you are 
now maturing this precious germ of humanity and im- 
mortality. You were lovely always. You are tenfold 
more enchanting now." 

And is it not natural for husbands, who love their 
wives at all, to love them most at this most interesting 
period ? Have we not PROVED that the entire loveliness 
of woman, as such, consists in her MATERNAL charms 418 ? 
He does love, should love, the blushing maiden much ; 
but should he not love the bearing matron more ? He 
should dote upon that confiding bride, who forsakes fa- 
ther and mother and cleaves to him, and bestows upon 
him every feeling of her soul, every power of her na- 
ture ; but should he not love this same being far more, 
pnd with a far higher order of love, when she is fulfill- 



128 DUTY OF HUSBAND3. 

ing these most endearing relations ? Indeed have we 
not already proved, that as the charms of woman con- 
sist in her maternal elements, so man, in virtue of his 
nature as man, loves woman most when fulfilling the 
maternal relations 1 " Husbands, love your wives" 
always, but lavish upon them one perpetual flow of 
tenderness and devotions, while they are thus perpetu- 
ating your name and race upon the earth. 

Oh, who can duly prize a lovely child ! What, in 
comparison, is the gold of Ophir, the honors of nations, 
the crowns of the whole world what all other earthly 
goods ? What husband, then, can duly love her who 
bears them, and while thus bearing ? She who bears 
her husband one fine child, is therefore entitled, in de- 
spite of all her faults, to all the gratitude and love of his 
being, as well as to the thank-offerings of his race. 
Nor will any true husban<J any real man ever cease 
to love her, who having participated with him in the 
holiest rites of their being, crowns him with all a fa- 
ther's glory and happiness. Who but a flint-hearted 
gelding, emasculated of every manly virtue and feeling, 
can ever cease to love her who has borne him even but 
one child, and love her more and more by every new 
object of parental love ? Certainly, who not riddled of 
every masculine feeling, but will be doubly enamored 
of her maternal charms, and chant anthems of perpetual 
love to her, while carrying within her the sacred casket 
of all his joys and t-easures ? 

Husbands, at the bar of this great law, and duty, and 
pleasure of the masculine, how stand you with your 
wives at this tender period ? If they imploringly lean 
on you for support, do you always uphold and console 
them ? When their situation, in conjunction with pre 



FORBEARANCE ENJOINED. 129 

nous disorders and exhausting family burdens, ren- 
ders them peevish and whimsical, do you forbear 
with and pity them, or do you not rather lay up 
against them, as heinous sins, actions and sayings 
consequent wholly on their existing situations ? Oh, 
how many of you cruelly wrong your pitiable, in- 
stead of blameworthy wives, by taking offence where 
reason and humanity, as well as conjugal tenderness, 
require you to overlook with love ! They can no more 
help these feelings or actions than the wildest lunatic, 
and are no more responsible, but deserve all love still 
more pity. Though they may scold like seven furies, 
and be as ugiy as Satan, return only the kiss of love, 
remembering that it is not they who do it, but the child 
you gave them. It so affects the organs of their sex, 
and these organs their nervous systems the recipro- 
city between which is perfect, in order that the men- 
tality of the mother may be conferred on the child as 
to cause these outbreaks of petulance or passion by pure- 
ly mechanical means. Where is your love ? Where 
your magnanimity ? Where your manhood, even ? De- 
funct all, unless you love her all the better for her tem- 
per considering its cause and do your utmost to as- 
suage it. Nor s there any telling how much the 
husband can do, at these eventful periods, to soothe 
down her irritability, calm her excited nerves, dispel 
gloom and all unfavorable emotions, raise her flagging 
spirits, and put her mind exactly into the state, required. 
Then, of all other times, should he clasp her fondly in 
the arms of his love, cheer up her spirits, strengthen 
her, lavish upon her every attention, do every thing for 
her comfort, and inclose her in the lambent flame of 
conjugal love. 



ISO DUTY 0? HUSBANDS. 

Call this soft, weak, extravagant, or what you like ; it 
is the softness of nature, the weakness of stiength, the 
extravagance of utility of your, her, and your off- 
spring's highest good. See to it that ye fulfill this 
ordinance of high heaven. This imperious duty you, 
you alone, CAN fill. By the value you set upon sweet- 
dispositioned children, be entreated to do what no other 
being can do, to sweeten and soothe your wife's feelings 
at this period, pregnant with so much happiness to all 
concerned. 

Nor does your duty end here. You are most guilty 
if you let your wives overwork at these times. Yet 
how many of you actually ADD to their burden, already 
crushing both health and spirits, by requiring things in 
the matter of cooking, sewing, and domestic work, 
which you could dispense with about as well as not. 
You require too much done about house things of 
more imaginary than real use. Be entreated to dis- 
pense with all artificial wants, and see that they take 
that REST, by day and night, already shown to be so 
absolutely requisite. Or, if you must have just so 
much work done, HIRE help. Your wife will repay it a 
hundred-fold in the long run, by preserved health, and 
bear you a far higher order of a child besides. 

Upon the importance of recreation, at this period, I 
nave already spoken. To see that she has it, is one of 
your first duties. And you must recreate with her 
walk, ride, laugh, play, stroll, lounge, visit, and make 
merry. Oh, how sadly, wickedly, husbands fail in these 
essential respects ! How far higher an order of chil- 
dren they might have, by employing these and such 
other means as intellect and love will suggest to each, 
according to the ; r means and circumstances ! 



BAD CHILDREN P1T1 4BLE. 131 

BAD-TEMPERED CHILDREN TO BE PITIED. 

In this irritability of the mother at this period wi 1 be 
found probably the greatest existing cause of ill-nature 
n children. That ugly boy, always provoking his sister, 
saucing his mother, quarreling with his mates, torment- 
ing dumb brutes, perhaps cursing and fighting, is, after 
all, probably the more to be commiserated the worse 
he is, just as he would be if he had inherited a white 
swelling or excruciating cancer. Granted that he is so 
very provoking, and pesters the very life out of you, 
yet did you not as parents, or as his mother, saddle on 
to him, while powerless and completely in your control, 
those very passions which are the thorns of his as well 
as your life, and which you are thus vainly endeavoring 
to punish out of him? "DYED IN THE WOOL," by your 
3WN HANDS, will you thus beat him " as in a mortar with 
a pestle," to rid him of these " fast colors ?" He is but 
the passive agent. Suppose you punish the REAL cause 
your OWN SELF. Rather, suppose you supersede se- 
verity by forbearance, and take warning for the future 

THE BAD-DISPOSITIONED DAUGHTER. 

An irritable mother in C., N. H., brought her daugh- 
ter to me, with a spirit completely broken down by her 
unmanageable daughter. She said that this daughter 
was a perfect mule in even trifles ; that she would sit 
sometimes all day, nor sould any one get her to do any 
thing, not even to comb her hair ; that without any 
cause she would become angry, and remain sulky and 
speechless the whole day ; often plague the very life out 
of her little brother, and when told to stop, declare that 
the had ro spoken to him since morning; that when 



132 AFFECTIONATE CHILDREN. 

dressed for church, she would often strew her clothes 
all about the floor, dishevel her hair, etc. ; that neither 
reasoning, nor persuasion, nor any thing they had tried, 
made any impression on her ; that she was the very 
worst girl, in nearly all respects, she ever saw, and 
would not have thought it possible for as bad a one to 
exist till she saw it, etc. 

I asked her what her own state of mind was while 
carrying her. She said she was never in as bad a 
state ; that she then had the very worst of servants 
impudent, lying, thievish which provoked her almost 
to death, so that she was about crazy; that she changed 
them, but met with no better luck, and much more to 
this effect. Reader, put this and that together. 

Mark, especially, that this girl had not her full senses, 
and the mother, at this period, was so confused as to 
cloud her intellect. I have seen many like cases ; but 
of this in its place. 

Now I submit whether the mother was not mainly 
guilty, for branding this badness and stupidity into her 
inner being thus effectually ? And is not this unfor 
tunate dispositioned child more sinned against than 
sinning ? I asked this mother how she could be thus 
severe on her daughter, now that she knew that this 
CHILD COULD NOT HELP receiving this nature, and from 
her very accuser Uo. 

I doubly pity bad-tempered children, and am trying 
to teach parents how to avoid these thorns of their 
being. The principle under discussion, teaches us 

HOW TO SECURE AFFECTION IN CHILDREN. 

How dear, how charming, are affectionate children ! 
Oh, how I love to have my little ones steal on tiptoe to 



HOW TO SECURE THEM. 139 

my side, and imprint the warm kiss of filial love on my 
care-worn, fatigued brow ! How I love, at table, to 
have that little dear at my right say, " Father, I want to 
whisper to you ;" and putting those sweet lips to my 
cheek, steal a filial kiss. I love to have them hang 
affectionately on my neck, and clamber up lovingly on 
my knee. How can so delectable a result be secured ? 
By reciprocating love with our wives while they are 
carrying these dear pledges of our love. 

But how it does annoy me to see children always 
picking, and snarling, and finding fault ! How their 
angry tones grate on my pained ear ! Behold, in these 
pages, the panacea of the one and the guarantee of the 
other. 

FEAR AND ANXIETY IN MOTHERS. 

Both the great maternal law under discussion, that 
the child takes on the EXISTING states of the mother's 
mind at this period, and also some of the specific facts 
already cited, prove that extreme solicitude and anxi- 
ety of mind on her part will unduly develop her off- 
spring's Cautiousness. I have seen children by thou- 
sands rendered so irresolute and cowardly as to be 
literally spoiled by excessive maternal anxiety. To 
detail cases where there are so many would almost 
mock our subject. They will be found every where, in 
any required abundance and aggravation. 

This state of mind is indeed most unfortunate a per- 
petual curse to its luckless victim. Then be entreated, 
mothers, not to indulge in yourselves a state of mind 
so foolish, and yet so self-torturing to them. To par- 
ticularize. 

You dread your prospective confinement. Every 
day and almost every hour you indulge this dread. 
12 



34 CHILDREN RENDERED INTELLECTUAL 

Why ? Does this lessen your prospective pains one jot 
or tittle ? Does it not increase them by unnerving your 
mind and body beforehand, instead of fortifying both 
against them? If these fears did the least good, you 
might have an excuse ; hut since their whole influence 
is evil, and only evil, anc. that continually, why indulge 
them ? Rather rise above them than succumb to them. 
" Take no thought for the morrow ; sufficient unto the 
day is the evil thereof." 

But there is a way of rendering parturition compara- 
tively easy, and never hazardous ; of which in its due 
place. Use these means, and you may anticipate your 
confinement with pleasure, instead of dreading it with 
pain. 

Nor let fears about husband, or children, or property, 
or any thing whatever disturb the placid flow of happy 
feeling. Especially, disperse these merely whimsical 
fears, that are as senseless as injurious, by offsetting 
them with cool reasoning. Rise above such nonsense 
by putting yourself into that exalted state already de- 
scribed. 

432. HOW TO ENDOW CHILDREN WITH SUPERIOR NATURAL 
INTELLECTS BEFORE BIRTH. 

Talents in children, next to goodness, are their father's 
joy and mother's "heart's desire." "What a world of 
pains do mothers take to render their children smart, 
and prodigies of learning ! The best of teachers and 
schools from three years old and upward are provided. 
And how many crowd their children into prematrre 
graves by so doing ? Yet listen to a far more effectual 
way to render y;>ur offspring intellectual prodigies. Let 
the bea':ing MOTHER study. This exercise of her intel- 



BY STUDIOUS MOTHERS. 135 

iect Will increase its amount in her for the time being, 
and of course enhance its flow to the child, in accord- 
ance with that great maternal law already presented, 
that every faculty of the mother's mind flows to the 
child in proportion to its existing abundance in her at 
this period. Innumerable and most striking illustrations 
of this law have fallen under the author's observation. 
The perpetual recurrence of FACTS observed in his ex- 
tensive professional practice from day to day, and year 
to year, for almost a quarter of a century, have forced 
him to believe this to be a law of child-bearing as much 
as to believe in his own existence. The admirer of 
Napoleon, already specified, is one of these cases. And 
this law is in perfect accordance with the entire facts 
and principles presented in this work. 

To one class of facts, illustrative of this law, yet not 
generally considered as such, special attention is invited 
to PRECOCIOUS children. I have never seen one that 
did not illustrate this principle. One case must serve 
for all. 

A most excellent doctress, while carrying her first 
child, was in daily and quite extensive practice receiv- 
ing patients instead of *isiting them and, being highly 
intelligent, brought a great amount of intellect to the 
analysis of her cases, in the treatment of her juvenile 
patients. Her child was a perfect prodigy. Its bright 
eyes would often tight its countenance with almost 
superhuman intelligence, and its capacities we v e indeed 
surprising. But its brain consumed its body, jt declin- 
ed, lingered, and finally died of brain fever ; not, how- 
ever, till its precocious brain had literally spent ttio 
entire energies of its system. 



130 DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLECT. 

THE ARITHMETICAL GIRL. 

To examine this subject in the light of specific facul- 
ties. Mrs. S was naturally averse to arithmetic, 

and very poor in Calculation this organ is small in her 
head and her husband was quite as deficient in this 
respect in both head and character. He failed in busi- 
ness at the east, and went west. Here his eyes failed 
him, so that he could not apply them to keeping books. 
His ambitious wife, determined to help him rise in the 
world, applied her whole mind to keeping his accounts, 
answering his letters, etc., and as they soon secured a 
large business, her calculation was perpetually employ- 
ed, for she kept his accounts in first-rate order. Mean- 
while, she gave birth to a fine daughter, who has a most 
extraordinary talent for computing numbers in her head, 
and acquiring arithmetic. 

Observe that both father and mother were POOR in 
figures, so that her superior calculating powers were 
not hereditary. From what source, then, could she 
have obtained them, but from the mother's vigorous 
EXERCISE of Calculation while carrying this arithmetical 
child ? Is not this cause adequate to this effect ? And 
ascribing it to this cause is in perfect keeping with all 
the laws, all the facts, set forth in this work. 

She also taught music at this period, and this daugh- 
ter is a splendid singer and performer on the piano, and 
often composes superior music impromptu. 

She also excels in composition. Though only nine 
years old, yet her letters are really beautifully indited. 
I speak from personal observation. This was doubtless 
exercised by her mother's answering all the letters, and 
doing all the writing of a large business. Indeed, tho 



COLBURN'S HISTORY. 13*7 

child has a splendid intellectual lobe, far superior to 
either of her parents, caused, doubtless, by the intense 
action of the mother's entire intellect at this period. 
The case of a son, born soon after, and carried under 
similar circumstances, is almost equally proof of the 
maternal law that the vigorous EXERCISE of maternal 
intellect as a whole, or of any special intellectual faculty, 
during pregnancy, will render the exercised faculties 
far more powerful BY NATURE in children than in their 
parents. Neither of these children took after either of 
their parents, yet the natural talents of both bear a close 
resemblance to the states of the MOTHER'S mind during 
their carriage. 

ZERA COLBURN'S FCETAL HISTORY. 

In 1843, I visited the native place of this greatest of 
modern calculators and natural arithmeticians. A Mrs. 
Grimes knew his mother well, and related the following 
fact touching her state of mind before his birth : She 
obtained her living in part by weaving figured cloths, 
such as diaper, and other like work. This required a 
great exercise of calculation, for she often invented and 
copied new figures. But she undertook one figure 
which troubled her exceedingly. For several days, she 
tried, and kept trying, to work out the problem, but in 
vain, till she was on the point of giving it up wholly. 
It even kept her awake nights, so intent was she on 
studying it out. At length, one night, after laying 
awake the whole night, she solved the problem, which 
was to the effect that so many threads woven thus, and 
so many more woven thus, etc., would bring the requir- 
ed figure. She arose in the morning, without having 
12* 



138 RENDERING CHILDREN INTELLIGENT. 

slept a single wink during the night, and wove the figure 
at once, without any difficulty, because she had, during 
the night, deciphered it all out in her head. 

Meanwhile she was pregnant with this arithmetical 
prodigy, which, in his day, astonished the entire civilized 
world. Attention was first drawn to his wonderful 
arithmetical powers by his often standing, before he was 
three years old, and saying to himself, "So many of 
this, and so much of that, make so much of the other.'' 
That is, he showed not only extraordinary arithmetical 
powers, but of THAT PARTICULAR SPECIES which his 
mother exercised so vigorously before his birth. 1 
think her study occurred within about two months of 
his birth. 

Mrs. Pendleton, in her Parents' Guide and Child- 
birth made Easy a work written by a mother to 
mothers, and deserving extensive circulation gives the 
following facts in point : 

" The mother was past forty years of age, of an en- 
ergetic temperament, active habits, and self-educated. 
For some months previous to the birth of her fifth child, 
sh had become a convert to the belief in the transmission 
of mental and moral qualities. To test the truth of this 
belief, she exercised her own mental powers to their full 
extent. She attended the lectures of the season, both 
literary and scientific ; read much, but such works only 
as tend to exercise and strengthen the reasoning faculties 
and improve the judgment the domestic and foreign 
reviews, history, biography, etc. She was also engaged 
in the active duties of a large family, in which she found 
full sccpe for the exercise of the moral sentiments, but 
never allowed any thing to disturb the equanimity of 
her temper. When her time came, she was in labor 



OBJECTION ANSWERED. 139 

two days ; al her suffering, however, was forgotten at 
the birth of a son, with a head of the finest form, firm 
est quality, and largest size with the reflecting organs 
of a Bacon, and the moral ones of a Melancthon. A 
head, in short, on which nature had written, in charac- 
ters too legible to be misunderstood, strength, power, 
and capability ; and of whom it is already said, ' He is 
the youngest of his family, but will soon become its 
head.' 

" But it may be said, the number of women is small 
who would be willing to encounter the extra pains and 
perils of childbirth, induced by the training of the last 
example. To such we can only say, that when they 
discover the minds of their children to be ' unstable a? 
water,' with scarcely understanding enough to distin- 
guish good from evil, and not firmness of character 
sufficient to pursue any steady course through life, in 
the anxiety and unhappiness which such conduct occa- 
sions, they must reap the punishment of their own want 
of moral and physical courage, at the time when the 
exercise of those qualities would have been transmitted 
by them to their offspring. It is, however, my firm 
conviction, that if women would study the structure 
of their own bodies, and the functions of its different 
organs, and acquire some knowledge of the principles 
of obstetrics, they might escape a great portion of the 
present dangers and sufferings of childbirth ; but in the 
present system of female education, that branch of 
knowledge which would enable them to raise a family 
of healthy children with success, appears to be most 
neglected. 

" ' There is no question,' says Dr. Elliotson, ' that the 
cultivation of any organ or power of the parent will 



140 MOTHER'S STATES OF MIND. 

dispose to the production of offspring improved in the 
same particular.' 

"'It is well known,' says Walker, on Intermarriage, 
that the whelps of well-trained dogs are. almost at 
birth, more fitted for sporting purposes than others. 
The most extraordinary and curious observations of this 
kind have been made by Mr. Knight, who, in a paper read 
to the Royal Society, showed that the communicated 
powers were not of a vague or general kind, but that 
any particular art or trick acquired by the animals was 
readily practiced by their progeny without the slightest 
instruction.' 

" ' It was impossible to hear that interesting paper 
without being deeply impressed by it. Accordingly 
in taking a long walk afterward for the purpose of 
reflecting upon the subject, it forcibly struck me, that 
the better education of women was of much greater 
importance to their progeny than is imagined ; and in 
calling on Sir Anthony Carlisle, on my return, to speak 
of the paper and its suggestions, he mentioned to me a 
very striking corroboration of this conclusion. 

" * He observed, that many years since an old school- 
master had told him that in the course of his persona, 
experience he had observed a remarkable difference in 
the capacities of children for learning, which was con- 
nected with the education and aptitude of their pa- 
rents ; that the children of people accustomed to arith- 
metic, learned figures quicker than those of differently 
educated persons ; while the children of classical scho- 
lars more easily learned Latin and Greek ; and that 
ix>twithstanding a few striking exceptions, the natural 
dullness of children born of uneducated parents was 
proverbial.' " 



APPLICATION. 141 

Other examples of the cultivation of other faculties in 
ihe mother during pregnancy, as rendering these facul- 
ties stronger in offspring than in their parents, might be 
adduced; but is not this law too apparent to require fur- 
thei proof or enforcement? What intelligent mind can 
examine this subject, in the light of either its facts or 
principles, without the full conviction of its truth ? 

And if one intellectual or moral faculty can be in- 
creased in the child by being exercised in the mother, 
all can. This period, so frequently employed through- 
out the work, applies here with its greatest power, 
because this is the great point of character. 

And now, mothers, behold in this law the possibility 
and the MEANS of endowing your children, either with 
any specific talent, or with superior natural talents as a 
whole. To render your prospective children musical, 
or mathematical, or eloquent, or literary, or methodical, 
or deep reasoners, or superior composers, or authors, or 
editors, or wits, or critics, or mechanics, or poets, or 
naturalists, etc., you have only vigorously to EXERCISE 
the faculties required by these callings in yourselves 
before their birth. And I appeal to you to say whethei 
a knowledge of this fact is not of INCALCULABLE value 
Will you not be persuaded to study it in its various 
ramifications, and apply it to the augmentation of the 
alents and morals of your children ? 

433. SECURING BALANCE IN OFFSPRING. 

To one application of this law, special attention is 
invited. Many children are just about spoiled, not for 
want of talents, or morals, but for want of BALANCE of 
faculties. They lack HARMONY of character, and CON 
BISTENCY of judgment. Their opinions are one-sided. 



142 SECURE BALANCE. 

and conduct improper, because some faculties are too 
strong and others too weak. They are full of imper 
fections, and effectually crippled and marred throughout 
their whole being, because of these constitutional dis- 
tortions, inherited from their parents. 

Mothers, have you no such idiosyncrasies ? You 
are not as likely to see them as others ; yet are you 
not SENSIBLE of having many faults ? And would 
you transmit these faults to your prospective offspring, 
if it were possible to avoid it ? Behold, in this mater- 
nal law, the MEANS of rendering your future CHIL- 
DREN far more perfect than yourselves. Are you ren- 
dered imperfect and unhappy by excess of Cautious- 
ness by groundless fears and halting procrastination ? 
You have only to fortify yourself, at this period, against 
these fears, and at the same time to cultivate resolution 
and courage, and your offspring will not be cursed with 
so weakening a predisposition. Are you excessively 
fond of praise, or property, or deficient in devotion, or 
taste, or memory, or conversational powers, or Causal- 
ity, or Tune, or any faculty of mind whatever ? Be? 
hold in this law the means of supplying these defects, 
and obviating these excesses in your prospective off- 
spring. 

What you require to do, then, is this : Learn from 
Phrenology which of your talents are too weak, and 
ASSIDUOUSLY CULTIVATE them at this period. A phreno- 
logical and physiological examination of yourselves, 
with special reference to this point, would be of incal- 
culable service to you. And the author may yet con- 
clude to append a table to this work, with a. view of 
facilitating the marking of a maternal chart, by way 
of directing mothers what faculties given individuals 



REGIMEN AT DIFFERENT STAGES. 143 

should more especially cultivate in themselves, in ordei 
to the perfection of the offspring. 

But while expounding this maternal law, and in order 
to its complete impressment, let us take a little broader 
view, and develop a law of foetal formation, more prac- 
tically important to mothers, as showing them how they 
should manage themselves at this period, than any other. 

THE REGIMEN REQUIRED AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF ADVANCEMENT. 

To state as well as illustrate this law by facts. In 
Watertown, N. Y., the author saw a child, whose looks, 
actions, and shape of head, bore a close resemblance to 
those of the monkey. The organs at the root of the 
nose were immense ; Causality was wanting, Approba- 
tiveness and the animal region were large, and the head 
sloped back from the perceptive organs to the crown 
of the head, except at Imitation, which was large ; and 
the first position the child attempted was to catch hold 
of the table or any thing else, and SWING EY THE HANDS, 
analogous to the monkey's climbing with its hands. 
Some three months before the birth of this child, the 
mother visited a menagery, and was particularly im- 
pressed with a fine monkey, which so engrossed hei 
attention, that she could not keep her eyes from it, and 
it appeared equally interested in her. Wh?it struck me 
most, was the resemblance of the child's head and 
PHRENOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS to those of the monkey, 
they being only those of the monkey enlaced ; with 
which, also, its CAST OF MIND harmonized. 

A young woman called at our office for p\ete*sional 
examination. Her head was very large, au.i brain 
extremely active, while her body was weak and health 
poor. Her mind was so far above the common pin of 



1 14 HuGIMEN EEaUIRBD 

her associates, that they failed utterly to appreciate her 
and she felt no sympathy with them. She therefore lea 
a miserable life, because, first, she was on a mental plane 
so far above those about her, and secondly, because she 
had so great a preponderance of brain over body. Her 
case interested my sister so deeply, that she requested 
her to call again, to talk over her state of mind, with a 
view of suggesting some remedy. She called, and on 
my sister's inquiry, " What age was your mother at 
your birth ?" was answered, FORTY-SIX. This solved the 
problem. Her mother had become so MENTAHZED to 
coin a new word by age, as to have imparted to her far 
too much mind for her body ; yet this was not the case 
with her other children, because the mother's mind had 
not yet predominated so much over her body as now. 

A range of converse facts bearing on this point is to 
this effect, that " the youngest children are generally the 
smartest." The reason is, that since the animal is rela- 
tively stronger in youth than in mature age, and since 
children take on the respective qualities of parents exist- 
ing in the latter when the former received being and 
character, of course the eldest children, born while their 
parents were yet wild, rattle-brained, frolicksome, impul- 
sive, and swayed by various animal passions, are more 
animal and less intellectual and moral than the younger 
children, who are born after the higher faculties of their 
parents have assumed the reins of government. 

About ten miles southeast of Adams, N. Y., the author 
saw an idiotic girl, who talked, walked, and acted every 
way like a drunken person. The father, in accounting 
for it, said, that about three or four months before the 
birth of this child, as he and his wife were riding home 
on horseback, in the dusk of the evening, she became 



AT DIFFERENT STAGES. 145 

very much frightened, and thrown almost into an hys- 
teric fit, by seeing a drunken man by the side of the 
road have a fit, in which he lay and rolled back and 
forth, from head to foot. The first position into which 
this child was known to put itself, was to throw itself 
on its back, and roll back and forth, exactly like this 
drunkard. She walked like him, talked like him, and 
looked like him. On examining her head, I found large 
Cornbativeness, Destructiveness, Self-Esteem, Firmness, 
and perceptive and social organs, but small Causality, 
Comparison, Benevolence, Veneration, Conscientious- 
ness, Hope, Marvelousness, and Ideality an organiza- 
fion which harmonized entirely with her character. 

Dr. Kimball, of Sackett's Harbor, showed me a lad 
having a splendid intellectual lobe, whose mother was 
called, by the sickness of her husband, to leave her na- 
.ive village and go to New- York. On arriving there, 
she found him convalescent, and, being there, she staid 
some time, to visit the city, with which she was delight- 
ad immeasurably, and of which she often spoke after 
her return. Seeing so much of the world, and of men 
and things that were new to her, seemed to give to her 
mind a new start, and the child, born four months after, 
was prodigiously smart, and had a towering intellectual 
lobe. Other facts, of a similar bearing, might be stated 
in any required abundance, but these will suffice to illus- 
trate our principle, which is, that during the first four 
or five months of gestation, the PHYSICAL system, and 
the PROPENSITIES AND FERCEPTivEs, take their size and 
tone, but that the MENTAL apparatus, and with it the 
REASONING AND MORAL faculties, are formed, and their 
size adjusted, AFTER THE FIFTH MONTH. Hence, during 
the first portion of gestation, mothers should take much 
13 



146 MATERNAL REGIMEN RECiU 

sxercise, and keep up a full supply of physical vigor 
the materials then most demanded by the embryo but 
that, after the fifth or sixth month, or while the TOP of 
the child's brain is forming, they should study mi ch, 
and have their moral faculties called out in a special 
manner, so as to furnish an abundance of these materials 
at the time when they are in greatest demand by the 
child. 

This theory is supported by the following concurrent 
testimony : First, when causes like those mentioned 
above, arrest or retard the growth of the foetus, about 
or before the sixth month, the PROPENSITIES AND PER- 
CEPTIVES are found fully developed, while the coronal 
region is small ; and the reverse results from opposite 
conditions. 

Secondly, by the formation and growth of the brain, 
from first to last. At first, its BASE only is developed, 
and it forms, not all its parts equally, but its base FIRST, 
to which is added layer after layer, UPWARD AND FOR- 
WARD, as it becomes more and more developed. The 
skull, at birth, is also much larger, relatively, at its base 
than at its crown, but the top of it grows much faster, 
relatively, AFTEB. birth, than he base; and it is devel- 
oped, not proportionally and simultaneously in all its 
parts, but most coronally and anteriorally. 

Thirdly. The mentality is successively developed in 
harmony with the same law. The animal passions are 
much stronger in children than in adults, because the 
reciprocal relation existing between the body and the 
PROPENSITIES is much more intimate and powerful than 
that existing between the body and the coronal region. 
Hence, during childhood and youth, while the body is 
most vigorous, the reasoning and moral faculties make 



AT DIFFERENT STAGES. 147 

poor headway against Acquisitiveness, Combativeness, 
Destructiveness, Appetite, etc.; in middle age, both the 
basilar and the coronal region are strong, but as age 
advances and the body wanes, the mental and more 1 
gain rapidly on the animal, overtake them, subject them, 
and pass them, causing men to take their highest plea- 
sure in things that partake of a moral and intellect- 
ual cast. Hence, children rarely feel the importance 
of study, till they are fifteen, because intellect is yet 
immature ; but, taking a new start about that period, it 
wakes up to a new existence, and progresses more in 
acquiring knowledge, extending and deepening the range 
of thought, and studying into first principles in a year, 
than the whole time before ; and, as the bodily vigor 
decreases, mental power and energy increase. Milton 
began to rear his eternal monument of fame, " Paradise 
Lost," when fifty-seven, and old and decrepit at that ; 
and most works of genius, the chief merit of which 
depends on clearness and power of thought, have been 
wiitten by men whose physical powers, and with them 
their animal propensities were waning, and whose re- 
maining energy, therefore, was consumed by their core 
nal region. 

And death itself illustrates this principle, by extinguish- 
ing the fires of ANIMAL PASSION first, and letting those 
of the intellect and the moral sentiments go out last ; 
thereby rendering our descent to the grave much less 
painful than if torn from life and its pleasures, while the 
APPETITE for them retained all its former energy, at 
the same time that it prepares us for that great MORAL 
change sought by the truly good, in which the moral 
sentiments shall maintain complete sway over the 
propensities a principle rich in philosophic beauty 



148 MATERNAL REGIMEN RtttUIRED 

and most beneficial in all its multifarious bearings on 
the happiness of man, but more fully demonstrated in 
the author's work on " Education and Self-Improve- 
ment." 

To repeat, then, with emphasis, let the MORAL SENTI- 
MENTS AND INTELLECT of the mother be called into 
habitual and vigorous exercise, during the latter stages 
of pregnancy, by books, lectures, and agreeable con- 
versation and associations, attending meetings, etc., and 
let every thing calculated to vex her, or excite her pro- 
pensities, or disturb her equanimity and serenity of 
mind, be removed, and her condition rendered as agree- 
able, as wholesome, and as happy as possible. And let 
husbands remember, that in this one respect merely, 
they owe a most important duty to their wives and 
their posterity. " Be ye wise." 

In summing up this whole subject of the states of the 
mother during pregnancy, as affecting her children, both 
physically and mentally, let me beseech prospective 
mothers to STUDY it thoroughly in all its complicated 
ramifications. All contemplated in this work, is to de- 
velop some of the FUNDAMENTAL LAWS which govern 
the maternal relations, so as thereby to put you upon 
the track of observation and reflection. So far from 
having exhausted this theme, I have only just opened it. 
A world of detail remains for ycu individually to search 
out and apply according to the maternal defects of each 
mother, and to the virtues and capabilities with which 
each would endow each child. And remember, that 
" every LITTLE helps" that even trifling improvements 
in yourself will stamp the inner nature of your child 
the more favorably. Let mothers talk over this whole 
subject among themselves, and exchange experiences 



A 7 DIFFERENT STAGES. J49 

and suggestions. Especially, let them instruct their 
DAUGHTERS and YOUNG female friends. Put young wo- 
men upon the look out, so that when they come to fulfill 
these relations, they may be already informed what re- 
gimen in them will secure the best children. As this 
child-bearing function is the ONE GREAT destiny of wo- 
man, so the study of its conditions is the PARAMOUNT 
study of all women, young and old at least, till they 
are past bearing. And what study is equally important, 
in itseJf, or appropriate to the female sex ? 

434. APPEAL TO MOTHERS. 

And now, mothers, behold the length, and breadth, 
and sweep of this law ; and while you behold, tremble 
in view of the infinite power for good it puts into your 
hands. Tremble ? rather exult. Let your souls leap 
for joy, in view of the potential influence placed by this 
law at your disposal. You prize your children beyond 
all expression or conception. Your souls are bound up 
with theirs, in all the intensity of maternal yearnings. 
It would give you pleasure to be rich, to be fashionable, 
to be praised, to be comfortable in this world's goods, 
but no other thing not every thing else combined 
would pour into your soul a perfect overflowing of joy 
as rich, or pleasure as delightful, as would angelic chil- 
dren. Sweet, amiable, and affectionate pure in their 
morals, refined in their tastes, quick and correct in all 
their mental operations, adorned with every virtue, 
marred with no defects, and as happy as angels would 
not everyday and hour, jvery manifestation of excellen- 
cies, thrill through your whole soul, and render you PER- 
FECTLY happy ? Bear this in mind, that while most of 
the other pleasures of life are temporary, and can be 
13* 



150 APPEAL TO MOTHERS. 

enjoyed only at particular seasons, the delightful emo- 
tions awakened in the parental bosom by magnificent 
children are perpetual. Every day, every hour, en- 
hances them. Every look you cast in their sweet, 
beautiful faces, every bright scintillation of their quick, 
free intellects, every exercise of the heavenly virtues, 
renews your pleasure. Flowers give us pleasure, food 
gives us pleasure, friends give us pleasure, pictures 
give us pleasure, doing good gives us pleasure, so does 
doing well. Music, poetry, knowledge, conversation, 
thought, wit all our faculties give us pleasure ; but 
there is something in the feelings which a tender mo- 
ther cherishes for the child of her own flesh and blood, 
which she has carried, borne, nursed, and cared for 
from darling infancy there is a concentrated joy grow- 
ing out of a mother's relations to her child, by which 
superior children confer on their mothers the very acme 
of bliss. 

On the contrary, nothing will aggravate a mother's 
feelings as deeply, and as perpetually, as children that 
are cross-grained, ultra, imbecile, cunning, and selfish. 
Mothers, have you ever duly considered this point ? 
And now that your attention is called to it, revolve it 
over in your minds. Is any pain, any sacrifice, which 
will improve the original stamp of your children, too 
great to make, by way of conferring this source of 
pleasure on yourselves ? For your own sake mere- 
ly as a matter of selfish interest what can you do, 
throughout the whole course of your lives, which will 
confer more and more exalted happiness upon your- 
selves ? 

But you are not the only ones to be blessed by good, 
and cursed by bad children . To say nothing of the 



THEIR COMMISSION. 151 

Happiness of your husbands, and society at large 
points which involve a great amount of happiness 
consider for a moment the bearing of this momentous 
t aw on the destinies of your children themselves. It is 
left for you to decide, whether your children are to be 
cursed with a malignant disposition, or blessed with a 
happy one whether they are to be the indwelling ol 
any or all the virtues, or of any or all the vices, and 
which. And, what is more, you are COMPELLED to de- 
cide this matter. Willing or unwilling, you are obliged 
to stamp upon your prospective offspring the impress 
of goodness and talents on the one hand, or sinfulness 
and misery on the other. It is not one of those matters 
which can receive the go-by. A NECESSITY exists. If 
you do not determine this matter for yourselves, you 
must determine it by leaving it to its own course. 
And oh, with what ecstasy of maternal joy should you 
hail this ordinance of nature ! Look behold ! heaven 
opens a commission is sent down from the august 
courts of eternity, directed and delivered to you in your 
own persons, conferring on you the highest prerogative 
of heaven that of bearing good or bad children, as 
you will, and possessed of just such kinds of goodness 
or badness as you please. As rulers and presidents are 
empowered to form their own cabinets, so you are both 
empowered and commanded to form the cabinet of your 
children's mentality. And infinitely does your power 
exceed that of kings and courts ; and if any thing on 
earth should fill you with joy, surely this should. An- 
gels might fe^" themselves infinitely honored to fulfill 
} mir maternal commiss/^n. to wield the destiny you 
wield to form immortal spirits into whatever image 
they chose-. What other ends of life are not the merest 



152 APPEAL 71 MOTHERS. 

trifles when compared with this ? Should you not con- 
centrate, in this grand function of the female, every 
energy of your being? Should you not, all the way up 
from girlhood, have a ' single eye" to this, your para- 
mount duty and destiny ? Should you not make every 
possible preparation, before these relations overtake 
you, to fulfill them aright when they do come ? Prepa- 
ration for maternity should not this be the grand pre- 
paration of every young woman before marriage, and 
its fulfillment "the one thing needful" after marriage ? 
Now, the WEDDING is the great object of our young wo- 
men. They put forth every energy to secure this object, 
until it is attained ; and after the great nuptial day is 
appointed, what hurrying, and bustling, and buying, and 
fixing, and sewing, and worrying ! If a king were about 
to visit them, that would be the merest trifle, compared 
with the advent of this, their earthly Messiah. Every 
thing else must give way. This must be, not first among 
equals, but the VERY first. Yet the wedding day, and eve-n 
the marriage itself, is only the outside gate to this splendid 
mansion of woman's being. But for maternity, matrimony 
would be a comparative trifle to woman ; and as many 
thousand times more pains, and labors, nnd expenses should 
be incurred, in fitting out this paradisiacal mansion, than 
in constructing this outside gate, so every young wo- 
man, from the first dawn of womanhood, should make it 
her labor of all labors, her preparation of all prepara- 
tions, her anticipation of all anticipations, her end of all 
ends, her alpha and omega, her internal and external, 
her all and in all. her very life nnd soul, to fit herself for 
discharging these maternal relations. And after she hag 
entered the gate of marriage, and has enthroned herself 
and been enthroned l^v her husband, qu^en of this ma- 



THEIR EXALTED OFFICE. 153 

tcrnal palace, oh, how should every energy of her being 
be directed and expended upon the formation of that 
dear prospective spirit that germ of humanity that 
son or daughter of God himself that image, and like- 
ness, and embodiment of divinity ! She is called upon 
to become a co worker with the Creator of the human 
mind and soul. He places the materials of humanity at 
her disposal, and requires her to work them up into such 
human subjects as she may choose. He has ordained 
the maternal laws, and extolled her as their executor. 
He has done all that even a God COULD do, to enable 
every human mother to bring forth perfect human be- 
ings. He commands them, in the name of this maternal 
law, and entreats them by all the yearnings of a mother's 
love, to endow their offspring with all that is lovely, all 
that is noble, and all that is great, while He adjures 
them, by the same means, not to corrupt their pure 
spirits with wrangling passions, nor cripple them with 
intellectual or moral incapacity. Awake, O prospec- 
tive mothers, from this ignorance, and stupidity, and 
foolery of the past, to the exalted destiny thus imposed 
upon you ! Long enough oh, too long have you tri- 
fled away your time, and your feelings your whole 
souls in chasing this phantom, Fashion, than which no- 
thing could equally unfit you for bearing fine children ! 
Satan himself, aided and abetted by all his privy coun- 
cilors of malignity, could not have devised or executed 
a system of female education, and habits, and associa- 
tions every way, as utterly ruinous to the health, as de- 
praving to the morals, as deteriorating to the intellect, 
as that system imposed on woman by the fashions, and 
pursued by our middling and upper-classed females, as 
if it werf the only real object of life. What we have 



154 APPEAL 1C MOTHERS. 

said about tight-lacing, illustrates this remark in one 
particular, and nearly every thing which fashionable 
females essay to do or become, is of the same child- 
ruining piece. How long shall these things be ? How 
long shall women spoil themselves, spoil their issue, and 
spoil the rjace, just to be fashionable? How long shall 
woman waste her whole being on these insignificant 
nonentities, when such momentous destinies are hers to 
wield ? If woman's office in the economy of nature 
were insignificant, this expending of her time, her mo- 
ney, her very self, in ribboning, and padding, and bus- 
tling, and curling, and painting, and flirting, and playing 
fool, might pass unrebuked ; but since she fills an office 
more exalted, and wields destinies rr.ore momentous 
than archangels, what earthly language can express her 
folly or her guilt ? If to bury one small talent is wick- 
ed, oh, how awfully criminal to turn such a talent to 
such a use ! Girls, young women, bearing women 
woman as a sex do be persuaded, entreated, implored 
to learn, and then fulfill your maternal duties and des- 
tiny. Our world is soon to be regenerated the decree 
has gone forth the millennium, ordained from everlast- 
ing, is at hand. But a little longer is our world to be 
scourged with physical suffering, so universal, so aggra- 
vated, with intellect so crippled and distorted, with vices 
so many and so monstrous, with all the godlike capabili- 
ties of humanity thus perverted and depraved. Words 
utterly fail to express either the inherent capabilities and 
perfections of humanity, as it came from the hand of its 
Maker, or it* present state of corruption and distortion. 
But the regenerating process has commenced. Repub- 
licanism in this country opened the first seal. It snap- 
ped the fetters, in which the human mind and body had 



WHAT THE RACE DEMANDS OF THEM. 155 

been bound from the first. It begat a spirit of scrutiny 
and inquiry, which is eventuating in the rejection of 
man-destroying errors and application of man-improving 
truths. It set the mighty car of human improvement, 
freighted with every conceivable facility of human hap- 
piness, in rapid motion. It snatched the French crown 
from its ignoble wearer, "and a nation was born in a day." 
Republicanism, and with it the highest happiness of the 
mighty many, is now the world's irrevocable destiny. 
Heretofore, society has not been in a fit state to render 
highly-organized human beings happy. Too much sick- 
ness and vice too many graters of all the finer suscep- 
tibilities of our nature have every where abounded, to 
allow a high order of human beings to enjoy themselves, 
because there was so much more to lacerate their keen, 
pure, delicate susceptibilities, and torture high-toned 
moral feeling, and outrage correct and powerful intel- 
lectual perceptions, than to gratify those thus exquisitely 
organized. But this will soon have passed away for- 
ever. Society will soon be in a state to delight, instead 
of torturing, those thus delicately constituted. What 
we therefore now require, is highly-organized children, 
adapted to this progress of the race, and calculated to put 
it upon a still higher pinnacle of goodness and happiness. 
And you, prospective mothers, must furnish them. To 
you you ALONE we look. From no other source can 
this, the great salvation come. Others can carry forward 
other departments of human reform and improvement. 
The temperance reform, and prison reform, and govern- 
mental reform the social, religious, educational, and 
other reforms will be vigorously prosecuted by others; 
but it remains for YOU to regenerate and purify the origi- 
nal stock of hunwnity to uproot the very germs of de- 



156 DELIVERY MADS EASY. 

pravity, and plant in their stead the seeds of virtue and 
talent. Oh, mothers, sleep no longer over this momen- 
tous subject. We implore you to render our earth 
again more lovely than Eden, and its occupants more 
holy and happy than those of Paradise. First, then, 
apply every energy of your being to the acquisition of 
light on this subject. Learn precisely what your des- 
tiny requires you to do, and then fulfill it. Address 
your whole selves, soul and body, to their fulfillment 
to the bringing forth and bringing up magnificent chil- 
dren and then proclaim these things to every prospec- 
tive mother whom you can possibly reach. Let your 
one passion be, not rich furniture, or fashionable dresses, 
but FINE CHILDREN, and a regenerated world will pour 
forth thank-offerings and hosannas, in their highest 
strains, here and hereafter, forever. 



SECTION IV. 

DELIVERY ITS PAINS LESSENED. 

435. SEVERE LABOR-PAINS UNNATURAL AND AVO1IABLB- 

Though the great thought of this book namely, rhat 
the states of the mother's mind and body before birth 
similarly affect offspring is now developed, so that we 
might with propriety here suspend it, yet a few general 
remarks on DELIVERY AND NURSING will doubtless enable 
prospective mothers to lighten materially those agonic 
ing pains too often consequent on childbirth, and relieve 
themselves o e man) of the burdens of nursing. Not 



SEVERE PAIN3 UNNECESSARY. 157 

unfrequently, these pains are more terribly severe than 
those of death itself, and in general, in civic life, they 
are indeed dreadful. 

But this is not the worst of it. The pains themselves 
do far less injury than the DREAD of them, because the 
former pass off with the mother's confinement, while the 
latter stamps the impress of fear and terror upon the 
PRIMITIVE CONSTITUTION of the child itself, which imbit- 
ters its whole life with indefinite apprehension of impend- 
ing calamity, when there is none. He who can essen- 
tially mitigate the pains and dread of parturition, will 
render incalculable service to mankind. 

But to dwell on the FACT of these pains, or on the in- 
jury they occasion mothers and children, is not our pur- 
pose, because they are too palpably apparent to require 
it. We therefore pass to the inquiry, 

ARE THEY NECESSARY ? 

Many think them ordained by God, and rendered 
inevitable by the fall. They interpret, " I will greatly 
multiply thy sorrow and thy conception : in sorrow 
shall thou bring forth children ;" as pronouncing special 
judgment upon Eve, and through her upon universal 
woman, for tempting Adam ; and hence infer that there 
is no obviating them. 

But is this opinion tenable ? Not at all ; either in the 
light of philosophy or fact. It is in direct conflict with 
both. How ungodly to sentence all women for one sin 
of one woman ! Or if the Deity should pass so unright- 
eous a sentence, would he not EXECUTE it? "Hath he 
said, and shall he not fulfill?" Since this sentence was 
passed upon all women ALIKE, of course {here is no 
absolute noed, as for as this sentence is concerned, that 
14 



158 DELIVERY MADE EASY 

one should suffer any more than another. If these labor- 
pains were really the fiat of the Almighty, would he be 
so doubly unjust as to impose, as a special judgment, so 
much MORE pain on one than on another ? And the 
fact that some have so easy a delivery, is positive 
proof that, in spite of this judgment, ALL might have as 
easy times as ANY now do. Sinct the labor-pains of 
some women are so trifling as not to be worthy of a 
second thought, therefore this sentence, passed upon 
those of easy delivery just as much as upon any others 
will not prevent EVERY woman from having .as easy a 
delivery as any woman that ever has lived or may live. 
This idea that women are COMPELLED to bear children 
in sorrow, is contrary to nature, disapproved by fact, 
and a practical libel on the character and government 
of God : nor can any reasonable construction be put 
upon this passage other than as simply declaring what 
was then a fact ; for if it curses woman with severe 
labor-pains, it curses ALL WOMEN EQUALLY, whereas 
some have but little pain, and a rapid recovery. 



NATURAL DELIVERY EASY. 



Though I do not believe in " childbirth without pain," 
yet I do believe that where nature is allowed her per- 
fect work, these pains will be too slight to deserve a 
moment's consideration, and especially to awaken pre- 
vious apprehension. One of my female friends says, she 
" rather bear a child than have a tooth drawn." I have 
seen many women who have done all their own nursing, 
and all the housework for their families during their 
confinement. How slight the sufferings of many Irish 
and German women at these times ! How many of 
them are up and about house the very next day ! 



l>i VIGOROUS HEALTH. 159 

Women in uncivilized life suffer still less, and recover 
even sooner. Dr. Rush, speaking of child-bearing 
among the Indians, says, " that nature is their only mid- 
wife ; their labors are short, and accompanied with little 
pain ; each woman is delivered in a private cabin, with- 
out so much as one of her own sex to attend her : after 
washing herself in cold water, she returns in a few days 
to her usual employment ; so that she knows nothing 
of those accidents which proceed from the carelessness 
or ill management of midwives or doctors, or the weak- 
ness which arises from a month's confinement." 

" The wonderful facility with which the Indian women 
bring forth their children," say Lewis and Clark, in their 
well-known journal, " seems rather some benevolent 
gift of nature, in exempting them from pains which their 
savage state would render doubly grievous, than any 
result of habit. One of the women who had been lead- 
ing two of our pack-horses, halted at a rivulet about a 
mile behind, and sent on the two horses by a female 
friend. On inquiring of one of the Indian men the cause 
of her detention, he answered, with great appearance 
of unconcern, that she had just stopped to lie-in, and 
would soon overtake us. In fact, we were astonished 
to see her in about an hour's time come on with her 
new-born infant, and pass us on her way to the camp, 
apparently in perfect health." 

Washington Irving, in his work entitled Astoria, re- 
lates a similar incident in the following language : "The 
squaw of Pierre Dorion (who, with her husband, was 
attached to a party traveling over the Rocky Moun- 
tains in winter-time, the ground being covered with 
several feet of snow) was suddenly taken in labor, and 
enriched her husband with another child. As the forti- 



160 DELIVERY MADE EASY 

tude and good conduct of the woman had gained for 
her the good will of the party, her situation caused con- 
cern and perplexity. Pierre, however, treated the mat- 
ter as an occurrence that could soon be arranged, and 
need cause no delay. He remained by his wife in the 
camp, with his other children and his horse, and pro- 
mised soon to rejoin the main body on their march. In 
the course of the following morning the Dorion family 
made its appearance. Pierre came trudging in advance, 
followed by his valued, though skeleton steed, on which 
was mounted his squaw with the new-born infant in her 
arms, and her boy of two years old wrapped in a blank- 
et, and slung on her side. The mother looked as un- 
concerned as if nothing had happened to her ; so easy 
is nature in her operations in the wilderness, when free 
from the enfeebling refinements of luxury and the tarn 
pering appliances of art." 

Mr. Laurence also tells us that " the very easy labors 
of Negresses, native Americans, and other women in a 
savage state, have been often noticed by travelers. 
This point is not explainable by any prerogative of 
physical formation, for the pelvis is rather smaller (by 
itself an unfavorable circumstance) in these dark-color- 
ed races, than in the European and other white people. 
Simple diet, constant and laborious exertion, give to 
these children of nature a hardiness of constitution, and 
exemption from most of the ills which afflict the indo- 
lent and luxurious females of civilized societies. In the 
latter, however, the hard-working women of the lower 
classes in the country, often suffer as little from child- 
birth as those of any other race." 

Stevens, speaking of the Araucanian Indians, says, 
that " a mother, immediately or. her delivery, takes her 



BY HEALTH. 161 

child, and, going down to the nearest stream ol water 
washes herself and it, and then returns to the labors of 
the station." 

That one cause of the easy delivery of these robust 
women is the small heads of their children, consequent 
on the deficient mentality of both parents, is undoubted; 
yet does not the larger chest and shoulders, consequent 
on the larger bones, muscles, and vital apparatus of 
these children of the forest, render their parturition as 
difficult, in itself, as the larger heads of the children of 
civilized life ? Is not the chief difference in the MOTHERS ? 
Is not. the great cause of these excessive pains of child- 
birth in the FEEBLENESS of civilized women, and the 
easy parturition of Irish, German, and Indian women, in 
the ROBUST HEALTH of the latter ? Its cause is not that 
woman in the higher walks of life is doomed to " bring 
forth in sorrow," but that she OUTRAGES EVERY PRINCIPLE 
OF HEALTH, from the very cradle. Else why this dif- 
ference against city ladies, as compared with healthy 
country women ? Though some robust women have 
hard times, and some sickly ones rather easy ones, be~ 
cause of the difference in their forms, the size of th 
father, and especially of his head, yet, in general, the 
more healthy any given woman, the more easy her de- 
livery, and as her health declines her labor becomes 
more painful and dangerous. 

Now I press the great fact here involved upon the 
observation and reflection of women, and submit whe- 
ther health does not lessen the pains of delivery, and 
feebleness of constitution aggravate them ? Remains 
there any doubt on this point ? Is it not founded in rea- 
son, and sustained by fact ? 

The general fact that health lessens labor-pains is too 
14* 



i62 DELIVERY RENDERED PAINFUL 

palpable to require proof, yet few realize to wnat EX- 
TENT these pains can be diminished, by observing the 
physiolog-cal laws. I can read in nature no ABSOLUTE 
NECESSITY for much pain. On the contrary, all hei 
functions are pleasurable ; and shall this form an exemp- 
tion ? Unless she has made provision for rendering 
this function more agreeable than painful, she has not 
been true to herself and her uniform laws. If even sav- 
ages, with all their necessary privations and exposures 
of health, can bear children with so little suffering, how 
much easier could civilized women, aided by all the 
lights of Anatomy and Physiology, render this opera- 
tion. The idea that civic life is necessarily detrimental 
to health, is preposterous. All the knowledge, property, 
advantages, every thing we possess over them, confer 
on us the MEANS of becoming more healthy than they. 
If we are not so, ours is the fault. 

CAUSES OF SEVERE AND DANGEROUS LABOR. 

Since, then, severe and dangerous labor is not the 
ordinance of nature, by what is it caused ? By those 

OUTRAGES OF THE LAWS OF LIFE AND HEALTH perpetrated 

by women in civilized life. And most of them are in- 
flicted by that tyrant goddess. FASHION. 

The injury done to children by tight-lacing, has al- 
ready been shown. Its aggravation of labor-pains is 
incalculable. It fills the whole system with fever and 
disease, and especially the female organs ; and than this, 
what could more effectually enhance all the pains and 
perils of child-bearing? It stifles heart, lungs, and 
stomach, and thus so exhausts the vital powers as to 
leave too small a supply of STRENGTH to carry the pa- 
lierit through this peri d. In conjunction with load- 



BY BAL PHYSICAL HABITS. 163 

ing the hips with enormous loads of surplus clothes, it 
relaxes and disorders the muscles employed in this func- 
tion, and aggravates the pains and dangers of parturi- 
tion beyond calculation. 

SEDENTARY HABITS. 

The want of fresh, invigorating air, the excessive 
warmth of our coal-heated rooms, the ruinous posture 
of seamstresses, and indeed of most of our women, the 
imperfect circulation, digestion, perspiration, and exer- 
cise of almost all American women, aggravate, in the 
most effectual manner possible, the sufferings of this 
period. It would not be possible to devise a course 
every way calculated to render labor dreadful and 
dangerous, as the habits of our women from the very 
cradle now are. Late hours, late rising, excessive in- 
tensity of feeling, bad eating, bare arms and necks 
thin shoes, refusal to labor, while the abdomen is made 
to sweat like rain with supernumerary skirts, and a 
thousand like enervating habits, completely ruin the 
constitution of our women, and they pay the dreadful 
forfeit in " the perils of childbirth." These and kindred 
causes disclose an effectual 

436. MODE OF OBVIATING LABOR-PAINS. 

ANIMAL VIGOR is the great guarantee against them. 
A powerful constitution will proportionally obviate all 
danger and lighten these pains, so that you can render 
this function more and still more easy in proportion as 
you improve your health. Observe, that this principle 
involves a complete remedy. 

Reference is no . now had tc 'mproving the health 



164 DELIVERY MADE EASY 

during pregnancy merely, but mainly during LIFE. The 
former will aid as far as it goes, yet this is the grand 
point we would rivet upon your minds. PROVIDE BE- 
FOREHAND against these pains by invigorating all the 
bodily functions. This provisionary process should be 
begun in girlhood, and continued till the child-bearing 
period ceases. The education of girls should be con- 
ducted with SPECIAL reference to this point. Since girls 
should be educated with primary reference to fitting 
them to bear fine children 418 , and since those very con- 
ditions of maternal health requisite to bear healthy 
children facilitate and lighten delivery, of course their 
education should include fitting them for easy delivery. 
But to canvass a few items. 

A VIGOROUS MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 

Already has the requisition for powerful muscles in 
mothers been pointed out as a means of endowing their 
offspring with a strong locomotive apparatus. This 
muscular system is the chief instrumentality by which 
delivery is effected. By what means is the child urged 
from its pent-up inclosure in the womb through that 
narrow pelvic orifice, and, in s>pite of all other obstruc- 
tions, forced into the world ? Solely by MU-SCULAR CON- 
TRACTION. Then, other things being equal, will not 
delivery be more and more easy, the more powerful 
these muscles ? 

And what is it that causes prolonged and difficult 
labor ? Mainly insufficiency of these muscles. They 
are too weak to expel the child. Yet, if allowed to 
remain, it would grow till too large to be expelled, so 
that nature labors and does her utmost, often for man/ 



BY A VIGOROUS MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 165 

long days and nights in succession, but in vain. Every 
labor-pain strains these muscles to their utmost tension, 
yet even then does not make progress. As a weak 
team, stuck with a heavy load, strains every nerve, yet 
each trial, while it still further exhausts, eaves the load 
as fast as before, so every pain fatigues these muscles, 
but fails to advance the child, and recourse must be had to 
that horrible alternative of artificial delivery by instru- 
ments ; whereas, if the mother's muscles had not been 
so weak, they would have controlled with such power 
as to have expelled the burden. Ninety-nine cases in 
every hundred of excessive labor-pains, are consequent 
on weak muscles or debilitated health in mothers. In- 
deed, EVERY case has one or both these causes. All 
nature's operations are PERFECT. Not one case in mil- 
lions not one from the beginning to the end of time 
would ever occur, if nature were allowed her perfect 
work. 

Wrong presentations may be cited as exceptions, yet 
they are not. Every single instance of wrong presen- 
tation is caused by some INTERFERENCE WITH NATURE, 
and can therefore be avoided by woman's observing 
the laws of nature. Who ever heard of them in unciv- 
ilized life, or among healthy Irish or German women ? 
But do they not occur most frequently in '' high life" 
among our fashionable LADIES ? Why ? Because they 
depart farthest from nature's requirements, and violate 
the laws of health most, whereas they might and should 
be the most healthy, because they enjoy the greatest 
advantages for promoting health. This wrong presen- 
tation is a natural consequence of abuse of health, and 
might be wholly avoided, unless this abuse were per- 
fectly outrageou? and long continued. 



166 DELIVERY MADE EASY 

What our women, what our girls require more than 
any thing else, by way of preparing them for easy de- 
livery, is VIGOROUS MUSCULAR EXERCISE, SUch as . llOUSC- 

work, gymnastic exercise, invigorating walks, rambling 
over hill and dale, and every thing calculated to develop 
their MUSCULAR systems. Not that I would make them 
mere kitchen drudges, but I would have them work 
right hard several hours daily, just for exercise and 
health, and this will do up all the housework really re- 
quisite to be done. Washing is excellent exercise. 
And every woman, in high life and low, who has not 
already ruined herself by fashionable indolence, should 
take right hold of hard work till comfortably tired ; for, 
besides developing her muscles, it will promote all her 
vital functions. 

Women should especially PLAY much. This is as 
natural to them as breathing rendered so in order to 
develop their muscular and vital powers. How strong 
this propensity in girls? Nor would it decrease, bu 
rather increase, in middle age, if women were not gen- 
erally crushed by unhappy marriages, the death of 
children, broken constitutions, etc. Nothing is more 
promotive of health, and therefore of easy delivery, as 
Well as of briskness and snap in children. 

Dancing, too, is most excellent exercise for girls and 
women. It may be excessive, or unreasonable, and 
therefore injurious ; but properly practiced, nothing is 
better. Oh, I do wish some of this prim, sedate, stiff- 
jointed, inert, ladified, starched-up artificiality, could be 
shook out of our women ! They think they must be 
iust so exact, and precise, and citified must check 
every rising of that wild, free, frolicksome disposition so 
constitutional in girls must always ride in spring and 



1IGET FEMALE EDUCATION 167 

covered carriages must never be caught climbing 
fences, or ranging fields, or at work in the kitchen- 
must rarely laugh, but only smile must restrain all the 
gushing sympathies of their nature and must be pas- 
sive nonentities, except in fine sewing and on the piano. 
Oh, I abominate this strait-jacket restriction, under which 
our women are brought up, because it ruins them as 
mothers, and enhances all the sufferings of childbirth. 
It just about spoils them. Come, women, snap these 
fashionable restraints, and give yourselves that freedom 
so promotive of the specific functions of your sex 418 . 
Do take exercise. Suit yourselves as to the what, how, 
and when, but take exercise in some form, and a great 
amount of it. This will so strengthen your muscles, that 
when you come to your accouchement, your uterine and 
abdominal muscles will play their part to perfection, so 
.hat a few efficient pains will deliver you. 

437. DEVELOPING THE MUSCLES OF GIRLS. 

And you who have these dreadful times, be entreated 
not to put your girls into the way of suffering in like 
manner, by confining them within doors, and bringing 
them up so very delicately and fashionably. I have al- 
ready discussed the necessity of girls taking muscular 
exercise, in order to develop their vital apparatus but 
I now urge it on the ground of its LIGHTENING THE PAINS 
OF DELIVERY. Make them work, and work HARD. For- 
bid them sitting much for the purpose of sewing, music, 
study, or any thing else. Keep them much out of doors. 
Supply them with small hoes, spades, and hatchets, that 
they may cultivate flowers, gardens, shrubbery, etc., 
and learn the use of tools ; and "allow them to scale 
fences and climb trees. Only give them a chance, and 



168 DELIVERY MADE EASY. 

they will find ways and means to take exercise in any 
required abundance, and this will guarantee them a safe 
and easy delivery. 

The entire system of female education is fundamen- 
tally wrong, and MUST be remodeled. Girls must be 
taught THINGS more, and books less must be SHOWH 
NATURE, and be educated ON FOOT, instead of being con- 
fined to the school-house and the piano. Make them 
children of nature, not of art. Let them be girls till 
twenty, nor once think about rendering themselves at- 
tractive by dress or starched-up manners. Develop 
their BODIES FIRST, and this will give them clear and 
strong minds, as well as obviate all the perils and most 
of the pains of childbirth. Oh, when will the true nature 
of woman be understood and developed by education I 
May this book aid the result. 

438. THE MIDWIFE'S OFFICE. 

My remarks here shall be brief, but pertinent. Let 
NATURE do all, and art " stand silent by." All noise, 
and bustle, and parade, have a most injurious influence 
on the mother's mind, and thus retard delivery, by awa- 
kening her fears. Making a great ado does no sort of 
good does not promote delivery one iota but it does 
excite the mother's fears, and unnerve her, and this ren- 
ders her labor far less efficient and speedy. 

The mother's first requisite at this period, is RESOLU- 
TION. She should be encouraged to grapple with her des- 
n'ny with the spirit and determination of a heroine. She 
should feel that she CAN AND WILL discharge her burden, 
and that without any great difficulty. Instead of break- 
ing down under it, and feeling, " Oh, I never can get 
through and live," she should enter right into the spirit 



DIKECTIGX3 TO MIDWIVES. 169 

of it, as though it must be done, and the .wore energeti- 
cally she takes hold of it, the sooner and more easily 
she can dispatch it. The assistance afforded by a cour- 
ageous state of mind is incalculable. It renders every 
spasm far more efficient than it would be without such 
mental aid. She should bear down upon herself, and 
strain with a strong mental determination to expel her 
load. 

But if she sink under labor, it will be far more painful 
and protracted, because the muscles will be in exactly 
the state of a man lifting at a load which he thinks far 
beyond his strength. "I can't," always palsies ; "I can 
and I will," always nerves and propels. Incalculably 
can mothers promote easy and successful delivery, by 
this spirit of determination and courage. And all the 
influences that surround them should be of this nerving, 
encouraging, inspiring aspect. 

Every attendant and they should be few, and of the 
right stamp should be cool, calm, quiet, perfectly self- 
possessed, and enter into the operation as though they 
would speed it onward. But all this flying from room 
to room, and fussing, and fixing, and preparing, and 
bustling about, flusters the mother and retards delivery. 
Two or three immediate attendants are all-sufficient on 
ordinary occasions. It may perhaps be well to have 
others within call, yet in almost all cases, the less done 
the better. Nature must do ALL. Let her have her 
perfect work, and it will be well done But all inter- 
ference is very bad for both mother and child. The 
simple fact that artificial delivery is so extremely diffi- 
cult, and access to the child by way of pulling it into 
the world so almost impossible, as well as detrimental 
to the brain and mind of the child, is admonition positive 
15 



170 DELIVERY MADE EASY 

to leave this ir.itter to NATURE. And every honest ac- 
coucheur will bear the witness that all common cases 
should be left wholly to nature, and that meddling with 
uncommon cases only makes them worse. Instrumen- 
tal delivery ought never, need never, be resorted to. 
It is an outrage on mother and child, and may ALWAYS 
be avoided by a due preparation of the mother before- 
hand. 

" But," it is asked, " after nature has done all she can 
and the final crisis has come when the mother must die 
unless the child is taken from her by force, what shall 
we then do ?" I answer, such cases need never occur. 
A due physiological preparation of the mother before- 
hand will always prevent them. And when worst 
comes to worst, relax the parts by the warm sitting- 
bath, which may be advantageously taken for days and 
weeks beforehand, in even ordinary cases. On this 
point, I do not claim originality ; but my full conviction 
is, that the water-practice is the ALL AND IN ALL at ac- 
couchements. The following is from the Water-Cure 
Journal, a periodical with which every bearing mother 
should be familiar, edited by Dr. Shew, whose repeated 
visits to Priessnitz, long and eminently successful prac- 
tice, physiological and dietetic knowledge, and strong 
common sense, place him among the very first water- 
cure doctf rs on this continent. 

WATEE-CURE IN CHILD-BEAKING. 

" The following remarkable case might by many be 
reckoned as one forming an exception to the general 
rule, as to what would be the general result under simi- 
lar circumstances. In reality, striking as the case is, it 
is only an exemplification of what has fi squsntly been 



BY THE WATER-CURE. 



171 



proved, that it is possible for women of trdinar} health 
so to live that childbirth and the period of pregnancy 
can be rendered comparatively free from pain and suf- 
fering. 

" A lady of this city whose name from motives of 
delicacy we are not at liberty to mention, of seventeen 
years of age, smoll form, with very good constitution, 
was lately with cnild, and passed tl, rough the whole 
period as follows : She took regularly a shower bath 
every morning, exercised every day, wet or dry, in the 
open air, and when by any means the amount of exer- 
cise was considerably less than common, a quick bath 
was taken before dinner, and regularly a sponge or 
rubbing bath was used before going to rest. Sitz baths 
were taken daily, and the body bandage worn much of 
the time. No permanent chill was allowed to take 
place. The evening sitz bath seemed to have a decided 
effect in causing sound rest. The bowels were kept 
free by clysters of cold water whenever these were 
necessary. Very plain vegetable and farinaceous food 
and fruits constituted the sole diet. The meals were 
light, and for three months previous to confinement, the 
supper was always omitted, so that only two light meals 
were taken daily and no food between times. Drinking 
of water is a powerful means to reduce the inordinate 
craving appetite with which many are afflicted in child- 
bearing. In the case of this lady, no other drink than 
pure, soft Croton water was taken during the whole 
time. 

"As the expected time drew near, one morning while 
in the sitting bath labor commenced. The pains were 
prompt, and in about twenty minutes a fire healthy 
child was born In about ten minutes more the after- 



173 DELIVERY MADE EAST 

birth came away, followed with but little flowing of 
blood. The patient was allowed to rest a short time, 
after which the body was sponged over and quickly 
made dry and comfortable. Wet cloths were laid upon 
the breasts to prevent inflammation or undue swelling 
of the parts. A wet bandage was also placed about 
the abdomen covered with a dry one, so as to be of 
comfortable temperature. The sponging, rubbing, and 
bandages, were the means of reducing the feverish ex- 
citement caused by labor, and of soothing the body in a 
remarkable degree, so that sweet and quiet sleep soon 
followed. On the third day, water having been used as 
the case seemed to require in the mean time, the woman 
walked into the open air without injury, but on the con- 
trary with benefit. Daily exercise, however, was pre- 
viously taken, in the sick room, which was at all times 
kept well aired. 

" In this remarkable case there was not a single scar 
left upon the body, it being the first child, and the 
amount of suffering was by far less than is often expe- 
rienced in mere menstruation, by women who do not 
bathe regularly and adopt a generally correct hygienic 
course. Physiologically as well as morally, ' wisdom's 
ways are ways of pleasantness,' and happy is that mo- 
ther who understands nature's laws, and who has in 
them a confidence sufficient to live accordingly. 

" It may be objected in reference to the above case, 
that it would be unsafe for most females to attempt to 
carry out a similar course to the one described. This 
is not true. Every individual, old or young, sick or 
well, and of either sex, should have at least a daily bath. 
Who would think of leaving for a single day the face 
and hands unwashed ? Those who have adopted daily 



DELIVERY MADE BASY 173 

bath.ng, know well the comfort and advantages arising 
from it. Nor is a rigid vegetable, farinaceous, and fruit 
diet, as was used in the above case, a dangerous one as 
many suppose. On the contrary, such a diet judiciously 
selected, is highly conducive to bodily vigor and com- 
fort, and renders one in all cases far less liable to dis- 
ease of every kind. All who will in every respect take 
a judicious course, similar to the one described, will, as 
certainly as the sun shines, render their sufferings in 
child-bearing very much less than by any other possible 
means that can be adopted, and in most cases, so great 
will be the benefit derived, that, comparatively speak- 
ing, child-bearing will be unattended with suffering be 
without pain. 

" The condition of the child in this case, was not less 
remarkable than that of the mother. It was healthy 
and vigorous, and as a natural result was far less liable 
to. disease than children generally are. It is not at all 
natural for one half of the race to die under five years 
of age. If mothers and children were universally man- 
aged as in the case above, mortality of infants and chil- 
dren would be comparatively unknown." 

CASE OF MRS. SHEW. 

"On the 16th of September, 1845, Mrs. Shew gave 
birth, under peculiar circurr stances, to a child. Her 
ancestry on both sides are consumptive, so that she 
inherits a strong predisposition to that disease, and has, 
in fact, for years had much to contend with, in reference 
to the condition of the chest. Pleurisies, inflammation 
of the lungs, cough, and hemorrhages, she had at differ- 
ent times, and is constantly liable to affections of this 
kind. She is likewise naturally of very delicate frame 
15* 



174 BY THE WATER-CURE. 

and extreme nervous sensibility, and it has oeen only 
^V exercising great care in every thing that pertains 
j health, that she has now for a number of years, with 
two or three exceptions, kept free from the outbreaks 
of disease, and has enjoyed what would ordinarily be 
termed good health. 

" The summer of 1845, it will be recollected, was 
very tedious and hot. The whole, season the drought 
was severe, and there was scarcely a single shower to 
refresh the earth. It was, therefore, very depressing to 
the health. However, by daily bathing and being much 
in the shade in the open air, wearing usually a part of 
each day the wet girdle, to refresh the system, using 
the cooling hip bath and injections now and then, as oc- 
casion required, and partaking lightly of food but twice 
a day, Mrs. S. passed through the summer remarkably 
well ; but more than once during the season, certain 
things transpired that were very much against quietude 
peace of mind, and mental repose so necessary in the 
condition she was then in. 

" At length her expected time drew near. By the 
exercise of great prudence and care, she was enabled 
up to the very last, to discharge the ordinary duties of 
overseeing the household affairs of her family, and to 
walk and ride daily and frequently for exercise, or as 
business called, in the open air. 

" I must here mention, that one of my respected pre- 
ceptors in medicine, and a man who is scarcely second 
to any other in his thorough acquaintance with medical 
lore, gave it as his decided opinion, that from the ex- 
treme smallness of the pelvis, Mrs. Shew could never 
give birth to a full-formed living child. The expedient 
of causing premature birth, or the still more horrible 



BY THE WATER-CURE. 175 

one of destroying the child, seemed to nim inevitable, 
either of which Mrs. S. could not for a moment listen to. 
That the labor must be exceedingly severe, was evident 
enough to all. But she was resolved to let nature take 
her own course, whatever it might be. 

" Labor came on at evening of the 15th of September, 
the weather being yet hot and sultry. Mrs. S. would 
not listen to the proposal to have medical aid besides 
myself; nor would she consent to have any nurse or 
female attendant of any kind. Ordinary servants only 
were to bring water, and do whatever of like service 
was necessary. 

" The labor-pains went on, becoming exceedingly se- 
vere, and continued until three o'clock in the morning, 
at which time she gave birth to a large, healthy, and 
well-formed female child. Almost immediately the after- 
birth was expelled, followed by most frightful flooding. 
The night was, I confess, a long, dark, and dismal one 
to me. There was, I knew, in my wife's system, and 
always had been, as well as in her family, a strong ten- 
dency to hemorrhages. I understood perfectly well 
the different modes resorted to in these dangerous ex- 
tremes. Cold applications are, the world over, the 
means relied upon. As to the mode of applying the 
cold, I had resolved, in this case, to take a different 
course from any I had ever heard of. I had procured 
a large hip bath, with a good back, in which a person 
could be placed in a sort of half-reclining position, with 
the head supported upon pillows. Instead of applying 
the cold water by the stream from a pitcher, by wet 
cloths, and the like, I had resolved, that if flooding came 
on, I would take Mi. S. in my arms, and instantly place 
her in this hip bath ; and thus, as I believed, I could 



176 DELIVERY MADE EAST 

more quickly chill the whole of the pelvic viscera, than 
by any other means. Be it remembered, that wherever 
there is hemorrhage, whether from the lungs, stomach, 
bowels, or womb, there is great heat in and about the 
part from which the blood issues ; and the quicker and 
more effectually this heat can be abstracted and the 
parts chilled, the more certain are we to arrest the flow, 
by the constringing effect of cold upon the open vessels. 
As for the SHOCK of the douche, or pouring of water 
from a height, so much in vogue, I believe that, so far 
as the shock is concerned, it is better avoided. If I am 
not mistaken, THAT only tends to keep up the flooding 
The cooling should be passive, and not violent. 

" Having every thing in readiness, I took Mrs. S. in 
my arms, and before she had time to faint entirely, I 
placed her in this hip bath of cold water. The water 
covered from near the knees over the whole abdomen, 
and no sooner had these parts come in contact with the 
water, than it seemed as if by magic the flooding ceased. 
The water revived her, and in a few minutes, before she 
had become much chilled, I raised her carefully and laid 
her in bed, put wet cloths about the abdomen, and wrap- 
ped her warmly in blankets. The feet were cold, as 
they generally are in severe hemorrhage. These parts, 
and from the knees down, I rubbed briskly with the 
warm hand, to restore the natural warmth. I kept 
good watch that she should not become too warm, as 
in that case flooding would be apt to return. It was 
not long before Mrs. S. fell into a sound sleep, in which 
she rested for some time. 

"I have regretted much that I did not, at the time 
write down the notes of this case ; that is, of the re- 
maining part of the trealmer.t to be spoken of. From 



BY THE WATER-CURE. 177 

the severity of the labor and the loss of a large amount 
of blood, Mrs. S. said she felt a greater degree of weak- 
ness than she had ever before experienced, a sense of 
sinking of the vital powers, and an oppression at the 
heart, with which she was before wholly unacquainted. 
The sleep I have spoken of did her much good, and 
was, of all things, the most desirable. Still, she was 
very weak, and after-pains set in, growing more and 
more severe. Her system being so highly sensitive, I 
expected this, and resolved upon the use of the hip bath. 
I would here remark, that the objection that would be 
raised by almost any practitioner to this procedure, 
here as well as in the flooding before spoken of, would 
be, that the position, the raising up a person in this 
weak state, and placing the trunk of the body in an 
upright position, would be likely to cause a return of 
the flooding. This objection, I admit, would have great 
weight, were it not for the fact that the water acts so 
powerfully to check that symptom. Still, there is no- 
thing like the danger feared, even without the use of 
the water, that there is supposed to be. And persons 
are found every where, in fact, it is almost a universa 
thing in childbirth, that females are required to lie, day 
after day, in too warm beds, thus debilitating the body 
by the heat caused by the fatigue of remaining much in 
one position, and by the unnatural position of the brain. 
Females thus become debilitated, nervous, restless, and 
are kept back day after day, and often for weeks, and 
all for the want of what may be called good nursing ; 
and then in this debilitated state, when they do begin to 
get about after the ninth day, as superstition has it, the 
opposite extreme is practiced ; too much is done at 
once, a cold is taken, inflammation of the breasts oc- 



178 l-KLIVERY MADE EAST 

curs, or falling of the womb takes place, or perhaps a 
powerful hemorrhage. I repeat, that in my practice, 
as a rule to which there can seldom be any exception, 
my patients of this kind sit up, even if it be but one or 
five minutes at a time, the first day of the confinement 
and onward. The sitting up to REST the patient, that is, 
to rest from the fatigue of the lying position, is one of 
the best means that can be adopted. The bed is at the 
same time aired and becomes cool, so that when she re- 
turns to it, the change back is salutary, and the reclining 
position becomes one of rest. The patient should be 
taught not to overdo in this matter, for every good 
thing has its abuse as well as use. I had now, in Mrs. 
Shew's case, a good opportunity to test fully the powers 
of water and good nursing. There were in her mind 
no prejudices to overcome no lack of confidence, no 
superstitious, yet good-meaning old women about us, to 
whisper their fears and prognosticate evil. There was 
nothing in the way, and what was better than all the 
rest, Mrs. 8. had herself a good knowledge of the prin- 
ciples that should guide us in the management of such 
cases. 

" After Mrs. Shew had slept, as before mentioned, 
and the after-pains had commenced, I administered the 
hip bath. These pains, as well as hemorrhages, are at- 
tended with internal heat ; but. as regarded the general 
system, Mrs. S. had now a feeling of dread of COLD wa- 
ter. The objects in view in the use of the hip bath and 
frictions, were to lull the pain, and to invigorate the 
system by the tonic effect of the water and friction. I 
laid a folded blanket in the bottom of the bath, in which 
was put a small quantity of tepid water, of such tern- 
nerature as would produce no unpleasant sensation 



BY THE WATER-CURE. 179 

Blankets were also used to wrap about the feet and 
limbs, and the whole surface, except the parts exposed 
to the water. Reaching my hand under these blankets, 
1 commenced rubbing the spine, abdomen, and other 
parts ; and as the surface became accustomed to the 
water, I dipped the hand into that which was of a little 
lower temperature, and at length lowered the tempera- 
ture of the water in a bath gradually, by adding to it 
cold water. In a short time the pains ceased. The 
bath was continued some fifteen or twenty minutes, 
possibly a little longer, and then Mrs. S. was placed 
comfortably in bed. It was indeed truly wonderful to 
behold the change produced by this bath. Besides the 
removal of all pain, it seemed as if the strength was 
increased tenfold, all in the space of less than half an 
hour. 

" The after-pains returned frequently during the day, 
and as frequently they were combated with the hip bath 
and frictions. At least as many as ten times, and I think 
more, through the day and evening, I administered these 
baths, every one of which appeared to do an astonishing 
amount of good. Besides the removing of after-pains 
and the tonic effect of the baths, there was another 
palpable one : at times, sharp, cutting pains were expe- 
rienced in the bowels, caused by flatulency. The bath 
removed them like a charm. The urine was found to 
pass freely, in consequence of the bathing and drinking; 
and the soreness so much felt in these cases was all re- 
moved. 

" As Mrs. S. grew stronger, the water was used 
somewhat colder, but all the time of moderate temper- 
ature. She slept very well during the night, having 
little or no more of the after-pains. In the evening, she 



180 DELIVERY MADE EAST 

sat up, bore her weight, and walked a little about the 
room. 

"In consequence of more than usual fatigue, I did not 
awake the next morning until between six and seven 
o'clock. I confess I was not a little surprised, on 
awaking, that Mrs. Shew had left the room. This was 
only twenty-six hours from the birth; and she had taken 
her child in her arms, and gone down to the kitchen. 
She felt that she was perfectly able to do this, and acted 
accordingly, on her own responsibility. She was, how- 
ever very careful this day ; look but little nourishment ; 
and in three days' time, we moved to the large house, 
56 Bond street, Mrs. S. walking up and down stairs 
numbers of times during the day, overseeing things as 
they were moved, and so every day onward. Bathing 
was kept up as usual, daily, and she partook now, as 
was her usual habit, of the plainest food, and but twice 
per day, using no other animal food except a trifling 
quantity of milk, and no other drink except pure water. 

" The second day after the birth of our child, a wor- 
thy old gentleman, one of our patients, from New Eng- 
land, called upon us. He inquired, kindly, respecting 
Mrs. S.'s health, he having seen her much in the sum- 
mer, and in a few minutes she met him in the parlor. 
He raised his hands, and, in astonishment, exclaimed, 
* This is indeed bringing things back to nature !' 

"In conversation with one of the first medical men of 
our city, or of the world, I described this case of Mrs. 
Shew's, and also others of like results. He said that he 
could not conceive it possible for a woman to get up 
and go about, with any thing like safety, in twenty-four 
or even forty-eight hours after childbirth. I admit, that 
as a rule, women could not, under ordinary modes of 



BY THE WATER-CURE. 181 

treatment ; but, at the same time, asked him how it was 
that the Indian women were so little troubled with these 
matters. I then said, our patients practice bathing 
daily, bathing continually ; drink no tea or coffee to 
weaken the powers of digestion, constipate the bowels 
destroy the relish for food, shatter the nervous system 
and impair the soundness of natural and refreshing 
sleep; their modes of dress do not distort and debilitate 
their frames, and instead of remaining mostly within 
doors, according to the foolish customs of civil life, they 
go regularly and often in the open air, thus gaining 
strength upon strength, by means of these natural and 
powerful tonics, exercise, pure air, and light. He ad 
mitted that such modes, persevered in, must produce 
powerful effects of some kind, and added, that he intend- 
ed always to sustain good health by means of the showei 
bath, the daily use of which he had adopted with the 
greatest benefit. 

"I hold that, strong and enduring as are the Indian 
women, the generality of females of the present genera- 
tion even, may, if they commence in early life, become 
more hardy and strong than are those daughters of the 
forest, whose habits are, in many respects, unnatura 
and detrimental to health. But all this requires an 
amount of knowledge that few yet possess. 

" I could add numbers of cases of childbirth scarcely 
less striking than that of Mrs. Shew ; and if the reader 
has any doubts of the authenticity of such narrations, 
I ask him to take the names and residences of my pa- 
tients, and hear their stories for himself. Persons who 
have experienced the invaluable, untold, and apparently 
miraculous effects of cold water, will not hesitate to 
make known the blessing of the new system." 
16 



182 BLEEDING, CHLOROFORM ETC. 

Would that I could duly impress upon mothers this 
cardinal point to prepare themselves beforehand by 
roRTiFYiNG THEIR HEALTH instead of unfitting them- 
selves by health-ruining practices from the very cradle. 

BLEEDING, CHLOROFORM, KTC. ' 

' 

Bleeding at such times is most pernicious, for it 
weakens mother and child by withdrawing the life- 
blood from both. They require nothing as much as 
BLOOD. Granted that it is impure, does taking away a 
part purify the rest ? Abundance of PURE AIR is the 
thing for cleansing the blood. 

To chloroform there exists strong objections. Its 
stupefying influence on the child must be most detri- 
mental, because, since its brain and nerves are exceed 
ingly weak and susceptible, they are easily injured foi 
life ; whereas adults readily throw off such injurious 
influences. It must deaden the child's nervous suscep- 
tibilities quite as much as the mother's, and can this be 
done without seriously impairing its cerebral consti- 
tution ? 

Nor is there any need of it. The previous prepara- 
tion recommended in this work will carry mothers 
through this period without Tiny such stupefaction. 
Still, if women will enhance their pains by abusing 
health, and then resort to chloroform, let them. Theirs, 
and not mine, be the consequences. 

MALE AND FEMALE MIDWIVES. 

Until within about two centuries, male accoacheurs 
were wholly unknown. Women alone presided at 
births. And the alledged origin of this modern custom 
reflects no special credit upon it. Its propriety is ques- 



MALE AND FEMALE MIDWIVES. 183 

tionable, because it is directly in the teeth of that native 
female modesty so innate as well as necessary to wo- 
man. Let those who know, testify to the extreme re- 
luctance with which young mothers submit, in their first 
confinement, to be handled by doctors. It is perfectly 
revolting to their finer sensibilities. This is not the re- 
sult of prudery, but of natural MODESTY. And that mo- 
desty the great safeguard of female virtue it does 
much to annul. It breaks the ice, and paves the way 
for familiarity with other men than their own husbands; 
and that not a few doctors take advantage of it and the 
confidence required by this custom, to excite improper 
feelings in women, and to gratify unhallowed passions 
in themselves, is more common than husbands for a 
moment suppose. These husbands, before and at ac- 
couchement, persuade, and scold, and almost force their 
wives to allow the doctor to make his observations 
of which there is no sort of need in one case in hun- 
dreds and the bars of virtue thus torn down, both the 
doctors and others find subsequent access too often al- 
lowed, whereas, but for her having been thus " broken 
in," nothing on earth could have induced her to have 
tolerated the least familiarity. 

And, what is worse, women must lay all their female 
complaints before the doctor, and talk much about these 
private matters, of which physicians can take advantage 
to excite impure desires. Husbands, look well to this 
matter. 

Besides, till every feeling of instinctive modesty is 
worn away, the presence of strange men around the 
lying-in bed has a dampening, repressing influence on 
the mother's mind, which materially retards delivery. 
She tries to suppress her spasmodic efforts, and this 



184 FITTING WOMEN POR MIDWIVES. 

stifles the operation. Yet the presence of husbands b 
admissible, and even desirable, as it sustains the mot'ier ; 
but this turning out husbands, because their presence is 
improper, yet admitting doctors, is strange. 

And why are not women quite as well qualified as 
men to officiate on such occasions ? They have smaller 
and softer hands, more tact, more of the child-loving 
instinct, which is an important pre-requisite, and espe- 
cially more tenderness and quickness of perception, to- 
gether with PERSONAL EXPERIENCE the most important 
preparation of all. How infinitely better does this 
experience fit mothers to preside, than all the learning 
of the schools does men? This book-learning UNFITS 
men for accoucheurs, for it induces them often to resort 
to instruments where nature, left to herself, would do 
the work far better, and save mother and child. 

FITTING WOMEN FOR MIDWIVES. 

What our women want, mainly, is SELF-CONFIDENCE. 
They can do all that is necessary, if they only THINK so. 
Of course, it is presupposed that women of intelligence 
and nerve become practitioners. They next require 
anatomical KNOWLEDGE ; for I would not have ignorant 
women placed in so important a situation. They should 
be thoroughly PREPARED for this important office ; and, 
accordingly, our women have a strong craving for 
anatomical knowledge, which is instinctive, and should 
therefore be gratified. This craving is implanted parity 
for the very purpose of fitting them for this and other 
like healing offices. Nor is there a shadow of reason 
why they should be denied access to colleges, or to any 
of the advantages proffered to medical students. Nor 
i-the day far distant, when unless medical colleges are 



FEMALE PRACTITIONERS. 

opened to them, they wiL have one of their own. In- 
deed, one is now in progress. That heroine who re- 
cently graduated at Geneva College, purposes to go to 
Fiance, and after thoroughly preparing herself, to estab- 
lish, in connection with others, a college for the educa- 
tion of doctresses, with special reference to fitting them 
for mid wives. Her advantages as present matron of 
the lying-in hospital at Philadelphia, eminently fit her to 
lead off m this much-needed reform. 

FEMALE PRACTITIONERS FOR FEMALE COMPLAINTS. 

That women are far better adapted than men to pre- 
scribe for female complaints, is apparent. The number 
and aggravation of female diseases, are incalculable 
and most frightful. And many of them are caused by 
the ignorance of girls, and their consequent careless ex- 
posures in the early stages of menstruation. And this 
ignorance is occasioned, mainly, by the fact, that MEN 
must be consulted ; and girls have so shrinking a repug- 
nance to disclose any thing to men, on this to them 
delicate subject, that they prefer to suffer in silence 
Meanwhile the disease, easily checked in the start, be- 
comes incurable, and a short life of suffering is the cop- 
sequence of men assuming this department, which be- 
longs exclusively to women. 

Besides, severe medicines are far less needed than 
appropriate PHYSIOLOGICAL ADVICE, which our women are 
especially fitted to give. Sympathy, and unreserved 
disclosure of all symptoms a feeling of perfect free- 
dom, as if at home, and talking to a friend are indis- 
pensable ; yet, between men and girls, this never can 
and never should obtain, but is easy and natural be- 
16* 



186 MOTHERS SHOULD INSTRUCT THEIR DAUGHTERS. 

tween female practitioners and female patients. Thia 
point is especially important. 

Female physicians would also DISSEMINATE PREVEN- 
TIVE INSTRUCTION, which men will not, or, at least, do 
not do. Girls should be put upon their GUARD. Many 
mothers have brought their daughters to me for advice, 
whose health had been ruined by improper exposures at 
ihe first menstruation, which a little knowledge would 
have prevented. Oh, it is a pity, and a burning sharne, 
that girls are allowed to arrive at puberty without even 
suspecting its approach, or knowing one thing in regard 
to this all-important subject, in which their healths, and 
even their lives are so intimately concerned, as well as 
this child-bearing function. Mothers, why will you let 
them approach this crisis without instructing them what 
to do, and especially guarding them against injurious 
exposures ? Let your own experience attest the practi- 
cal importance of this kind of knowledge, and on no 
account fail to talk familiarly with them concerning it. 
Girls and women MUST have light on this subject. Mis- 
ery and premature death enough have already occurred', 
in consequence of that mock-delicacy in which it is en- 
shrouded. Away with this squeamishness, and look this 
whole ordinance of nature fairly in the face. 

There is one other call for female physicians, even 
greater than any yet named. Pregnant mothers, espe- 
cially before their FIRST confinement, have a strong 
craving for sympathy for some intimate female friend, 
with whom they can talk over all their symptoms and 
signs, and from whom receive cheering aoVice. This 
requirement of bearing mothers, it is not possible foi 
doctors ever to fill. WOMEN alone can freely confer 
with each other concerning it. Nor ts the day far dis 



HARRIET K. HUNT. 187 

tant when this gi eat desideratum FEMALE practitioners 
of medicine and midwifery will supplant male ac- 
coucheurs. 

Harriet K. Hunt, of Boston, one of, if not the very 
first female physician in our country, and the pioneer of 
female practice, justly remarked, that no one thing 
would do more to restrain the licentiousness of hus- 
bands, than female physicians ; because these erring 
husbands now feel safe from exposure, because they 
know their wives will not expose them to doctors, 
whereas they would tell all freely to doctresses. She 
thinks her own practice exerts a most salutary and 
needed restraint on the husbands of not a few of her 
patients. This good woman, bringing much good sense, 
information, talent, and energy of character into this 
new department, is doing much to add RESPECTABILITY 
to female practice, and is really doing immense good. 
Her practice is very large, and embraces many women 
who move in the first circles of Boston ; and one of her 
strongest recommendations is, that she gives more ADVICE 
than medicines, and directs as to the PREVENTION of dis- 
eases as well as their cure. She will soon commence a 
course of free lectures to the POOR, and is determined to 
do all she can for the health of her sex. She is a true 
philanthropist. May she be duly rewarded. 

439. ABORTION. 

That this mother-ruining as well as child-destroy- 
ing practice prevails to a most alarming extent, is a 
mournful fact. Few realize how many mothers, here in 
this Christian (?) land, do and take what is expressly 
calculated to produce miscarriage, and taken with that 
specific and sole object. Many unmarried women, who 



188 THE CRIMvE OF ABORTION. 

stand high in public estimation, have perpetrated this 
heinous crime, in order to hide their shame. Married 
women, too, by hundreds and by thousands, have dealt 
out death against their own bodies, and the FRUIT of 
those bodies. It seems so revolting, so unnatural, such 
an outrage of every principle of our nature, that its per- 
petration evinces both consummate- ignorance and total 
depravity combined. Touching this subject, the Pa- 
rents' Guide thus remarks : 

" The practice of procuring abortion, or, to use a less 
offensive expression, inducing a miscarriage, has of late 
become so common, that it requires to be placed before 
the public in all its naked atrocity. From the increas- 
ing number of unprincipled persons who publicly adver- 
tise this destructive practice, it is evident that it is ex- 
tending to a fearful degree throughout our country : 
some knowledge, therefore, of the dreadful consequences 
attending such utter violations of nature's laws, may be 
useful. That the act of procuring abortion is a crime 
of the deepest dye, on a par with that of murder, no ar- 
gument can controvert ; nor can any, except the weak- 
minded or the vicious, be persuaded to the contrary 
Is it possible that any woman of sane mind can look 
upon her living child, and admit for a moment that it 
would be a greater crime to deprive it of life by violent 
means then, than it would have been while in a state of 
embryo ? Many early married, unreflecting females, 
to avoid the cares and responsibilities of a large family, 
allow themselves to be deluded by the miserable sophis- 
try, that there is no harm, previous to quickening, in 
taking the most deadly drugs, or in making use of the 
most violent means to procure abortion. Let them not, 
however, thus deceive themselves, for whatever appa- 



FATAL EFFECTS OF ABORTION. 189 

rent success may, for a time, attend these atrocious 
practices, retribution is sure to follow such gross viola- 
tions of nature's laws. The moral and physical institu- 
tions of a wise and just Creator cannot be thus outraged 
with impunity effect follows cause, as unceasingly 
here as in any other department of organic life. 

"Scarcely any misfortune to which humanity is -liable, 
is more to be dreaded than a natural tendency to miscar- 
riage. How often has it been the bane of an otherwise 
happy existence ? Its uniform evil effect, upon the gen- 
eral health of the sufferer, is well-known and admitted : 
and yet, strange perversity, an incredible number of fe- 
males, in all ranks and conditions of life, are found, who in 
their pitiable ignorance are willing, often for slight per- 
sonal considerations, to risk a constant liability to this 
constitutional evil, and thereby commit, in an indirect 
manner, the crime of self-murder. Among several 
cases fresh in the memory of the writer is that of Mrs. 

W , a woman highly respected for her piety, and in 

some respects good sense, having borne four healthy 
children, and thereby acquired a priceless treasure. 
Some plausible demon incited her to the use of these 
unhallowed means, to avoid, in the cant phrase of the 
day, a too numerous family. After five years of suc- 
cess, she is now a helpless ruin, totally prostrated in her 
nervous system, and entirely blind. And again, these 
days of modern refinement have given rise to another 
baneful practice. The newly-married, youthful couple, 
must for a season enjoy the butterfly-life of gayety pro- 
per to their condition in the present improved scale of 
existence, to do which, it is absolutely necessary to 
avoid the inconvenience and cares of offspring. This 
can only be accomplished by encouraging- -harmlessly 



190 ABORTION COMMON IN 

and for the present only, mind you a miscarriage, for- 
getting that this outrage upon nature can only be inflict- 
ed by incurring the heavy liability to the mother of 
permanent and irreparable injury, or perhaps laying the 
train for a premature death. 

" Thus it is with the family of R. or, more properly 
speaking, thus it is with that lonely, unhappy, because 
childless couple, who, in their early marriage day, long 
years ago, threw away, like the unbelieving Jew, the 
pearls that would have enriched his tribe. 

" ' In England,' lately remarked a native of that coun- 
try, * every mother feels proud of having reared a large 
family of healthy, joyous children ten or fifteen being 
no unusual number. While the American mothers, I 
observe, generally have small families, particularly in 
the higher classes of society.' An old and experienced 
physician present significantly referred the speaker to 
the advertisements of professed female physicians, re- 
marking, that these fiends in human form escaped un- 
whipped of justice, because the patronage they received 
enabled them, when prosecuted, to employ the best legal 
defence in the country ; and that their practice being 
principally confined to the wealthy portion of the com- 
munity, many a dark deed of iniquity has been conceal- 
ed the patients in such cases preferring any amount of 
suffering, or even death, to the public exposure which 
must ensue in bringing the criminal to justice. 

" In a subsequent conversation, this physician stated to 
the writer, that many distressing cases of this kind had 
fallen under his observation cases in which it was clear 
to the experienced eye of the physician, that the patient 
had most ignorantly tampered with her constitution, in- 
terfered with, and interrupted the natural functions of 



THE CASE OF MRS. M . 131 

her system. For after giving birth, at regular intervals, 
to healthy children, the young and vigorous mother sud- 
denly becomes sterile. Years pass, during which fre- 
quent indispositions occur, leaving behind them a consti- 
tution strangely shattered, and a nervous system in 
ruins. The misguided sufferer at length perceives the 
dreadful results of her practices, and desists pregnancy 
ensues, but the whole term of gestation is one of painful 
debility, and at its close, in the effort for relief, outraged 
nature denies the necessary energy : the patient sinks to 
the tomb, another victim to the Moloch of selfishness, 
leaving a family of young children motherless, to grow 
up in ignorance and tread the same path of error which 
led to her destruction." 

The very painful and dangerous consequences which 
attended an unsuccessful attempt at abortion, is thus 
given by an eminent practitioner of this city : 

" Mrs. M was the mother of two children, and 

had been suffering severely, for the last fourteen hours, 
from strong expulsive pains, which, however, had not 
caused the slightest progress in the delivery. I was 
likewise informed that, about four hours before I saw 
the case, Dr. Miner, an experienced physician, had been 
sent for, and, after instituting a vaginal examination, re- 
marked to the attending physicians, that, ' in all his 
practice, he had never met with a similar case.' Dr. 
Miner suggested the administration of an anodyne, and 
having other professional engagements, left the house. 
Mrs. M was taken in labor Monday, Dec. 18th, a 
7 o'clock, P. M., and on Sunday, at 7 o'clock, p. M., I 
first saw her Her pains were then almost constant, 
and such had been the severity of her suffering, that her 
r.ries for relief, as her medical attendants informed ovj, 



192 THE CASK OF MHS. M 

had attracted crowds of people about the door. A a 
soon as I entered her room she exclaimed, ' For God s 
sake, doctor, cut me open, or I shall die ; I never can be 
delivered without you cut me open !' I was struck 
with this language, especially as I had already been in- 
formed that she had previously borne two children. 

"On assuring her that she was in a most perilous 
situation, and at the same time, promising that we 
would do all in our power to rescue her, she voluntarily 
made the following confession : 

" About six weeks after becoming pregnant, she 
called on one of these infamous female physicians, who, 
hearing her situation, gave her some powders, with di- 
rections for use; these powders, it appears, did not pro- 
duce the desired effect. She returned again to this 
woman, and asked her if there were no other way to 
make her miscarry. ' Yes,' say? this physician, ' I can 
probe you ; but I must have my price for this operation.' 
* What do you probe with V ' A piece of whalebone. 
' Well,' observed the patient, ' I cannot afford to pay 
your price, and I will probe myself.' She returned 
home, and used the whalebone several times ; it pro- 
duced considerable pain, followed by a discharge of 
blood. The whole secret was now disclosed. Injuries 
inflicted on the mouth of the womb, by other violent 
attempts, had resulted in the circumstances as detailed 
above. It was evident, from the nature of this poor 
woman's sufferings, and the expulsive character of her 
pains, that prompt artificial delivery was indicated. As 
the result of the case was doubtful, and it was import- 
ant to have the concurrent testimony of other medical 
gentlemen, and as it embodied great professional in- 
terest, I requested my friends, Drs. Detmold, Washing- 



THE CASE OF MRS. M 193 

ton, and Doane, to see it. They reached the house 
without delay, and, after examining minutely into all the 
facts, it was agreed that a bi-lateral section of the mouth 
of the womb should be made. 

" Accordingly, without loss of time. I performed the 
operation in the following manner: The patient was 
brought to the edge of the bed and placed upon her back. 
The index finger of my left hand was introduced into the 
vagina as far as the roughness, which I supposed to be 
the seat of the 09 tineas. Then a probe-pointed bistoury, 
the blade of which had been previously covered with a 
band of linen to within about four lines of its extremity, 
was carried along my finger, until the point reached the 
rough surface. I succeeded in introducing the point of 
the instrument into a very slight opening which I found 
in the centre of this surface, and then made an incision 
of the left lateral portion of the mouth, and before with- 
drawing the bistoury, I made the same kind of incision 
on the right side. I then withdrew the instrument, and 
in about five minutes it was evident that the head of the 
child made progress. The mouth of the womb dilated 
almost immediately, and the contractions were of the 
most expulsive character. There seemed, however, to 
be some ground for apprehension that the mouth of the 
uterus would not yield with sufficient readiness, and I 
made an incision of the posterior lip, through its centre, 
extending the incision to within a line of the peritorial 

cavity. In ten minutes from this time, Mrs. M was 

delivered of a strong full-grown child, whose boisterous 
cries were heard with astonishment by the mother, and 
with sincere gratification by her medical friends. The 
expression of that woman's gratitude, in thus being pre- 
served from what she and her friends supposed to be in- 
17 



104 THE CASE OF MRS. M 



evitable death, was an ample compensation for the anx 
iety experienced by those who were the humble instru* 
ments of affording her relief. This patient recovered 
rapidly, and did not, during the whole of her convales- 
cence, present one unpleasant symptom. It is now ten 
weeks since the operation, and she and her infant are in 
the enjoyment of excellent health. 

" At my last visit to this patient, with Dr. Forry, she 
made some additional revelations, which I think should 
be given, not only to the profession but to the public, 
in order that it may be known, that in our very midst 
there is a monster who speculates with human life, with 
as much coolness as if she were engaged in a game of 
chance. 

" This patient, with unaffected sincerity, and apparent- 
ly ignorant of the moral turpitude of the act, stated most 
unequivocally to both Dr. Forry and myself, 'that this 
physician, on previous occasions, had caused her to mis- 
carry five times, and that these miscarriages had, in every 
instance, been brought about by drugs administered by 
this trafficker in human life. The only case in which 
the medicines failed was the last pregnancy, when, at 
the suggestion of this physician, she probed herself, 
and induced the condition of things described, and which 
most seriously involved her own safety, as well as that 
of her child.' In the course of conversation, this woman 
mentioned that she knew a great number of persons who 
were in the habit of applying to this physician for the 
purpose of miscarrying, and that she scarcely ever failed 
in affording the desired relief; and, among others, she 
cited the case of a female residing in Houston street, 
who was five months pregnant : this physician probed 
her, and she was delivered of a child, to use her own 



ABORTION -NVOLVES MATERNAL SUICIDE. 195 

expression, ' THAT KICKED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER IT WAS 

PUT INTO THE BOWL.' " 

Against this deed of death nature most solemnly pro- 
tests, by rendering it so ruinous to the general health of 
the mother, and especially so destructive of her SEXUAL 
apparatus. So intimate is the relation between mother 
and child, that it is not possible to destroy the life of the 
latter, without doing fatal violence to that of the former 
When she effects this destruction, by taking powerful 
medical poisons, such as strong decoctions of ergot, 
tansy, etc., she equally poisons HERSELF ; for how can 
this poison be administered to the child, except THROUGH 
HER BLOOD ? And how can that blood be so effectually 
poisoned as to quench the life of the child, without 
therein and thereby proportionably poisoning her OWN 
system throughout ? And the only reason why this 
fatal draught does not destroy her own life also, is her 
greater power of constitution. Now, is it possible, in 
the nature of things, jo poison it to death without there- 
by palsying, crushing her own life-power? ALL abor- 
tive medicine this reciprocity between mother and child 
equally condemns. 

It passes the same sentence of maternal suicide upor, 
every and all other POSSIBLE means of producing mis 
carriages. Does not probing do as great violence t( 
her sexual organs, as to its life ? The relation between 
it and them is PERFECT, so that whatever injures the one, 
correspondingly impairs the other also. And, since the 
relation existing between these organs, and her entire 
physiology and mentality, is also perfect, in order that 
it may take on all her existing conditions of mind and 
body, of course whatever impairs it, correspondingly in- 
jures not only her sexur apparatus, but thrc ugh it her 



196 RECOVERY FROM CONFINEMENT. 

ENTIRE nature. And when this violence is so extreme 
as to cause infantile DEATH, it must necessarily be suici- 
dal to her. Oh, if mothers only understood this law of 
intimacy, they would no more dare to attempt abortion 
than suicide, because they would know that the former 
necessarily INVOLVED the latter ! Leaving the horrible 
crime of infanticide entirely out of the question, I ask, 
prospective mothers, how you DARE take no small part 
of your OWN life ? I press it solemnly upon your CON- 
SCIENCES, whether you had not rather let nature take her 
course, even though you may be unmarried, than stand 
before the bar of your God, and eternal retribution, a 
partial or total SUICIDE. God forbid that you perpetrate 
this unpardonable crime, in ADDITION to that of child- 
murder, for you cannot commit the latter without ren- 
dering yourself, in part or in whole, amenable for the 
former. All the shame, all the pains, all the cares, 
all the troubles of child-bearing, are trifles compared 
with these two monstrous sins. May God Almighty 
deliver you from such heaven-provoking enormities ! 
No other deed so outrages Philoprogenitiveness, Con- 
science, Vitativeness, Benevolence every law of health 
and morals, as well as every ordinance of nature and 
command of God or will insure as terrible retribution 
here and hereafter. 

440. RECOVERY FROM CONFINEMENT. 

Those who come to their accouchement with good 
health, need have no fears of a lingering or painful 
"getting up." The better the general health, the sooner 
the recovery, and the less liability to those complaints 
incident to confinement. General attention to the laws 
of health, too, is a far more effectual remedy than a re- 



THE DRUGGING SYSTEM PERNICIOUS. 197 

sort to dosing and drugging. Women at these periods 
need neither emetics nor purgings. The water treat- 
ment here, as in labor itself, is incomparably superior to 
the old practice. Nursing is required i'ar more than 
doctoring. Or, rather, what the patient requires, main- 
ly, is to let NATURE do her own work in her own way. 
Such exposures as are calculated to bring on a relapse, 
should be sedulously avoided, and this is the main se- 
cret. 

One single principle will suffice to prove, that the 
drugging system is most pernicious its influence on 
the child. That the mother's milk is the child's natural 
food, will presently be shown ; and that ALL medicines 
taken by the mother, are secreted directly from the 
mother's system into this milk, is an established fact. 
Hence, all physic administered to the mother similarly 
affects the child also; and all drugging of infants, must, 
in the very nature of things, disorder and poison their 
systems. You cannot doctor the mother, without there- 
in and thereby doctoring the child; and against all med- 
ical interference with the child's system, in the name 
of nature, I unequivocally protest. No more effectual 
method of injuring the extremely susceptible systems 
of infants, can be devised. I solemnly warn mothers 
and nurses against it ; and this, of course, interdicts all 
administrations of medicines to nursing mothers. 

" But her bowels require relaxing, or checking, and 
this or that systematic difficulty requires to be regu- 
lated." Then relax, restrain, and regulate by FOOD AND 
WATER ; directions for doing which will be found in 
- Physiology, Animal and Mental " 153 - ' iai - 164 - le9 - 175 . The 
idea that medicines can remove disease or restore to 
health, is preposterous. These a *e nature's EXCLUSIVE 
17* 



198 RELAPSES DANGEROUS 

works. She does this partly by medicated FOOD, Herbs, 
etc., and hence all medicines should be EATEN IN FOOD, 
and form a part of our diet. The medicated herbs, etc., 
should THEMSELVES be eaten, not their decoctions, ex- 
tracts, etc., be taken in a concentrated form. This 
healing law applies with peculiar force to nursing mo- 
thers. And of all remedial agents, I consider FRUITS 
the best, as they certainly are the most palatable F ' 37 . 

RELAPSES. 

As the mother's system is now unusually susceptible 
to foreign influences, any violence done her brings on a 
relapse, which is usually more painful and dangerous 
than the confinement itself. Suppose such a disaster 
has befallen her, what is to be done ? First, ascertain 
its CAUSE. This will generally be found in one of two 
things over-exertion, or colds and usually the two 
combined. 

What is then to be done ? Resort to the opposite 
extreme. If over-exertion caused it, take extra pains to 
keep the whole system quiet, and let tired nature rest. 
Indeed, she requires rest, calm, quiet sleep, more at this 
period than any other thing, a right diet not excepted. 
Her system has put forth a mighty effort, is exhausted, 
and therefore requires REST. Whatever is calculated to 
vex or perplex her is always injurious, and especially 
detrimental in relapses. All should be pleasurable, and 
she rendered as happy as possible. 

But if, as is most probable, the relapse was caused by 
cold, BREAK IT UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. This can best 
be effected by producing PERSPIRATION. Cold consists 
in suppressed perspiration, and can therefore be cured 
by, and only by RESTORING this perspiration. And for 



BLEEDING AND CALOMEL PRACTICE. 199 

effecting this, water and friction are by far the best in 
strumentalities. But for the full presentation of this sub- 
iect, the reader is referred again to Physiology 107>108 - 108 - ul . 

A most affecting instance of the destructive conse- 
quences of the bleeding and calomel practice, recently 
fell under the author's observation. Mrs. M., confined 
with her sixth child, recovered very rapidly for about a 
week, when, on her mother's coming to see her, she sat 
up most of a cold, raw April day, took a chill, and sent 
toward night in considerable haste for her doctor a 
great lancet and calomelite. He put her, to use his own 
words to me, "under the usual treatment in such cases" 
that is, bled and salivated. Meanwhile, the child had 
to be nursed, which alone reprobates this practice. 
" But," continued he, " she was attacked with a severe 
rheumatic affection, which settled in her limbs espe- 
cially knees." His own story satisfied me, fully, that the 
poisonous CALOMEL produced these most excruciating 
rheumatic sufferings, under which she gradually sank ; 
yet, having a powerful constitution, the wretched pa- 
tient suffered beyond all endurance, but finally yielded 
to the deadly poison, and died, a martyr to calomel, 
universally lamented, and an irreparable loss to her 
husband and family. 

The too early dismissal of her nurse, also doubtless 
contributed to this sad result. Mothers should not be 
too strong too soon. They often retard recovery by 
being too smart, and by sewing as soon and as long as 
they are able to sit up. Let your sewing go. Dismiss 
all family cares. Consider yourself fully entitled to a 
long holiday. And as soon as you arc able to be " up 
and doing," instead of working, RECREATE. I would not 
recommend tiat you keep your bed an hour longer thau 



200 DIET OP RECENTLY-CONFINED MOTHERS. 

is really necessary of which fact judge for yourselves 
but I insist upon your riding and walking out, seeking 
amusement, chatting pleasurably with friends, etc., in- 
stead of taxing your weak system with LABOR. This 
"keeping the bed nine days, till the parts unite," irre- 
spective of the patient's state of health, is a granny's 
whim. Some are able to be up and about in two or 
three days, while others require to keep their beds as 
many weeks or months. Nor can any other one judge 
for them, but each must decide for themselves. Yet in 
general there is more danger of getting about too soon 
than of keeping confined too long. 

THE DIET OF RECENTLY-CONFINED MOTHERS. 

On this very much depends. It should be much as 
that already recommended before confinement 428 nutri- 
tious, yet easily digested. Wheat boiled, cracked, or 
coarse ground, and made into bread or puddings, in 
connection with sweet fruits, eaten freely, and perhaps 
milk and cream, will probably be found the best general 
diet. In meat, gravies, butter, I do not believe. They 
are too strong and too heating. 

Porter, so much used by many English women, I re- 
gard as particularly injurious to both mother and child. 
It contains considerable alcohol, and this is rank poison 
to infants. It powerfully irritates and stimulates the 
child, whereas it requires sleep and quiet. Cocoa con- 
tains all the nutrition required, and has a very soothing 
and quieting influence on the mother and child exactly 
what both require. This drink probably stands unri- 
valed. If the grease it contains is objectionable, let it 
cooj ind skim, and re-warm or drink cold ; but as a 
drink for nursing mothers, it far surpasses tea or coffee 



NURSING CUTTING THE NAVEL CORD. 201 

neither of which they ought ever to take. Fresh air 
wholesome food, and as much exercise as can be taken 
without injury, are the panaceas of confined mothers. 

441. THE NURSING AND MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. 

The author does not claim to be a nurse. He is per- 
fectly aware that women instinctively understand this 
subject better than men, and hence proposes only to of- 
fer a few general suggestions, based in physiological 
principles too often overlooked by nurses. Yet though 
women have more of the child-caring instinct than men, 
they generally err in one essential respect they OVER- 
NURSE. They too often literally KILL WITH KINDNESS. 
This their excessive Philoprogenitiveness, too gener- 
ally ungoverned by intellect, predisposes them to do. 
Their LOVE for the new comer exceeds their knowledge 
of the best mode of managing it, and hence they devise 
a thousand things for its comfort which are most detri- 
mental. But, to begin with its proper treatment from 
birth : 

TIME OF CUTTING THE NAVEL CORD. 

Is not this generally done too soon ? What harm can 
accrue from leaving this connection unsevered for some 
minutes ? On the contrary, would not a decided benefit 
result therefrom ? The more of the mother's blood the 
child can retain the better. Now by leaving the umbili- 
cal cord uncut a few minutes, it is obvious that more 
blood will be propelled from the mother into the child, 
than will be withdrawn from the child to the mother. 
At least till all pulsation in this cord has ceased, it 
should not be cut. This is too apparent to require 
proof. 

In Ireland, the cua;om prevails, of not only not sever- 



2CJ VASHING AND DRESSING. 

ing the connection at one 3, but of gently pressing the 
blood along from mother to child ; and I have known 
several cases of children born nearly dead, evidently 
resuscitated by leaving this connection unsevered for 
iome time ; whereas if it had been cut immediately, they 
would have died. We commend this point to the care- 
ful consideration of midwives. Still, care must be taken 
lest the child take cold. 

WASHING. 

This should be performed just as soon as possible af- 
ter the navel cord is cut, and done as rapidly as a due 
regard to tenderness will allow, in water nearly blood- 
warm, followed by rubbing with the bar. 1. A case 
came under my own observation where the nurse was 
so long in washing and dressing a child, that it took a 
cold from which it did not recover for several weeks, 
and probably will never wholly get over it. 

DRESSING. 

To wait to put on the common under and outer 
nlothes now used, is altogether wrong. WRAP THEM IN 

A WOOLLEN BLANKET. They QFC USUally OVER-DRESSED. 

I would have them kept warm, but this CLOTHES CAN 
NEVER DO p- U5> 118> 12 . Their own internal heat must 
warm them, or they must remain cold. All that clothes 
can do is to retard the escape of heat not to create 
that heat. But they are generally dressed too warmly; 
then the room is usually kept too warm, and they are 
often kept under an excess of bed-clothes too much 
for them even if naked. And all in consequence of the 
extra Cautiousness and Philoprogenitiveness of mothers 
and nurses. This weakens their skin, induces too 
great perspiration, and exposes them to colds. Be per- 



" A DOSE OF SWEET OIL." 203 

Buaded not to over-clothe, .ind lay them ON abto* instead 
of "under bed-clothes, for that clothing which suffices 
them when awake is all-sufficient when asleep. 

Also put on no caps. They are especially injurious. 
Yet this practice is now generally obsolete. 

" A DOSE OF SWEET OIL," 

Must of course be administered immediately on theW 
being dressed. This is both utterly unnecessary, and 
especially pernicious. The simple fact that the first 
nourishment received from the mother is aperient, is 
proof positive that no other purgation is needed. Since 
nature has thus provided for moving their bowels, why 
make any additional provision? The fact that nature 
always takes this work in hand, shows that art should 
not interfere. What proof can be stronger ? What 
needs to be done, nature will do, and the fact that she 
always undertakes it, is ample guarantee t-.i.it it will be 
WELL done. 

Besides, all such medicines only induce the ^ery con- 
stipation designed to be removed. It is the ri^ture of 
ALL aperients to tighten the bowels AFTESWA?O. This 
is an absolutely necessary consequence of oil purga- 
tives. How especially palsying, then, to the weak and 
highly susceptible bowels of infants ? It DISORDERS 
them ALWAYS, and in the very CONSTITUTION OF THINGS. 
They are always left worse than they would have been 
without any aperients. Let nature alone, and she will 
move the bowels in due time, unless the mother is very 
much disordered. Or if, in extreme cases, a^t should 
be required to quicken her movements which I exceed- 
ingly doubt tepid water is aid enough, and leaves no 
palsying influer 'e behind. Not a few of the colics, and 



204 NATURAL FOOZ OF INFANTS. 

stomach aches, and kindred complaaits which distress 
children, have their origin in sweet oil. I repeat, give 
NO medicines to either mother or child. Yet, if aperi- 
ents should be needed, let the MOTHER EAT OPENING FOOD. 

NATURAL FOOD OF INFANTS. 

That its mother's milk is the only natural food of the 
infant, is perfectly obvious, from the fact that nature has 
made provision for no other. She never fails to make 
AMPLE provision, and that of the VERY best kind. And 
that provision she has made in the mother's milk. It is 
PERFECTLY adapted to the nutrition of infants. It con- 
tains just the elements required for sustaining life, and 
developing all the organs, and in the most soluble form, 
possible. Nothing can exceed the adaptation of the 
mother's milk to infantile nutrition and growth. That 
child is really to be pitied who has not abundance of 
such nourishment. The fact that they have no teeth is 
negative proof of a positive character, that solid food is 
not adapted to them. As the specific object of teeth is 
to masticate solid food, of course the latter should noC 
be given till the former appear in sufficient abundance 
to masticate. 

Of course, in case the mother's milk is insufficient or 
diseased, better that infants be fed than starved. Solid 
food rather than none ; yet mothers who have taken 
first-rate care of their health, all along up from girlhood, 
will always have an abundance of milk, for nature, left 
to herself, always provides a surplus instead of allowing 
a deficit. The reason why so many mothers have too 
little milk, is their previous destruction of health, and 
injury of their female organs. Whatever impairs the 
health,, and especially the digestion, lessens the quantity 



LARGE BREASTS. 205 

and impairs the quality of their milk. That they, in 
common with the impairment of the female organs, 
diminish the SIZE of the breasts, has already been 
shown 424 , and whatever lessens their size diminishes 
their efficiency. Of course there are human, as well as 
other females, who, though healthy, give but little milk, 
because their vitality, though abundant, is mainly re- 
tained for their own personal use, just as there are 
others who run so much to milk as to keep themselves 
poor. Yet there are few females who would not, if 
healthy, give milk enough for a child. The chief cause 
of deficient milk, is too little vitality. Keep this abun- 
dant, and this difficulty will rarely occur. And those 
who, though healthy, furnish too little milk, can always 
be selected before marriage, and by those very signs 
which indicate good milking capabilities in stock. Good 
milking capabilities are one important sign of female 
perfection, and as easily predicated of the human as 
brute females, for the signs of both are the same. 



LARGE BREASTS 



Generally indicate good nursing capacity. Fleshy, 
corpulent women form a partial exception, because their 
breasts are composed proportionably of fat, yet a prac- 
ticed observer can easily see how much allowance is to 
be made on this score. A large pelvis is also generally 
accompanied by a good supply of milk. It is strange 
that all men especially cannot designate a good and 
a poor female at a glance ; and one who is a good fe- 
male, will rarely if ever fail in this important respect. 

Large breasts, therefore, are quite important in a can- 
didate for matrimony, and small ones indicative of other 
defects besides poor nurses. Let me, then, again urge 
18 



206 TIMES OF NURSIXG. 

upon our -young women and bearing matrons, to take 
that care of their health which shall secure round forms 
and full breasts Mark, moreover, that, at every step 
of our progress, from the very commencement of this 
work, we find icquisition after requisition for MATERNAL 
HEALTH. This is the PARAMOUNT maternal requisition. 
Will not our women learn wisdom from this " line upon 
line, and precept upon precept" of nature ? 

But where maternal nutrition is not adequate to the 
infant's demand, it must of course be fed. Fed by 
WHAT? That which most nearly resembles its mother's 
rnilk. In this respect, goat's milk probably stands fore- 
most. Yet cow's milk answers a good purpose. And 
when fed, it should be as WARM FROM THE cow as it can 
well be, and always from the SAME cow, and that a 
young and healthy one. It should be diluted with one 
half water, and be given blood warm, yet heated by the 
water put in instead of by the fire, because the latter 
causes a skin to rise which contains some of the most 
nutritious materials of the milk. Neither arrow root 
nor barley or rice water, nor any of the gums, equal 
NEW MILK, of which the economy of nature is abundant 
guarantee. And this milk is better given from the 
sucking bottle than with the spoon. 

TIMrS OF NURSING. 

This is another important matter. Most mothers err 
exceedingly in giving their children the breast TOO 
OFTEN, and IRREGULARLY, or whenever they cry. Very 
likely their crying was caused by over-feeding, and con- 
sequent flatulence or colic, and they only increase the 
difficulty by trying to obviate it. The child will tell, by 
other palpable signs besides crying, when it needs to 



PERIODICITY OF BATHING AND SI SEP. 207 

nurse, and it is ample time to nurse it when it asks ear- 
nestly for the breast. 

But this whole difficulty can be completely obviated 
by nursing the child at SPECIFIED times. How often, is 
less material than regularity. A time for every thing, 
and every thing in its time, is a fundamental law of 
nature, and one which can be employed with special 
benefit in child-nursing. Nature is perfect clock-work. 
Then should not that part of it which relates to the 
management of children be regulated by the clock? 
PERIODICITY should be faithfully observed in every thing 
done for them. They should be bathed all over every 
day at one specified hour, put to sleep at just such and 
such intervals, and nursed by the clock. Nor was it in 
the power of Astor, with all his millions, to confer on 
his descendants as great a legacy as every mother, how- 
ever poor, can confer on her children by observing this 
regularity. And it should be continued through child- 
hood and through life, for nothing will contribute more 
to health, happiness, and virtue. 

And the relief this practice affords mothers alone en- 
titles it to observance. Take sleep as an example. Put 
your child to bed from the first at given times, and you 
can soon ascertain within a few minutes how long it 
will sleep, and this will give you just such hours, every 
day, to yourself, to ride, or -nake calls, or do what you 
please. 

Mothers generally keep themselves at home from 
evening meetings, lectures, etc., whereas they might just 
as well go as not. Suppose you put your child to bed 
even : ngs at seven, or a quai ter before, you can easily 
so arrange it that it shall sleep soundly till nine, or half 
past nine, and then, after nursing and playing a .ittle, 



208 THE CRYING OF CHILDREN. 

put it to bed for the night ; nor nurse it again till five 
o'clock next morning. It will soon become so habitua- 
ted as to fall asleep, awaken, and require nursing at 
these particular times, and NO OTHERS, and this course 
will save mothers more than half the burden of the extra 
trouble they now impose on themselves, besides the in- 
calculable benefits it will confer on the children them- 
selves. Mothers who have not tried it, can form no 
conception of the utility of this policy. 

Every four or five hours is probably often enough. 
Suppose you nurse at five, nine and a quarter, A. M., one 
and a half, five and three quarters, and ten, p. M. Yet my 
own full conviction is, that once in five or five and a 
half hours is better, and then you might say five, ten 
and a half, four, and nine and a half. Or if you prefer 
three and a half hours, say at five, eight and a half, 
twelve, three and a half, seven, and ten ; or if four hours, 
say at five, nine, one, five, and nine and a half. Yet 
every mother can adopt such other times as she likes 
best. They will do better on five hours or over, than 
less than four. Yet their systems will soon adapt them- 
selves to whatever times may be appointed. Hence 
whatever times you select, be REGULAR. 

Of course their bathing, which should be continued 
through childhood, should also be regular ; and I would 
suggest nine o'clock in the morning as best, and sleep 
soon after, and again about one. 

Their under garments should be changed often, and 
special attention be directed to the skin. 

THE CRYING OF CHILDREN. 

Most mothers consider crying as necessary as eating. 
Far otherwise. Such crying is a sure index that some 



MANAGEMENT OF CROSS CHILDREN. 209 

of nature's laws have been violated, and the chila ac- 
cordingly distressed. The saying, " That is a good 
child which is good with good tending," is based in igno- 
rance. The order of nature is, that children SHOULD 
NOT CRY AT ALL. Infants sleep most of the time till 
their mothers disorder their own stomachs, and thereby 
derange their children's, and this occasions that pain 
which causes them to cry. They rarely, if ever, cry 
for crossness, but generally on account of distress. Of 
this distress there is no need, nor of course of its bois- 
terous effects. How instinctively does their crying 
awaken our pity. Why ? .Because we are intuitively 
conscious that they suffer. The order of nature is to 
render them happy, and this will prevent their crying 
Those mothers who are tormented with cross children, 
deserve the blame themselves. They are ignorant 
who do not know how to manage their children so that 
they will rarely cry. Strange that girls and young 
mothers enter upon married life without one correct 
physiological idea upon this subject, so intimately con- 
nected with their happiness. 

And when the child does cry, they jolt, toss, rock, and 
dose or stuff it, which only increase its discomfort and 
consequent cries. They must give it this tea and that 
medicine, which, in the very nature of things, increase 
the distress. Catnip tea, provided it is VERY weak, is 
not particularly detrimental, yet warm water, sweeten- 
ed, is perhaps better. Try it, when your children are 
cross, and you will find it to act like magic. 

" But," you urge, " my child is cross, spiteful, and 
angry." And do you not know that temper always ac- 
companies sickness, except where it is so severe as to 
cause prostration ? Aro not children always peevish 
18* 



210 MANAGEMENT OF SICK CHILDREN. 

and irritable when unwell ? Hence your objection be- 
comes my argument. And if they are NATURALLY ill- 
natured, very likely you entailed it upon them before 
they were born. Yet even this pre-supposes that your 
o\vn feverish state of body caused your and their petu- 
lance, so that they are to be pitied, instead of scolded. 

Against much rocking, jolting, trotting, and carrying 
children, I protest. They do no good, because they do 
not remove that bad feeling which causes the crying. 
But they do prevent REST, which would cure both dis- 
ease and crossness. Infants require to be kept still and 
quiet most of the time. As^ soon as they need exercise 
they will contrive ways and means to take it of them 
selves. 

MANAGEMENT OF SICK CHILDREN. 

Our suggestion, that children are often seriously injured 
by over-care and fussing, is doubly true when they are 
SICK. Of course parental anxiety is EXTREME, and one 
recourse after another is tried in such quick succession, 
that each nullifies the effect of the preceding remedy, and 
every one only increases the disease. The fatal error is 
the supposition that MEDICINES can cure. This is impos- 
sible. NATURE ALONE can remove disease, and effect a 
cure, and the less she is interfered with the better. Do 
too LITTLE rather than too much. In general, medicines 
kill many more than they cure, even of adults, and ten- 
fold more children. Their systems are exceedingly 
susceptible, so that medicines take a powerful hold on 
them, and therefore cannot but derange and weaken 
their organs. The more powerful medicines are almost 
certain death to them. How can they possibly with- 
stand them ? Doctors are utterly unfit to prescribe for 
them. " Old granny medicines " are far better ; that is 



PLACIDITY OF MIND DESIRABLE WHILE NURSING. 211 

less injurious. But the water cure is the treatment of 
all others for them. Still, if medicines must be taken, 
let the mother take them, and the child then nurse them 
from her. 

Yet the art is to KEEP them well. And this can al- 
ways and easily be done. They will never be sick, 
unless mother or child palpably violate the laws Of 
health. These laws every mother should understand. 
Oh, when will our girls give to PHYSIOLOGY a part of that 
time and energy now worse than wasted on dress ? 

NURSING CHILDREN WHEN THE MOTHER IS ANGRY, 

Has a pernicious influence on them. In some na- 
tions, mothers make it a superstitious practice to nurse 
only when in a quiet frame of mind. All the feelings 
of the mother are faithfully transmitted to her milk. 
How, will be seen in Physiology 132 . All her mental 
troubles, her nursing child feels. Mothers, observe, 
that when any thing occurs to make you feel bad, you 
will soon find them begin to worry and cry, just as, be- 
fore birth, it causes unusual motion in your womb. 
Placidity of mind is peculiarly desirable during he 
whole time of nursing. 

HOW LONG SHALL CHILDREN NURSE V 

Nature requires that they nurse considerably longer 
than the feebleness and diseases of mothers now render 
it expedient that they should. As most mothers now 
are, probably one year is quite long enough, yet my 
own conviction is, that if mother and child were kept in 
a state of perfect health, they should nurse till three or 
four years old. Yet our mothers generally are so full 
of disease, that, in from six to nine months, infants im 



212 EDUCATION- OF INFANTS. 

bibe quite as much disease as they can sustain. Yet 
here, too, all depends on the state of the mother's health. 
The better it is, the longer they should nurse. 

442. THE EDUCATION OF INFANTS. 

This point is one of great practical importance suffi 
cient to require a volume for its complete elucidation. 
Yet we are compelled to treat it cursorily. 

Few realize to what an extent infantile minds are sus- 
ceptible of development, and how much they can be 
taught. Every day and hour their minds can be sharp- 
ened up and expanded by maternal actions, looks, and 
expressions. Even before they can understand the 
meaning of words, they FEEL the full force of intona- 
tions. Mind constitutionally quickens mind, and the 
more the mother or nurse puts forth, the more they 
imbibe. 

In view of this truth, I protest against the common 
baby talk with which children are dosed. It consists 
in saying very silly things, in a very silly manner. My 
great objection to it is, that this silliness must of neces- 
sity be uttered in flat, foolish intonations, and these simi- 
larly affect their tender minds. But if the operations 
of the mother's mind are sensible and vigorous, they 
will stir up the child's mind similarly. Every look, 
every intonation, affects them in like manner. 

RETAIN THEIR NORMALITY. 

But the great end of infantile training should be to 
retain their NORMALITY, or naturalness of feeling. At 
first, all their feelings are pure and right, and in accord- 
ance with the natural fitness of things. But society is 
in a wretchedly perverted state. Heaven-wide, and 



INFANTS SHOULD RETAIN THEIR NORMALITY. 213 

most unaccountable, is man's departure from the basis 
of his nature. And this mental distortion is imparted 
even to infants. How often are they scolded, and their 
tender souls calloused to good impressions, and their 
pure feelings harrowed up by the distorted faculties of 
those around them ! Most children are soured, per- 
verted, and spoiled BEFORE THEY ARE THREE YEARS OLD, 
by the irritability and evil passions of others. It is to 
this DISTORTION AND PERVERSION of their faculties that 
special attention is invited. They should never be 
chided. If they evince temper, it is because their 
physiology is in an irritated state, and this inflames 
Combativeness and Destructiveness. Cure their BOWES, 
and you will cure their tempers. Be gentle and sweet 
to them, and you will find them apt copyists of what- 
ever patterns you set them. Would that mothers and 
nurses could be made to feel the importance of their al- 
ways being lovely, amiable, and good to infants, as well 
as the evils of all warring, unkind passions in themselves. 
Would that they could but realize how much their future 
characters depend on the direction their minds receive 
in the cradle. 

Much more might be said, and better said, on this 
fruitful theme of the management of infants ; yet the 
great thought which the book was written to develop is 
not the management of infants but THE STATES or 
THE MOTHER'S MIND AND BODY, AS AFFECTING THE CONSTI- 
TUTIONAL PHYSIOLOGY AND MENTALITY OF OFFSPRING. 

Since, therefore, this infantile training is only a second- 
ary matter, it has been thus cursorily treated. As 
woman is best adapted to give its details, all we have 
attempted is the statement of some of those fundamental 
physiological principles which govern this matter, which, 



214 SLEMENTS OF FEMALE BEAUTY. 

though imperfectly presented, will doubtless be of no 
small service to some mothers in their nursing capaci- 
ties. Future editions may possibly present this part of 
our subject more fully. We specially commend it to 
the observation and study of mothers, and, moreover, 
EARNESTLY recommend young women to make it an in- 
tegral part of their educational course. Than how to 
CARRY children, they can learn nothing more important 
than how to NURSE them. 

443. FEMALE BEAUTY ITS ELEMENTS AND PERFECTION. 

This work, while developing those elements requisite 
for maternity, has incidentally developed the CONSTITU- 
ENT ELEMENTS of female beauty. Those things render 
a woman beautiful which capacitate her to bear fine 
children : nor can a single condition of beauty be named 
which does not promote maternity. And every condi- 
tion of female beauty is beautiful, BECAUSE it promotes 
and indicates superior child-bearing capabilities, and in 
just that proportion. This principle we have already 
proved, and applied it to a few physical elements of 
beauty. It remains to continue that application to some 
other elements, so that the reader may follow it out into 
its various ramifications. 

A HAMDSOME SET OF TEETH. 

This element of beauty indicates balance and propor- 
tion of organization ; for when the teeth are well- 
proportioned that is, handsome the whole of the 
physiological conditions will also be well-proportioned, 
and this, of course, as already shown, is an important 
maternal condition of bearing a fine child * 2B - 429 . 

On the contrary, irregularly-formed teeth indicate a 



ELEMENTS OF FEMALE BEAUTY. 215 

want of such balance, and of course material imper 
fection, which is liable, unless counteracted, to be trans 
mitted to the child. 

PLUMPNESS OF FORM. 

Rotundity of features, or a filling out of face and 
figure, is another essential ingredient in female beauty 
while a thin-faced, sharp-featured, angular, scrawny 
form, with here sharp bones, and there deep cavities, is 
destructive of it. Why ? Because such fullness un- 
less caused by dropsy, or some other disease, which can 
be easily discerned, and causes homeliness instead of 
beauty indicates abundance of that vitality already 
shown to be so essential an element of child-bearing 
perfection. As such vitality wanes, this plumpness 
gives place to irregularity, of which starving furnishes 
a pertinent illustration ; and in proportion as this condi- 
tion of beauty wanes, does the maternal capacity de- 
cline. This coincidence is no mean proof of the law 
here involved. And that fullness of breasts, so essential 
to the nursing department of maternity w4 , is also pro- 
moted by this same vitality, and consequent rotundity 
So is that abdominal and pelvic fullness already shown 
to be both so promotive of maternity, and so essential 
to female beauty * a 4|9> . 

BRIGHT, CLEAR, EXPRESSIVE EYES, 

Constitute another indispensable condition of beauty. 
No woman can be handsome with vague, dull eyes. 
Why ? Because such eye-snap indicates soul, as well 
as condensation and sprightliness cf mentality ; where- 
as a dull eye accompanies lameness and flatness of body 
and mind, obtuseness of feeling, and vacuity of mind. 



216 ELEMENTS OF FEMALE BEAUTY. 

Of course the former, other things being equal, wilJ 
have smart, sprightly, bright, whole-souled children 
that are all life, animation, and pathos, as well as clear 
headed and efficient, while the latter will of course have 
soulless dough-heads, with little mind and less feoling. 

A FINE, SOFT SKIN, AND FINE HA/R, 

Contribute materially to beauty, and no less to mater- 
nal excellence, because they indicate a fine-grained and 
exquisite organization in the mother, and this guaranties 
a superior organization in their children a condition 
in children of paramount importance as to talents, mor- 
als, every thing. 

AUBURN-COLORED HAIR 

Has heretofore been considered a mark of beauty, so 
much so that painters have copied it into their finest 
pictures. This indicates the utmost susceptibility of 
organization, intensity of feeling, and fervidness of 
imagination, together with refinement, purity, memory, 
and extreme ardor of affection all of which contribute 
materially to maternal excellence. Light skin and eyes, 
and a florid complexion, generally accompany this tem- 
perament, and add to both beauty and maternal ex- 
cellence. 

FINE, GLOSSY, BLACK HAIR, 

Also indicates extreme activity and power of brain 
and nerves, clearness and strength of mind, high moral 
excellence, a thought-manufacturing cast of mind, dis- 
cernment, judgment, literary capabilities, and a FINE and 
STRONG organization combined. All these physiological 
and mental conditions are essential to maternal excel- 
lence, and therefore ace elements of feminine beauty. 



ELEMENTS OF FEMALE BEAL'TY. ii!7 

GRACE, AND EASE OF MOTION, 

Are indispensable accompaniments of female beauty, 
and equally so of maternal excellence, because they in- 
dicate and accompany a superior muscular organiza- 
tion, the importance of which in child-bearing has al- 
ready been shown 439 , along with good taste and perfec- 
tion of character, also constituent elements of maternal 
excellence. 

PERFECTION OF FORM, 

Always accompanies corresponding perfection of char- 
acter. This law we will not here attempt to prove, but 
will refer those who would understand the connection 
implied, both here and throughout this section, between 
certain physiological conditions, forms, etc., and cor- 
responding mental characteristics, to a series of arti- 
cles in the American Phrenological Journal, entitled, 
" SIGNS OF CHARACTER, as indicated by Phrenology, 
Physiology, Physiognomy, etc." At all events, such 
perfection of form indicates corresponding beauty of 
soul, and perfection of mind the inner man correspond- 
ing with the outer and this is a most important ele- 
ment in maternal perfection ; quite as essential to it as 
to beauty, and to the latter BECAUSE to the former 

STRONG SOCIAL FACULTIES 

Add materially to that spirit and soul so requisite to 
female perfection. What is a woman without love ? 
How can she be beautiful without being lovely, or lovely 
without being affectionate? Love requires a RETURN, 
and thi implies that women should be LOVING in order 
to be lovely. And how much string amative, parental, 
and connubial instincts contribute to the endowment of 
19 



218 



ELEMENTS OF FEMALE BEAUTY. 



offspring, the author has shown in " Love and Parent 
age." Love between husbands and wives contributes 
immeasurably to superiority in children. Parents who 
cordially love each other, have children decidedly bet- 
ter than either parent, whereas the children of those 
who dislike each other are inferior to both parents, for 
reason-s given in Love and Parentage. A cold-hearted 
woman is as unfit for a mother, as she is unattractive in 
society. Even if she possesses charms, she must first 
love in order to develop or manifest them. This men- 
tal condition of female charms, therefore, promotes 
child-bearing excellence. Here, too, beauty and mater- 
nity centre in one and the same condition. 

A HIGH MORAL TONE 

Contributes essentially to beauty, especially of EX- 
PRESSION. It adds a finishing touch to female charms 
What is woman without it ? It adorns and ennobles 
men, but woman doubly. Why ? Because moral pu- 
rity is a paramount human excellence, and therefore pe- 
culiarly requisite in woman, to fit her both to bring forth 
and bring up high-toned and pure-minded offspring. 

SUPERIOR INTELLECTUAL ENDOWMENTS 

Enhance the charms of a woman, both because they 
guarantee intellectual children, which is a superlative 
condition of human perfection, and also superior educa- 
tional capabilities. 

Superior conversational powers and teaching capa- 
bilities are important female accomplishments, because, 
among other things, they indicate capacity to EDUCATE 
children, as well as to endow them with good speaking 
talents. 



HOMELINESS AND DEFORMITY. 219 

Bat it is not necessary to give further details. The 
entire rationale of all female attractiveness and beauty 
is embodied in the law under discussion. There is no 
female charm, as such, which is not an index of some 
child-bearing- excellence ; nor is there any one maternal 
excellence which is not a constituent element of female 
beauty and loveliness. Let the reader go over the 
"POINTS" of female graces, accomplishments, beauties, 
and virtues, and he will find the attractiveness, or LOVE- 
ABILITY, of every one of them to consist in the fact that 
they contribute to child-bearing. 

Consequently, she is the most beautiful, the most 
lovely, the most perfect woman, who is capacitated to 
bear the best children, and BECAUSE thus capacitated 
and every thing which enhances this capability therein 
and thereby proportionally enhances female loveliness? 
and excellence ; whereas all that diminishes such capa 
bility therefore decreases female attractiveness. In 
short, woman is rendered attractive that she may be 
come a mother, and the more perfect a mother, the more 
attractive. Women who would enhance their loveli- 
ness and this is the great passion of woman, that alone 
which makes her dress fashionably, adorn herself, and 
appear pretty and taking will find the key of self- 
adornment in this book ; and TRUE women will spare no 
labor to increase both their beauty and their maternal 
excellence. 

FEMALE HOMELINESS AND DEFORMITY. 

Some things in women strike every observer as ob- 
jectionable, and render her homely. WHAT things, and 
WHY 1 Those things which indicate deficiency of ma- 
teinal qualifications, or that mar them, and BF.CAUSE of 



220 REQUISITIONS IN A HUSBAM. OR WIVE. 

such defect or marring. This needs neither proof nor 
illustration, for it is necessarily involved in the preced- 
ing propositions, and forms the converse part of it. It 
is here introduced mainly as a text for exhorting women, 
by all that instinctive value they set on being beloved, 
as well as on their having fine children, never, on ANY 
ACCOUNT, to let ANY THING WHATEVER impair their ma- 
ternal qualifications. Suffer any thing, become any 
thing, do without any thing, rather than suffer this cen- 
tral charm of your coronet of beauty, loveliness, and 
perfection, to be dimmed or plucked. This being the 
embodiment of your sex as such, guard it against all in- 
jury as you would guard your very life, and cherish it 
as the very soul and centre of your very existence. 

444. WHAT IS WANTED IN A HUSBAND OR WIFE? 

This eventful question is answered by the entire tenor 
of the work. Its centre, its focus, its one distinctive 
principle, tells every masculine seeker for a matrimonial 
partner that the ONE thing he requires is a good CHILD 
BEARER. When he finds this, he finds EVERY THING ELSE. 
That is, those elements, in a woman, which are best cal 
culated, taking him as he is, to produce the best children, 
are exactly those which are the most perfectly promo- 
tive of that love and connubial oneness which is the par- 
amount element of conjugal felicity. 

And the one thing to be sought by every female in 
marriage, is the best possible FATHER for her prospective 
children not provider for a family, but PARENT as such 
And he who, taking his and her respective organizations 
into conjoint account, is capacitated to bestow on her 
the highest order of germs of humanity, is the one she 
can love best, and with whom live most happily; be 



CONCLUSION. 291 

cause, this being the one natural rationale of marriage, 
he who can best fulfill this condition is therefore best 
adapted to fulfill all others. This is plain talk, but it if 
only the summing up of the book, and is exar.tl" wh*t 
every matrimonial candidate requires to krcv 
19* 



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Write," "How to Talk," "How to Behave," and 
" How to Do Business," In one laige volume. $1 SO. 



RURAL HAND-BOOKS. 

^DOMESTIC ANIMALS : A Man- 
ual of Cattle, Sheep, and Horse Husbandry : or. How 
to Breed, Rear, and Manage the Tenants o[ the Barn- 
yard. Paper, 30 cents ; munlin, 50 cents. 

THE FARM: A Manual of 

Practical Agriculture ; or, How to Cultivate all the 
Field Crops, with a moat valuable KSSHV on Farm 
Management. Paper, 30 cents ; muslin, 50 cents. 

THE GARDEN : A Manual of 

Horticulture ;or, How to Cultivate Vegetables. Frits, 
and Flowers. Paper, 30 cents ; muslin, 50 cents. 

THE HOUSE : A Manual of 



Rural Architecture; or, How to Build Dwellings, 
Barns, and Out-Houses generally. 50 cents. 

RURAL MANUALS ; comprising 



' Tlie Oaiden,' 
rge vjlume. $1 60. 



These woiks may be ordered In large or small qnantltles. A liberal discount will b made to AOKNTS, and 
others, who buy to sell again. They may be sent by Express or as Freight, by Railroad, or otherwise, to any 
place In the United States, the Canada*, Europe, or elsewhere. Checks or drafts, for large amounts, on New 
Tork, Philadelphia, or Boston, always pieferred. We pay cost of Exchange. All letters should be pont-j aid, and 
adftmesed s,s follows : FOWLER AND WELLS, 

iNme the Post-office, County, and State.] 80S BROADWAY Nl!W 



-Vi~ 

r.*