Plain Facts for Old and Young

John Harvey Kellogg

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• Publié par: sawyong
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 39
• Langue: English

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Project Gutenberg's Plain Facts for Old and Young, by John Harvey Kellogg This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Plain Facts for Old and Young Author: John Harvey Kellogg Release Date: November 27, 2006 [EBook #19924] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG *** Produced by Ron Swanson The Sanitarium at Battle Creek, Mich. PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG. BY J. H. KELLOGG, M.D., MEMBER AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MICROSCOPY, MEMBER MICH. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BATTLE CREEK SANITARIUM, AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS WORKS ON HEALTH, ETC. PUBLISHED BY SEGNER & CONDIT, BURLINGTON, IOWA. 1881. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by J. H. KELLOGG, M.D., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D.C. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PREFACE. The publishers of this work offer no apology for presenting it to the reading public, since the wide prevalence of the evils which it exposes is sufficient warrant for its publication. The subjects with which it deals are of vital consequence to the human race; and it is of the utmost importance that every effort should be made to dispel the gross ignorance which almost universally prevails, by the wide diffusion, in a proper manner, of information of the character contained in this volume. This book has been written not for the young only, nor for any single class of persons, but for all who are old enough to be capable of understanding and appreciating it. The prime object of its preparation has been to call attention to the great prevalence of sexual excesses of all kinds, and the heinous crimes resulting from some forms of sexual transgression, and to point out the terrible results which inevitably follow the violation of sexual law. In order to make more clear and comprehensible the teachings of nature respecting the laws regulating the sexual function, and the evils resulting from their violation, it has seemed necessary to preface the practical part of the subject by a concise description of the anatomy of reproduction. In this portion of the work especial pains has been taken to avoid anything like indelicacy of expression, yet it has not been deemed advisable to sacrifice perspicuity of ideas to any prudish notions of modesty. It is hoped that the reader will bear in mind that the language of science is always chaste in itself, and that it is only through a corrupt imagination that it becomes invested with impurity. The author has constantly endeavored to impart information in the most straightforward, simple, and concise manner. The work should be judiciously circulated, and to secure this the publishers will take care to place it in the hands of agents competent to introduce it with discretion; yet it may be read without injury by any one who is sufficiently mature to understand it. Great care has been taken to exclude from its pages those accounts of the habits of vicious persons, and descriptions of the mechanical accessories of vice, with which many works upon sexual subjects abound. The first editions of the work were issued with no little anxiety on the part of both author and publishers as to how it would be received by the reading public. It was anticipated that no little adverse criticism, and perhaps severe condemnation, would be pronounced by many whose education and general mode of thought had been such as to unfit them to appreciate it; but it was hoped that persons of more thoughtful and unbiased minds would receive the work kindly, and would readily co-operate with the publishers in its circulation. This anticipation has been more than realized. Wherever the book has been introduced, it has met with a warm reception; and of the several thousand persons into whose hands the work has been placed, hundreds have gratefully acknowledged the benefit which they have received from its perusal, and it is hoped that a large proportion have been greatly benefited. The cordial reception which the work has met from the press everywhere has undoubtedly contributed in great measure to its popularity. The demand for the work has exhausted several editions in rapid succession, and has seemed to require its preparation in the greatly enlarged and in every way improved form in which it now appears. The addition of two whole chapters for the purpose of bringing the subject directly before the minds of boys and girls in a proper manner, adds greatly to the interest and value of the work, as there seemed to be a slight deficiency in this particular in the former editions. J. H. K. BATTLE C REEK, MICH., October, 1879 . CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. SEX IN LIVING FORMS . Living beings—Animals and vegetables—Life force—Reproduction—S p o n t a n e o u s generation—Simplest form of generation—Hermaphrodism—Sex in plants—Sex in animals—Other sexual differences—Men and women differ in form—Modern mania for female pedestrianism—3,000 quarter miles in 3,000 quarter hours—A female walkingmatch—The male and female brain—Vital organs of man and woman—Woman less muscular, more enduring—A pathological difference—Why a woman does not breathe like a man—The reproductive elements—Sexual organs of plants—Polygamous flowers—The female organ of flowers—Sexual organs of animals—The spermatozoön—T h e ovum—Fecundation—Fecundation in flowers—Union of the ovum and zoösperm—C u r i o u s modes of reproduction—Human beings are developed buds—Fecundation in hermaphrodites—Development—Unprotected development—Partial protection of the ovum—Development in the higher animals and in man—The uterus—Uterine gestation—The primitive trace—Curious relations to lower animals—Simplicity of early structures—T h e stages of growth—Duration of gestation—U t e r i n e life—How the unborn infant breathes—Parturition—Changes in the child at birth—Nursing—Anatomy of the r e p r o d u c t i v e organs—Male organs—The prostate gland—Female organs—Puberty—Influence of diet on puberty—Brunettes naturally precocious—Remarkable precocity—Premature development occasions early decay—E a r l y puberty a cause for anxiety—Changes which occur at puberty—Menstruation—Nature of menstruation—A critical period—Important hints—Menorrhagia—Dysmenorrhoea—A m e n o r r h o e a and chlorosis—Hysteria—Prevention better than cure—Extra-uterine pregnancy—Twins—Monsters—Hybrids—L a w of sex—Heredity—Ante-natal influences—Law universal—A source of crime—Circumcision—Castration THE SEXUAL RELATIONS. Sexual precocity—Astonishing ignorance—Inherited passion—Various causes of sexual precocity—Senile sexuality—Marriage—Time to marry—Application of the law of heredity—E a r l y marriage—Mutual adaptation—Disparity of age—Courtship—L o n g Courtships—Flirtation—Youthful flirtations—Polygamy—Polyandry—Divorce—Who may not marry—Do not be in a hurry CHASTITY . Mental unchastity—Amativeness—U n c h a s t e conversation—Causes of unchastity—Early causes—Diet vs. chastity—Clerical lapses—Tobacco and vice—B a d books—Idleness—Dress and sensuality—How young women fall—Fashion and vice—Reform in dress needed—Round dances—Physical causes of unchastity—Constipation—I n t e s t i n a l worms—Local uncleanness—Irritation of the bladder—Modern modes of life CONTINENCE. Continence not injurious—Does not continence—Helps will—Diet—Exercise—Bathing—Religion produce impotence—Difficulty of to continence—The MARITAL EXCESSES. Object of the reproductive functions—Results of excesses—Effects upon husbands—Testimony of a French physician—Continence of trainers—A cause of throat disease—A cause of consumption—Effects on wives—The greatest cause of uterine disease—Legalized murder—Indulgence during menstruation—Effects upon offspring—Indulgence during pregnancy—Effect upon the character—A selfish objection—Brutes and savages more considerate—What may be done—Early moderation PREVENTION OF CONCEPTION: ITS EVILS AND DANGERS . Conjugal onanism—"Male continence"—Shaker views—Moral bearings of the question—U n c o n s i d e r e d murders—The charge disputed—Difficulties—Woman's rights—What to do—A compromise INFANTICIDE AND ABORTION . Not a modern crime—Causes of the crime—The nature of the crime—Instruments of crime—Results of this unnatural crime—An unwelcome child—The remedy—Murder by proxy THE SOCIAL EVIL. Unchastity of the ancients—Causes of the "social evil"—Libidinous blood—Gluttony—Precocious sexuality—Man's lewdness—Fashion—Lack of early training—Sentimental literature—Poverty—Ignorance—Disease—R e s u l t s of licentiousness—Thousands of victims—Effects of vice ineradicable—The only hope—Hereditary effects of venereal disease—Man the only transgressor—Origin of the foul disease—Cure of the "social evil"—Prevention the only cure—Early training—T e a c h self-control—Mental culture—Early associations SOLITARY VICE . Alarming prevalence of the vice—Testimony of eminent authors—Not a modern vice—Victims of all ages—Unsuspected rottenness—Causes of the habit—Evil associations—Corruption in schools—Wicked nurses—Not an uncommon case—The instructor in vice—L o c a l disease—An illustrative case—Other physical causes—Influence of stimulants—Signs of self-abuse—Suspicious signs—General debility—Early symptoms of consumption—Premature and defective development—Sudden change in disposition—Lassitude—Sleeplessness—F a i l u r e of mental capacity—Fickleness—Untrustworthiness—L o v e of solitude—Bashfulness—U n n a tu ra l boldness—Mock piety—Confusion of ideas—Round shoulders—Weak backs—Pains in the limbs—Stiffness of the joints—Paralysis—Gait—B a d positions—Lack of development of the breasts—Capricious appetite—Eating clay—The use of tobacco—Unnatural