Volume 1

The Cyclopaedia of practical medicine : comprising treatises on the nature and treatment of diseases, materia medica and therapeutics, medical jurisprudence, etc., etc. / edited by John Forbes ... Alexander Tweedie ... John Conolly.

Date:: 1833-1835

Credit: The Cyclopaedia of practical medicine : comprising treatises on the nature and treatment of diseases, materia medica and therapeutics, medical jurisprudence, etc., etc. / edited by John Forbes ... Alexander Tweedie ... John Conolly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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$fares no better; for instead of tlie cultivation of those intellectual powers and moral feelings which conduce to utility, happiness, and vir- tue, the best yeara of life are wasted on vain accomplishments, which even when attained are too dearly purchased, yielding but a very inadequate recompense for the time and toil bestowed on them, and which in a large pro- portion of instances, from being forced against nature, and without the talents that would justify such assiduous cultivation, are never acquired to the extent of answering a single good purpose, being sure to be abandoned as soon as the parties become free agents, and released from the controul of their unrelenting taskmasters. Each of these subjects will re- quire to be considered more in detail; and above all, attention must be forcibly drawn to those horrible ravages in female health that result from the vi.sceral lesions which the tyranny of fashion occasions. To any one impressed with the reality imd extent of the evils here deprecated, it is difficult to think or write on them with perfect calrnne.ss. We shall endeavour as much as possible to confine ourselves to a plain exposition of the evils deplored, and of these we shall adduce only such evidences as admit of unequivocal demon- stration. Of boys it is unnecessary to say much, as the principles already inculcated apply to them equally as to infants and children. To them the advance from childhood brings but greater freedom ; and if the confinement of school exceed what sound reason and the philosophy of nature would sanction, they redeem the mischief by the active unrestrained gambols in which they indulge when school-hours are over. They pass much time in the open air, exercise freely, take food with appetite, and digest it thoroughly ; whence the stomach and bowels are seldom disordered, and their sleep is sound and refreshing. Their clothes, too, make no injurious pressure; all their muscles arc at liberty to act, and the free exercise of these promotes both their growth and activity, ensuring thus the regularity and efficiency of the several functions to which these muscles are subservient. ^\ ith girls, the ordinary modes of proceeding are much less healthful. It is not that their health is less an object of regard, or less care- fully tended, but other considerations than those of health obtain an undue share of atten- tion, and various practices subversive of health are pursued in ignorance of the extensive mis- chiefs to w hich they lead. After clnldhood, education formally commences, and from this period certain objects of maternal solicitude are pursued with a zeal and earnestness which, if well directed, would be worthy of all praise. As it is, that of good intentions only can be awarded ; for the tendency of much that occurs at the periods of life now under consideration is to render valueless all the cares lavished, by breaking down the constitution. The first error is that of restraining the free motions of the body and limbs, so natural at this period of life, and in which the young of both sexes so much delight. The young lady is now' to cultivate manners, to practice a cer- tain demureness supposed to be becoming, to attend to her carriage, keeping her head erect, and her shoulders drawn back; and if from inability to continue the muscular efforts neces- sary for this end, she fail to do what nature does not empower her to accomplish, negli- gence or obstinacy is imputed, reproach is cast, which, being felt as unjust, irritates the moral feelings; and thus a slight error in physical discijdine becomes a fruitful source not only of bodily injury but of moral deprava- tion. it is a well established fact with respect to muscular energy', that the contractions of muscular fibres on which their actions depend, require intervals of relaxation ; that, if the eon- tractions be prolonged w ithout this relief, they in a certain time fail, so that no effort of the will can continue them. In other words, the muscles tire, -and an interval of repose is ne- cessiiry to fit them for renewed effort. This is familitu'ly instanced by the experiment of hold- ing the arm extended, when, even though no weight be held in the hand, the continued muscular action required for maintaining this iK)sition cannot be sustained for many minutes. If this be true of the firm and robust muscles of adults, how much more forcibly does the principle apply to the tender and immature muscles of early life. To preser\'e a good caniage, to keep the head and shoulders con- tinually in that position which the dancing- master approves, require considerable muscular powers, such as no girl can exercise without long, painful, and injurious training, nor even by this, unless other measures to be hereafter noticed, be resorted to in aid of her direct endeavours. We would not here be under- stood as undervaluing :i good carriage, which is not only pleasing to the eye, but is, w'hen natural, absolutely conducive itself to health, as resulting from that relative position of the several ]>arts connected exteriorly with the chest, which allows greatest freedom to the inteniid organs. To ensure a good carriage, the only rational way is to give the necessary power, especially in the mu.scles chiefly concerned; and this is to be done, not by wearying those muscles by continual and unrelieved exertion, but by invigorating the frame generally, and more e.specially by strengthening the particular muscles through varied exercise alternated with due repose. Attention to general health, suit- able diet, regular bowels, moderate but regular exercise, not of particular muscles only, but of the whole frame, cold bathing when needed, and other such measures, w ill maintain a good carriage by giving that power which the more direct means so generally practised serve but to exhaust. All this may appear trivial and of slight importance, yet the principle inculcated is far from being so ; and it applies to this early stage of life as forcibly as to those more advanced. Nay, more so ; it is at this stage that its observance is of greatest moment; ibr if it be here disregarded, effects may result, which, though not immediately obvious, are capable of laying the foundation of evils that$