the best of circumstances, is more liable to this difficulty than her
mate, just as the human being is more liable to it than the four-legged
beast. Man's upright position has not been well adjusted by appropriate
structures. Childbearing, lack of vigorous exercise, the corset, and the
hustle and bustle of the early morning hours so that regular habits are
not formed, bring about a sluggish bowel. Indeed it is a cynicism
amongst physicians that the proper definition of woman is "a constipated
biped."

While it is a lay habit to ascribe overmuch to constipation, it is also
true that it does definite harm. For many people a loaded bowel acts as
a mood depressant, as illustrated by the Voltaire story. For others it
destroys the appetite and brings about an uneasiness that affects the
efficiency. Whether there is a poisoning of the organism, an
autointoxication, in such a condition is not a settled matter. But the
importance of the constipation habit lies chiefly in its effect upon
mood and energy, in its relation to neurasthenia.

These factors, the nature of housework, monotony and the results of
sedentary life bear with especial weight upon the woman of little
means. It is absolutely untrue that nervousness is a disease of wealth.
There are cases enough where lack of purpose and lack of routine tasks,
as in the case of wealthy women, lead to a rapid demoralization and
deënergization. It is also true that the search for pleasure leads to a
sterile sort of strenuousness that breaks down the health, as well as
inflicting injury on the personality.

Poverty is picturesque only to the outsider. "It's hell to be poor" is
the poor man's summary of the situation. There are serious psychical
injuries in poverty which will demand our attention later, and still