so large an interest, occurs during the few years of a girl's
educational life. No such extraordinary task, calling for such rapid
expenditure of force, building up such a delicate and extensive
mechanism within the organism,--a house within a house, an engine
within an engine,--is imposed upon the male physique at the same
epoch.[4] The organization of the male grows steadily, gradually, and
equally, from birth to maturity. The importance of having our methods
of female education recognize this peculiar demand for growth, and of
so adjusting themselves to it, as to allow a sufficient opportunity
for the healthy development of the ovaries and their accessory organs,
and for the establishment of their periodical functions, cannot be
overestimated. Moreover, unless the work is accomplished at that
period, unless the reproductive mechanism is built and put in good
working order at that time, it is never perfectly accomplished
afterwards. "It is not enough," says Dr. Charles West, the
accomplished London physician, and lecturer on diseases of women, "it
is not enough to take precautions till menstruation has for the first
time occurred: the period for its return should, even in the
healthiest girl, be watched for, and all previous precautions should
be once more repeated; and this should be done again and again, until
at length the _habit_ of regular, healthy menstruation is established.
If this be not accomplished during the first few years of womanhood,
it will, in all probability, never be attained."[5] There have been
instances, and I have seen such, of females in whom the special
mechanism we are speaking of remained germinal,--undeveloped. It
seemed to have been aborted. They graduated from school or college
excellent scholars, but with undeveloped ovaries. Later they married,
and were sterile.[6]

The system never does two things well at the same time. The muscles