This publication is Book VIII, of XV, derived from an original book entitled Health and Longevity, Copyrighted in 1912. The original book is a huge collection of fifteen books, and almost 1,400 pages of text and images. (The original printed book is about 6 inches thick).
This publication, Book VIII,entitled ‘Adult’s Department’, consists of 48 pages of text.
This book, as a whole, was created by a host of experts, from around the world, mostly MD’s, for the average laymen to use as a guide to living a long, and healthy, and moral, and happy life. It covers just about every topic possible, from the construction of a ‘healthy dwelling’, to prevention of disease, diseases and their cures, care of children, diseases of women, body building, medicines, treatments, etc.
All the 'books' are fun to read. They are fascinating for their obvious historical value, but doubly fascinating because they create such good 'pictures' of the times. The verbiage, and the prose, and the drama, to say nothing of the content, create a visual image of a simpler time when they had all the ‘answers’.
In THIS publication, Book VII, Adults' Department, the main topics are tantalizing:
Plain Talk to Women
The Passions
Sexual Science
Life and Morals
Motherhood
I had to chuckle at how women were viewed then in that pre-women’s suffrage era. Apparently, women ‘needed’ ‘guidance’, from men, of course. (Which I say with tongue in cheek !)
For instance, read the following advice to women, on marriage, which is on the first page of this publication:
Book VIII, Adults’ Department:
PLAIN TALK TO WOMEN
Entering Upon Marriage
Courtship.
The object of courtship should be to study dispositions and affinities, also mental and physical conditions. Falling in love first and then courting is substituting blindness for sight, folly for discretion.
Mental Condition.
Mental affinity is necessary to married happiness. An ignorant man or woman should not mate with one of education, nor vice versa. It cannot be said that such a union is devoid of all certainty as to happiness, but the chances for unhappiness are too great to risk.
(There is no section entitled “PLAIN TALK to MEN”)
Stereotypes are abundant; for example, later on, the book talks about “The Passion for Play”:
A boy cannot help running after another boy who runs provokingly near him. The sexes differ somewhat in their plays. As Schneider says: "The little boy mitates soldiers, models clay into an oven, builds houses, takes a wagon out of chairs, rides on horseback upon a stick, drives nails with a hammer, harnesses his brethren and comrades together and plays the stage-driver, or lets himself be captured as a wild horse by someone else.
Girl Play. "The girl, on the contrary, plays with her doll, washes and dresses it, strokes it, clasps and kisses it, puts it to bed and tucks it in, sings it a cradle-song, or talks to it as if it were a living being."
The section on Sexual Science, It’s Bearing on Health, gives a short but interesting history of women’s evolving role in sexual life.
Since it was published in 1912, much, if not most, of the medical treatments, and medicines, etc, are obviously out-dated; some are downright silly, and even dangerous. It is so far detached from our modern world, that it’s almost hard to believe that anyone might have taken it seriously, yet, I’m guessing that it had a wide circulation, and success.
I just think it’s fun to read, and think most people, young and old will have some chuckles.
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Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction - Edwin W. Sims.
I. History of the White Slave Trade
II. The Suppression of the White Slave Traffic - William Alexander Coote.
III. The White Slave Trade of Today - Edwin W. Sims.
IV. Menace of the White Slave Trade - Edwin W. Sims.
V. A White Slave Clearing House; A White Slave's Own Story
VI. The True Story of Estelle Ramon of Kentucky - D. F. Sutherland.
VII. Our Sister of the Street - Florence Mabel Dedrick.
VIII. More about the Traffic in Shame - Ophelia Amigh.
IX. The Traffic in Girls - Charles N. Crittenton.
X. Warfare Against the White Slave Traffic - Clifford G. Roe.
XI. The Boston Hypocrisy - Clifford G. Roe.
XII. The Auctioneer of Souls - Clifford G. Roe.
XIII. The White Slave Trade in New York City - By a Special Contributor.
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