The Duties of Parents: Reproductive and Educational |
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abstain abstinence abuse Allopathic appetite become parents beget bodily bound celibacy character chil child constitution delight depraved desiderata doubt dren Elizabeth Blackwell endowments energy evil excess exercise faculties fall a prey feel forethought function gratify habits happiness household human husband ignorance indulgence influence instinct intelligent intending parents JAMES BURNS knowledge labour laws of health less lives manhood mankind manly marriage means Measles ment mental and moral mind misery mother nature never noble offspring once ourselves parentage parental duty passion perils physi physical physician Physiology powers practical pregnancy prehension principles probably progeny propensities pure and healthy purity quire racter responsible rience righteous sacrifice Scarlatina scrofula SECTION selfish sexual sexual intercourse shillings society SOUTHAMPTON ROW spect suffering taught teacher teaching tender tion true truth ture vice vicious vigor virtue virtuous well-being wife William Acton wives woman women young youth
Popular passages
Page 52 - I am ready to maintain that there are many females who never feel any sexual excitement whatever. Others, again, immediately after each period, do become, to a limited degree, capable of experiencing it ; but this capacity is often temporary, and may entirely cease till the next menstrual period. Many of the best mothers, wives, and managers of households, know little of or are careless about sexual indulgences.
Page 56 - I have known instances where the female has during gestation evinced positive loathing for any marital familiarity whatever. In some of these cases, indeed, feeling has been sacrificed to duty, and the wife has endured, with all the self-martyrdom of womanhood, what was almost worse than death.
Page 53 - As a general rule, a modest woman seldom desires any sexual gratification for herself. She submits to her husband, but only to please him; and, but for the desire of maternity, would far rather be relieved from his attentions.
Page 36 - My own opinion is that, taking hard-worked intellectual men residing in London as the type, sexual congress ought not to take place more frequently than once in seven or ten days ; and when my opinion is asked by patients whose natural desires are strong, I advise those wishing to control their passions to indulge in intercourse twice on the same night. I have noticed that in many persons a single intercourse does not effectually empty the vasa deferentia, and that within the...
Page 56 - We well know it is a fact that the female animal will not allow the dog or stallion to approach her except at particular seasons. In the human female, indeed I believe it is rather from the wish of pleasing or gratifying the husband than from any strong sexual feeling, that cohabitation is so habitually allowed. Certainly, during the months of gestation this holds good.
Page 50 - Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from, it," be applied to this subject ! Sexual intercourse should never, under any circumstances, be indulged when either party is in a condition of great mental excitement or depression, nor when in a condition of great bodily fatigue, nor soon after a full meal, nor when the mind is intensely preoccupied ; but always when the whole system is in its best condition, and most free from all disturbing influ cnces.
Page 50 - The usual habits of sexual intercourse are the worst that the nature of the case admits of, either for the good of the parties themselves or for the benefit of the offspring.
Page 41 - ... for him, and her desire to make him happy, in his own way, are the only motives for her self-surrender.
Page 143 - But on the subject of incompatibility of character, though productive of so much unhappiness, of so much vice, in the marriage relation, I shall not dwell ; for it is the physical condition which, belongs especially to my subject. These early marriages exhaust the vital energy of the mother. The remarkable changes which child-bearing produces in the economy, require the energy of a strong constitution to sustain them adequately ; and the care of children, the superintendence of a household, can only...
Page 38 - ... is equal to forty ounces of blood in any other part of the body...