Choice of Occupation
Great care should be exercised in the choice of an occupation. This should not be left to chance nor to the ignorant fancy of the youth. The occupations which will best suit the idiosyncrasies of the individual both mentally and physically should be selected. Many lives are shortened because of the unwise choice of occupation. The individual with defective lungs should not select a dusty trade, nor the physically weak person a trade which requires an enormous amount of muscular strength. In other words, a trade should be carefully selected with a view to the weak and strong points of the individual.
In this question of a choice in employment the sex should be taken into consideration. While there are many occupations in which women are as competent or more competent than men, yet there are several factors to be weighed. Taken as a general rule, women are not as strong physically as men. There are some occupations which have a very detrimental effect upon the reproductive organs. Statistics show that women are more easily affected by industrial poisons than men. Congestion of the reproductive organs during menstruation is increased and if women are compelled to work at certain occupations during this menstrual period, they will certainly find it detrimental to their health.
It is a recognized fact, according to many authorities on the subject, that there is a larger percentage of abortions and miscarriages among women in industries than among women in domestic life. The infant mortality is also very much higher. Many abortions and miscarriages result from the effects of industrial poisoning, as well as from heavy and continuous work.