AGE AT WHICH THE MENSES COMMENCE.
In Greece and other hot countries, it is said that the menses appear usually at nine or ten years of age. In the more temperate climates generally, as in Great Britain and our own country, the average age at which menstruation commences is from fourteen to fifteen years.
Habits of life, also, have something to do with the evolution of this function. “The early or late appearance of the menses,” says Dr. Denman, “may depend upon the climate, the constitution, the delicacy and hardness of life, and upon the manners of those with whom young women converse.” High living, the use of stimulating food and drinks, living in populous cities, the habit of frequenting balls and theaters, and of being taught early in the habits of civic life, have all, doubtless, a considerable effect in rendering girls precocious as to menstruation. In Paris, girls are occasionally observed to become regular at ten, eleven, and twelve years. Velpeau knew one that menstruated at nine and a half years; another at ten and a half; and one young woman who at fourteen was as tall and robust as the majority of women at twenty, and had been entirely in a state of puberty since she was eight and a half years old.
On the other hand, a country life and occupation, simplicity of manners, and frugal regimen, appear to be circumstances which procrastinate, to a greater or less extent, the coming on of the menstrual function. It is said that with the North American Indians this epoch does not commence until from the eighteenth to the twentieth year.
A table showing the ages at which the menses appeared in 450 cases, as quoted by Dr. Maunsel, of Dublin, as having been given by Mr. Robertson in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, is as follows:
| 10 | first menstruated at | 11 | years |
| 19 | „ | 12 | „ |
| 53 | „ | 13 | „ |
| 85 | „ | 14 | „ |
| 97 | „ | 15 | „ |
| 76 | „ | 16 | „ |
| 57 | „ | 17 | „ |
| 26 | „ | 18 | „ |
| 23 | „ | 19 | „ |
| 4 | „ | 20 | „ |
| 450 | total. |
According to this table, it will be seen that with the largest number, namely, 97, menstruation commenced at the age of fifteen; and nearly as many at sixteen as fourteen; so that we are to regard the average age in such a climate as Great Britain, Germany, France, and the United States, as being from fourteen to fifteen years.
Dr. Meigs, of Philadelphia, gives a table on the authority of Drs. Boismont, of Paris, and Lee, of London, showing the ages at which 1,781 women began to menstruate, in France and England, as follows:
| 110 | first menstruat. at | 11 | years |
| 144 | „ | 12 | „ |
| 256 | „ | 13 | „ |
| 860 | „ | 14 | „ |
| 366 | „ | 15 | „ |
| 284 | „ | 16 | „ |
| 144 | „ | 18 | „ |
| 72 | „ | 19 | „ |
| 40 | „ | 20 | „ |
| 1776 | total. |
At what age the remaining five first menstruated, the table does not show. On the whole, its results may be regarded as very similar to those of Mr. Robertson’s table, before given.
Dr. Guy, of London, gives a table of the ages at which menstruation commenced of 5,062 cases, 2,905 being of England, 1,825 of France, 332 of Germany; the total numbers being as follow:
| 1 | first menstruat. at | 5 | years |
| 1 | „ | 7 | „ |
| 2 | „ | 8 | „ |
| 15 | „ | 9 | „ |
| 48 | „ | 10 | „ |
| 263 | „ | 11 | „ |
| 368 | „ | 12 | „ |
| 554 | „ | 13 | „ |
| 839 | „ | 14 | „ |
| 926 | „ | 15 | „ |
| 751 | „ | 16 | „ |
| 574 | „ | 17 | „ |
| 379 | „ | 18 | „ |
| 173 | „ | 19 | „ |
| 111 | „ | 20 | „ |
| 29 | „ | 21 | „ |
| 14 | „ | 22 | „ |
| 10 | „ | 23 | „ |
| 4 | „ | 24 | „ |
There is one topic connected with this subject which I cannot here enlarge upon, but which I will simply refer to by quoting the remarks of a certain author who has given much attention to the subject.
Dr. Ray, author of a work on the “Medical Jurisprudence of Insanity,” observes, “that the evolution of the sexual functions is very often attended by more or less constitutional disturbance, especially in the female sex, is now a well-established physiological truth. The shock seems to be felt chiefly by the nervous system, which experiences almost every form of irritation, varying in severity from the slightest hysteric symptoms to tetanus, St. Vitus’ dance, and epilepsy.” “And when we bear in mind, also, that general mania is sometimes produced by this great physiological change,” continues this author, “it cannot be deemed an extraordinary fact that partial mania, that partial acts, inciting to acts of incendiarism or murder, should be one of its effects.”
LETTER III.
OF MENSTRUATION.
The Menses—Names—Source—Commencement—Periodicity—Nature—Quantity of the Menstrual Discharge.
In my last letter, speaking of the menstrual discharge in females, I omitted to mention the several names and expressions by which the function is known. Those by which it is more commonly designated are “menses” (meaning a month), monthlies, monthly discharge, show, being regular, regular discharge, flowers, turns, monthly turns, regular periods, monthly periods, courses, monthly courses, catamenia, catamenial discharge, etc. We read in the Bible that Rachel said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee, for the custom of women is upon me.” And we also read of Sarah, that a son was promised to her when “she was old and well stricken in age, and when it had ceased to be with her after the manner of women.”
Menstruation, then, commences at puberty and ceases with fecundity, and generally during the period of giving suck. As a general fact, women who experience no menstruation can never bear children.