Mrs. Prof. Kinzie, of Emporia, Kansas, writes:
Mrs. A. B. Stockham, M. D.:
Dear Madam,—By direction of my physician, I followed the laws of health as given in your valuable book, and feel amply repaid.
Ten years ago, in my first confinement, I suffered forty-eight hours, twenty-four of hard labor, and in this second confinement not even one hour. This was no comparison to the first. My baby (now four months old) is the picture of good health, and I am myself more than ordinarily well.
My diet was of fruit and vegetables, with graham mush for breakfast. I was very regular the last three months with my sitz-baths, taking them just before retiring, and finding them very quieting.
I took a walk every day for the first seven months. After that my only exercise was my housework. I wish that this valuable book could reach all. If anything I have said will help some poor mortal, I shall be very glad to have you use my words.
Occasionally it has been reported to me that women following the teachings of Tokology in pregnancy have failed in securing desired results. Almost invariably in such cases investigation has proven that some of the directions have not been followed. Nearly always the fruit diet has been adopted quite faithfully, and sitz-baths taken as directed. Often no special change has been made in dress, the exercises and the hot bath at confinement have been omitted, and the teachings in Chap. XI. entirely ignored.
These are all equally important with diet and bathing. The millennium for women, so far as health is concerned, would be at hand if they could be convinced of the injurious results of corsets, bands and heavy skirts. These must be discarded. There is no compromise if one desires the physical development so essential to healthy child-bearing.
The stock-raiser would not allow one single girth around a mare in foal that in any way restricted respiration, digestion and circulation, lest the mare or her offspring be injured. In the physical life of woman she is just as amenable to the laws of nature as is the animal.
If a man were to exchange and wear his wife’s clothing, for one month, only he would show more interest that the mother of his child should avoid the deleterious influence of the fashionable dress. The natural and artistic lines of the body must be preserved to insure the noble attributes and capacities of motherhood.