The most natural and moral way for the artificial prevention of conception, when on account of ill health or for economic reasons no more children are desired, is to abstain from sexual intercourse. But in the majority of cases the husband will not agree to this, and so the greatest number of methods have come to be used to prevent conception.
Perhaps the most frequent method use to prevent conception is withdrawal before the ejaculation of semen. While this is most injurious to the husband debility, nervous prostration, and even paralysis are said to ensue the health of the wife also suffers. If, this interrupted sexual congress is continued for years, there develop gradual nervous disturbances on both sides, and a serious disease of the uterus makes itself felt. The generative organs become engorged with blood, but are not permitted to enjoy relaxation consequent upon the full completion of the act. This engorgement may lead to undue local nutrition, and diffuse growth and proliferation of the connective tissue may take place. Hence the uterine walls become dense and thickened and the nerves compressed. Of course, pain and tenderness and a sense of bearing down will be the result. Flexions and versions may be consequent upon the engorgement. The nerves become shattered, and the woman will be fortunate if she contracts no serious womb trouble.
"It is strange," says John Stuart Mill, "that intemperance in drink or any other appetite, should be condemned so readily, but that incontinence in this respect should always meet not only with indulgence, but with praise. Little improvement can be expected in morality until the producing of too large families is regarded with the same feeling as drunkenness, or any other physical excess."
Sismondi writes: "When our true duties toward those whom we give life are not obscured in the name of a sacred authority, no man will have more children than he can properly bring up. If a woman has a right to decide any question it is how many children she should bear. Whenever it becomes unwise that the family should be increased, justice and humanity require that the husband should impose on himself the same restraint which is submitted to by the unmarried."
In the opinion of Dr. Edward Reich, it is very much to be wished that the function of conception should be placed under the domain of the will. But the strongest appeal has been made for the sake of morality itself; namely, to prevent the crime of abortion. Dr. Raciborski, of Paris, took the position that the prevention of offspring to a certain extent is not only legitimate, but it is to be recommended as a means of public good.
Continence, self-control, and a willingness to deny himself that is what is required of the husband. But suffering women assure us that this will not suffice; that men refuse to restrain themselves; that it leads to loss of domestic happiness, to illegitimate amours; or that it is injurious physically and mentally; that, in short, such advice is useless because it is impracticable.
Dr. Napheys writes: "Is it amiss to hope that science will find resources, simple and certain, which will enable a woman to let reason and sound judgment, not blind passions, control the increase of her family?"
The Crime of Abortion. From the moment of conception a new life begins, a new individual exists; another child is added to the family. The mother who deliberately sets about to destroy this life by want of care, or by taking drugs, or by the use of instruments, commits a great crime, and is just as guilty as if she strangled her new-born infant. The crime she commits is child-murder. Women in their frenzy at finding themselves in this condition, and with no slightest idea of the sin that they are committing, are constantly guilty of committing abortions on themselves, or going to professional abortionists to have this crime of child-murder committed. This is another of the sins due to the ignorance of the sex in all matters pertaining to reproduction; and it is a fearfully prevalent one.
Infidelity in Women. "We have now reached the last infernal circle of the divine comedy of marriage; we are at the depths of the inferno. There is something, I do not know what, terrible in the situation in which a married woman finds herself when an illegitimate love has ruined her for the duties of a wife and mother. As has been so well and strongly expressed by Diderot, infidelity in woman is like incredulity in a priest; it is the last step in human forfeitures; it is for her the great social crime, for it implies all the others.
"Weigh the sufferings of the future, the agonies of years by the ecstasy of half an hour. If this conservative sentiment of the creature, the fear of death, does not stop her, what could be expected of laws? Oh, sublime infamy!" (Balzac).