Diary of Alice Ross-King, 1917-1919 - Part 9

cause a neuralgia. Yet these also,
have always been classed as 
belonging to the period. Soft 
absorbent pads are sold in 3 
sizes. It is as uncomfortable for 
the young girl to wear the large 
size as it is for the adult woman 
to wear the small size belt. Rubber 
pantelles are as dainty & reasonable 
in cost that they are with in the scope 
of all, besides giving security from 
soakage - they protect from chills. 
Give your young daughter a safety 
razor of her own. The modern 
woman recognizes it a part of her 
toilet equipment. Only the labial 
hair need be removed. I remember 
hearing that one wd "chafe" if those 
hairs were removed & much discomfort 
has been caused by their 

adherence to a diaper. The warm 
bath at night cannot possibly do 
any harm - and there is no more 
likelihood of chill after a bath during 
m. that at any other time. If 
your daughter is in the habit of 
taking a morning cold shower, 
you must use judgement in advising 
her. Personally, I have never 
discontinued mine - but it takes 
much moral courage to break 
away from old tradition & I wd 
not be the one to advise you to do 
so to that extent. Sea bathing is 
precluded not because of any 
damage to our person, but as a 
question of good taste. The only 
pain that is not accounted for by 
nerve pressure is spasm pain 
due to clothing. The womb

contracts in an effort to expel the 
clot & causes pain in the same 
way that labour accounts for pain. 
If this seems severe take the girl 
to a good medical man early. It 
may be an imperfect hymen - 
or a tight [[vo?]]: dilation under a 
light anaesthetic is a simple 
& inexpensive treatment. The 
anaesthetic is given only to save the 
young girls sensitiveness from suffering. 
The treatment should not 
be called an "operation" but 
spoken of to the young as "a little 
simple treatment." A certificate 
from the medical man stating 
that dilation has been performed 
should always be obtained & 
kept till after the girls marriage. 
As you will note all 

this line of action is to assist 
the girl to take menstruation 
as if no worse a function than 
micturation or bowel action. 

Mind over matter - at this 
period also the emotional 
life of the young girl becomes 
marked. As the old saying 
goes "she begins to think of boys." 
This is a very crude & inacurate
way of describing the emotional 
development of puberty. For 
the first few years after it begins 
the adult life in miniature 
is enacted - we get the same 
lack of stability in temperament, 
sudden emotional storms, classed 
as bad temper that to a greater 
degree characterize pregnancy 
& the climacteric. The selfconsciousness

of the woman is awakening 
like the budding of the tree - 
preparation for fruit bearing 
life of womanhood. Change of
occupation Recreation & 
plenty of interests tactfully of course prevents 
these passing phases of 
depression & boisterousness 
from becoming habitual.

About this time of life ^in the girl, the 
mother begins to reach middle 
age & the "Change of life." 
Be very careful to hide away any disagreeable sensations you may 
have from the young girl. Many 
times I have heard young girls in their 
teens say "poor old Mum, 
you know she is just at that 
time." Don't give the girl an 
impression that there is anything 

to dread in the menstrual 
life. It is very tempting to 
get a little extra sympathy when 
we reach 50. We are expecting 
a bad time - but Dr McKenzie 
beleives that very few woman 
have as bad a time as they expect 
at the change of life. Much of 
it is what we remember "poor 
old Mum" going through. Sex educat 
The same advice holds in regard 
to preparation ^for daughters for motherhood. Explain those nervous terrors 
as the "protective instinct 
guarding the new life."  what
they really are. Thank God that 
by the time our daughters are 
ready for maternity things will 
be much easier. Still don't 
regale xxx our married d's with what we went through. It will take some

self denial it is true. Pass 
passing on to the climactive 
period.

It can be made a good 
deal easier by the exercise 
of a little Christian science - 
or its equivalent. Realize that 
it is but the topping the hill - 
& that these waves of irritation 
are only from lacking the usual
chemical when that period is 
passed our feet are on the down 
grade but it is a very gradual 
grade. This is the time when 
it is necessary wise to take on 
a new hobby - a new interest. We 
may still have our hands full 
of our habitual occupation but 
that becomes mechanical - we can 
do our daily tasks & still have 
time to think of our miseries (imaginary 
or otherwise) to become irritated 

with our own surroundings - nervy

Poor Mum! & poor dad too

It is at this time that father 
bear gets his head snapped 
off for nothing, as he used to 
in the days of our early 
pregnancies. And for the same 
reason. Our supply of hormones 
is being cut off. The sap is not 
flowing as freely - we want stimulants. 
This is the time when 
women in society, or those with 
not enough occupation & the 
money to indulge themselves develop 
drug or alcohol habits.

In European cities, London & the 
States - Dancing etc. For those 
who are apart from husband or 
are unmarried this is a specially 
difficult time. The best panacea 
is new work, new interests, Gardening 
perhaps. Social service, 
church work, politics, Mothers Club

It wd be quite wrong of me to
finish without a warning re
Cancer at these times. discharge
between periods - Excessive haem
interference with micturation
or defecation. later loss of
appetite & weight. Rheumatic
affection.
from
Funeral Oration of Pericles.
Jowlett translation
"The sacrifice which they collectively
made was individually repaid to
them; for they received again each
one for himself a praise which
grows not old and the noblest of
all sepulcheres. - I speak not of
that in which their remains are
laid, but of that in which their

glory survives, & is proclaimed
always and on every fitting
occasion both in word & deed.
For the whole earth is the sepulchere
of famous men; not only
are they commerated commemorated
by columns & inscriptions in
their own county, but in foreign
lands....graven not in stone but in
the hearts of men. that wherever noble
deeds are spoke of theirs shall be remembered