36 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



"steady" improvement in the health of its girl graduates. The Association of Col- 

 legiate Alumnae has collected statistics relating to the health of college women. 

 These statistics have been incorporated in the report of the Massachusetts labor 

 bureau. According to this report, returns have been received from 12 institutions 

 that have graduated 1,290 women. Of these 1,290 graduates, 54.65 per cent., or 705, 

 have reported; 19.5 per cent, of the 705 report deterioration in health during attend- 

 ance at college; 59.3 per cent, report no change, and 21.1 per cent, an improvement. 



A great deal is said, even in Kansas, about girls not being strong enough to at- 

 tend college, and, by those who are, perhaps, not friends of the State University, 

 about the injury to the physical welfare of girls caused by climbing the hill upon 

 which the University is situated. These same people who complain enjoy a sum- 

 mer of mountain climbing in Colorado unattended by any physical injury. Six 

 years of observation at the University tell me that very few of the girls themselves 

 make or have occasion to make any such complaint. Occasionally a girl, humil- 

 iated at her mental inability to meet the requirements of the University, severs her 

 connection with the University "on account of her health." The young men, under 

 similar circumstances, are obliged to "go into business." 



In all justice, let it be said, occasionally a girl breaks down from overwork. 

 Women who have never attended college sometimes overexert themselves. But I 

 am inclined to believe that, in almost every instance, if a girl breaks down attend- 

 ing college, this failure in health can be traced far more readily to social indulgence 

 or to some other neglect of the primary rules of health than to her mental occupa- 

 tion. In order to test the accuracy of my impression, a list of 18 questions con- 

 cerning the manner of living and studying while in college was sent to the women 

 who have been graduated from the State University. Some one might object, how- 

 ever, that only the stronger women completed a college course. In order to meet 

 this objection, a similar list of questions was sent to all the women who were under- 

 graduates last year. In the collegiate department of the school year 1890-"91, there 

 were 57 women in attendance, excluding those who were members of the senior class. 

 Nineteen of the 57 did not return this fall. Upon comparing this falling ofif in pro- 

 portion to the attendance with that of other years, it was found to be the average. 

 Of the 19 who have not returned this fall, 8 are teaching, traveling, or attending 

 other schools; 2 are detained on account of ill health; 3 dropped out the first month 

 of last school year; and (J were not entered by the University, being excluded by 

 our double-failure rule. Therefore, 35 have returned to the University this fall. 



To the questions sent out to the women of last year, 35 replies have been re- 

 ceived, 33 of which came from women in attendance this year. Five who have re- 

 turned have not replied. Nineteen of the 35 who replied report that their health is 

 the same in college as before entrance. Three report worse health while at the 

 University. One of the three attributes this difference to financial and domestic 

 troubles rather than to study. Two entered who had consumption, and both lost 

 strength. One of the two, however, was sent home last year on account of the 

 double-failure rule. Two others, who did not reply, are to my knowledge, ill; conse- 

 quently, four in all, and possibly five, are detained on account of physical ina- 

 bility. Twelve report health since coming to college as decidedly better. This 

 improvement they attribute to more regular habits of life; they eat at certain hours, 

 eat less between meals, arise and retire at the same hours. College, they say, forces 

 them to sy.-tematize their work. Others attribute this improvement to their calmer 

 mental condition; they derive satisfaction — peace of mind — from the knowledge 

 that they are accomplishing something, or, in their enthusiasm and appreciation for 

 their studies, they "forget about themselves." Two out of the 35 thought the walk 



