EDUCATION IN INFANT HYGIENE: DISCUSSION 297 



make towards the full development of her internal organs. 

 He was not speaking simply of those organs which were 

 called the reproductive but of the whole internal economy. 

 Nothing could be more adverse to the proper development 

 of these organs than if, at the time they ought to 

 be developing, too much attention was paid either to 

 intellectual development or to the development of bone 

 and muscle. They had been told they had to provide 

 the physique, and that v/hen they had also provided 

 the intellect that they had done with the situation. 

 They knew that every evidence which could be brought 

 forward showed them that by these means they had 

 produced a new type. The whole evidence went to show 

 that, even if they produced splendid physique and greater 

 intellect, they had not developed a person capable of 

 the highest function of maternity. The evidence of Dr. Hall 

 was absolutely uncontrovertible, but they need not depend 

 on that evidence alone, because there was plenty of other 

 evidence bearing out the same opinion. There was no 

 doubt that proper education had to be given to the race, 

 and also recreation which was not excessive; but above all 

 there must be a development of a love of human life, an 

 interest in children, and a development of proper womanly 

 qualities at this most momentous epoch of life. Dr. Hedger 

 had told them that in the United States this was not done, 

 and she had given them most glaring instances to show 

 that no attention was paid to proper development. He had 

 seen important schools in his own country where proper 

 lavatories were not provided for the girls which would 

 enable them to have that regulation of the functions of 

 the bowels which Dr. Hedger had told them had such an 

 important bearing on menstruation. In the short time at 

 his disposal, perhaps the best thing he could do was to 

 read a resolution which expressed the opinion of the med : cal 

 faculty of New Zealand on this subject. He read a paper 

 some eighteen months ago at the general meeting of the 

 New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, 

 and the following resolution was passed: "That the Hon. 

 Dr. Collins, Dr. Gibbs (Secretary of the British Medical 

 Association), and Dr. Truby King be appointed a committee 

 to wait on the Minister of Education and represent that 

 in the opinion of this Congress it is in the highest interests 

 of the whole community that the State should inculcate and 

 bring about as far as feasible an ideal of education for 

 girls which, to quote the words of Professor Stanley Hall, 

 shall ' invert the present maxim that girls should be 

 primarily trained to independence and self-support, and that 



20 



