298 MEDICAL SECTION 



matrimony and motherhood, if it come, will take care 

 of itself/ This Congress feels bound to deprecate any 

 system of education which, under the stress of excessive 

 mental effort, excessive competition, excessive straining 

 after so-called accomplishments, &c., pays insufficient atten- 

 tion to ensuring normal, orderly, well-balanced development 

 and complete fitness for maternity and the practical care 

 of a home. This Congress is satisfied that, broadly speak- 

 ing, even where marriage does not take place, the education 

 which gives a girl the best all-round equipment in body, 

 mind, morals and inclination for home life and potential 

 motherhood, also gives her the soundest and surest founda- 

 tion for future health and happiness, and for a sustained 

 power of earning an independent living if such should prove 

 to be her lot." This matter had been before the profession 

 some time and over two years ago Dr. Savage, a leading 

 member of the profession, said: "I can speak in no un- 

 certain terms with regard to this matter, because girls are 

 constantly being brought to me of 12 or 14 years of age 

 and I find them not developed properly, and my practice is 

 to order every such girl away from school for twelve 

 months." The same doctor suggested the gravest doubt 

 whether, under the conditions of modern civilization and 

 modern education, it would not be better if they took them 

 out of schools altogether and turned them loose on a farm 

 for twelve months so that they might develop into natural 

 and proper motherhood. There was an Inter-colonial Medi- 

 cal Congress, embracing Australia, early next year, and so 

 strong was the opinion on this matter that he was specially 

 asked if he would lead the main discussion on the subject 

 of eugenics and education so that no uncertain pronounce- 

 ment should be given by medical men. He held that normal 

 women were not being produced because of the strain and 

 ruination which was being brought about by the shibboleth 

 of education. What he was asking of that great Con- 

 ference was their help for the youngest and the smallest of 

 the possessions of that great Empire. He asked the Con- 

 ference to give support to the resolution which had 

 been passed by the medical profession in New Zealand. 

 And let them remember that he was not speaking simply 

 for the medical profession; he was speaking for the woman- 

 hood of New Zealand and for their Society for helping the 

 women and children. Their Society embraced 1,500 of the 

 leading women of the Colony and they wanted to get over 

 the tyranny of the education which was forced upon girls 

 and which they knew was bad enough for the boys. Why 

 could not women be original enough to evolve a system 



