24 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



sensuality. It is viewed as a fact of natural history, 

 and is associated with the innocence of animal life and 

 the chaste loveliness of flowers. Thus the subject 

 comes to be regarded from a purely physiological 

 standpoint, and is liberated from that association with 

 grossness which is the active cause of sensuality. 



There are so many well-meaning individuals who 

 object to the agitation of this subject in any manner 

 whatever, that it may be profitable to consider in this 

 connection some of the principal objections which are 

 urged against imparting information on sexual sub- 

 jects, especially against giving knowledge to the young. 



Sexual matters improper to he spoken of to the 

 young. 



This objection is often raised, it being urged that 

 these matters are too delicate to be even suggested to 

 children ; that they ought to be kept in total ignorance 

 of all sexual matters and relations. It is doubtless true 

 that children raised in a perfectly natural way would 

 have no sexual thoughts during the earlier years of life, 

 and it w^ould be better if it might be so ; but from facts 

 pointed out in succeeding portions of this work, it is 

 certain that at the present time, children nearly always 

 do have some ideas of sexual relations long before 

 puberty, and often at a very early age. It is thus ap- 

 parent that in speaking to children of sexual matters, 

 in a proper manner, a new subject is not introduced to 

 them, but it is merely presenting to them in a true light 

 a subject of which they already have vague ideas ; and 

 thus, by satisfying a natural curiosity, they are saved 

 from suppljdng, by their imaginations, distorted images 

 and exaggerated conceptions, and from seeking to ob- 



