296 Human Physiology. 



most powerful athlete, or exercise the highest intellectual power 

 of which he is capable. He can use his life to the last atom, 

 instead of wasting it. This life of man, carried back and 

 diffused through his system, makes him manly, strong, brave, 

 heroic. If wasted, it leaves him effeminate, weak, and irreso- 

 lute intellectually and physically debilitated, and a prey to 

 sexual irritation, disordered function, morbid sensation, dis- 

 ordered muscular movement, a wrecked nervous system, 

 epilepsy, insanity, and death. 



I need not dwell further upon the consequences of diseased 

 amativeness, or the waste of life in sensual excess, in this place, 

 as they will be further treated of in Part Fifth; here I wish only 

 to enforce the law of chastity, and to show that a sound physi- 

 ology is in perfect unity with the requirements of Christian 

 morality. Every man and every woman, living simply, purely, 

 and temperately respecting the laws of health in regard to 

 air, food, dress, exercise, and habits of life, not only can live in 

 the continence of a pure virgin life when single, and in the 

 chastity which should be observed by all married partners but 

 be stronger, happier, every way better by so living. 



And it is well to know this. In a country where there is a 

 surplus female population of a million or more, it is not pleasant 

 to believe that chastity is not a natural as well as a spiritual 

 virtue. In a country where a vast number of men, for one 

 reason or other, do not find it convenient to marry where 

 thousands of brave, and self-denying, and religious men re- 

 nounce the pleasures of marriage it is well to know that they 

 may not only do so with safety, but often with advantage, and 

 that, though marriage is honourable, a virgin life is not only 

 possible, but may be to many the highest and best, if they have 

 for it a true vocation. 



If men and women can live in continence from the age of 

 fifteen to twenty-five if ten years of purity in the heyday of 

 youth are no injury, but. rather a good to them, how absurd to 



