URDLU'KA] PHYSI()L()(5U'AL AND MKDK'AL OBSERVATIONS 157 



outdoor life to the present state of not a little indolence which is the 

 prime cause of their obesity. 



Among the Mexican Indians throughout the region covered higher 

 grades of stoutness have not been encountered. 



MENSTRUATION (iN ADULTS) AND CLIMACTERllTM 



The menses in Indian women differ in principal characteristics and 

 duration but little, if at all, from those in healthy whites (see also under 

 Observations on chiklren) . Scanty or very profuse or habitually pain- 

 ful menstruation is heard of much less often among the Indian 

 than among the American white women. At San Carlos the writer 

 met a healthy Apache multipara who menstruated regularh^ and 

 quite profusely eight to ten days every month, but there w^ere gen- 

 erally no severe pains or any serious after effects. 



The menstruating woman is generally to some extent tabued, and 

 for this reason mainly remains about the house; but she observes no 

 special precautions." There are no clear notions as to the nature 

 and cause of the flow.'' 



Recurrence of menstruation after the birth of a child, which shows 

 much irregularity, was touched upon in the chapter dealing with 

 labor, where detail cases are given. 



As to menopause, the almost general lack of accurate knowledge of 

 age prevents any extensive inquiry with profit. From what could 

 be observed and otherwise learned on the subject, nothing appeared 

 that would indicate important differences between Indian and 

 white women; complications of the period and pathological sequelae 

 attributed to it are very rare in the Indian. 



In men the sexual and even the procreative powers are occa- 

 sionally seen to be preserved at the apparent age of from 60 to 70. 



SENILITY 



The signs of age are believed by some to be manifested earlier 

 in the Indians, particularly in the women, than among the whites. 

 According to the writer's observations, and comparing the Indians 

 with whites living approximately alike, this idea is not correct. 

 Among the Indians, both sexes show more often than among the whites, 

 especially those of the cities, whom we are most accustomed to see, 

 effects of rough outdoor life, and these are often accentuated by 

 neglect of personal attire and cleanliness, but an actual earlier physi- 



a It is believed that if such a woman crossed a field its products would suffer thereby, etc. The cata- 

 inenial discharges are received into a fold of old cloth or into the infolded skirt (frequent among tlfe San 

 Carlos Apache) . Some of the Hopi women, according to the local physician, introduced during the flow 

 a piece oi old calico into the vagina. The soiled articles are never washed or used again for any purpose. 

 Among the Apache they are bundled up and put into or under bushes. Hygienic motives play little 

 part in all those observances. 



i> One belief is that the new moon is in some way influential; " that it makes the woman new." 



