National Health. 6i 



were 28,000 wives only 15 years of age and 169 widows of the 

 same age in the United Kingdom. The great problem of the 

 age before which all others, social or political, sank into insigni- 

 ficance was to restore to civilized man his long-lost health. It 

 was by no means unsolvable or difficult of solution, the great 

 difficulty being in their own minds arising from false ideas of 

 delicacy, false ideas of philanthropy, and false ideas of religion. 

 The first great step in improving the national health was to 

 confer the franchise in a liberal manner'upon women. Men 

 would never legislate in a thorough manner to curtail his 

 pleasure, though in this way he made whips to scourge whole 

 generations of innocent women and children. Women who 

 were the sufferers would best legislate upon such subjects. 

 Drunkenness must be treated as a crime against the national 

 health, and should be punished accordingly. To sell or give 

 spirituous liquors to any person under 21 years of age, except 

 under medical advice, should be a criminal offence ; the 

 marriage of immature boys and girls, and the production 

 by this means of large families of weak children must be 

 abolished in ioto. The present system of cramming for 

 examinations must also be done away with, and in every public 

 examination health should carry as many marks as classics, 

 mathematics, or English literature. Mankind in every age had 

 formed himself into voluntary associations for many objects — 

 the suppression of slavery, the abolition of the corn laws, the 

 promotion of temperance, and in all those had done useful work 

 in promoting reforms for the benefit of the human race. Now 

 was the time to form a great society, having for its object the 

 attainment of the highest possible perfection of the human race 

 physically, intellectually, and spiritually, and such an association 

 would be of the greatest value in correctly moulding public 

 opinion, in guiding the action of Governments, and generally 

 in promoting the attainment of the highest possible standard of 

 national health. It was estimated that mankind had existed 

 in this globe in some state or other for millions of years, and it 

 was calculated that the world would be capable of human 



