SCIENCE -Supplement. 



FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1885. 



EDUCATION AND THE HEALTH OF 

 WOMEN. 



The tendency to apply the exact methods of 

 science to problems of education, is one of the 

 most hopeful signs of present pedagogy. One of 

 the more fruitful lines of apphcation will be found, 

 doubtless, in the consideration of educational ques- 

 tions in relation to the wider sphere of social 

 science, and the apphcation of the statistical 

 method. As one of the first fruits of this applica- 

 tion, we hail the returns collected by the Associa- 

 tion of college alumnae, wisely embodied in the 

 current report of the Massachusetts labor bureau. 

 These are du-ected especially to ascertaining the 

 effect of education upon the health of women, but 

 there are incidentally discussed a number of other 

 very interesting problems. The returns include 

 12 institutions, winch had (1882) graduated 1,290 

 women, from 705 or 54.65 per cent of whom 

 returns have been received. Of these the average 

 age at beginning study was 5.6 years ; at begin- 

 ning of menstrual period, 13.6 years ; at entering 

 college, 18.3 years; and at the present time, 28.5 

 years. This gives about six years as the average 

 time since graduation, certainly ample for the 

 determination of the general effects upon healtli 

 of their collegiate training. Of the 705, 19.5 per 

 cent report a deterioration in health during col- 

 lege hfe ; 59.3 per cent, no change ; 21.1 per 

 cent, an imi)rovement. The corresponding figures 

 for working girls of Boston show a deterioration of 

 16 per cent, a favorable balance of 3.5 per cent 

 in favor of the working girls. The total number of 

 disorders reported by the 705 is 865. The aetiology 

 of disease, as reported, is exceedingly defective, 

 but we give it for what it is worth. 135 consider 

 constitutional weakness cause of disorders ; 81 bad 

 sanitary conditions ; 81 intellectual overwork ; 73 

 emotional strain, and 47 physical accident, wliile 

 the others report no cause. Defective as this 

 report is in detail, it is remarkably suggestive. 

 The general conclusion stated in the report is that 

 the health of women engaged in the pursuit of a 

 coUege education, does not suffer more than that 

 of a corresponding number of other women in 

 other occujjations, or without occupation. 



This general conclusion may be allowed to stand. 

 But the figures are not ' worked for all they are 



worth.' A more detailed examination of them 

 brmgs out the following points which the report 

 fails to exx^licitly notice. 



Of those who entered college one or two years 

 after the commencement of the menstrual func- 

 tion 20.5 per cent had poor health during the four 

 years of college life, while of those entering thi-ee 

 to five years after its establishment 17.7 per cent, 

 and more than five years 15.4 per cent had i)Oor 

 health. The following figures tell the same story 

 with slight variation : of those who entered at the 

 age of sixteen, or under, 28.1 per cent deteriorated, 

 17.2 per cent improved in health ; of those seven- 

 teen to nineteen 17.3 per cent deteriorated and 

 19.7 per cent improved ; while of those who were 

 twenty or over 17.9 per cent deteriorated, while 

 28.4 per cent improved — almost exactly reversing 

 the figures for the youngest class. The fact that 

 of the married 37 per cent are without children, 

 although the average number of years spent in 

 married life is 6.2, must be included m any dis- 

 cussion that wishes to reach complete results. 

 There were, moreover, to those bearing children 

 but an average of two children to every seven 

 years of married life, while, if all married couples 

 are included, the average falls to 1.2 children for 

 five yerrs. With such statistics, however, there 

 must be borne in mind the general falling off in 

 fertility of all women occupying about the same 

 social rank. Of the children born, 12 per cent 

 have died, and of these the unusually large per 

 cent of 25 is due to causes occurring contem- 

 porary with birth, still, premature birth, etc. 



The following figures fall into the same cate- 

 gory. During the period of development 53 per 

 cent were troubled during the menstrual period 

 with disorders, including irregularities, uterine 

 and reflex pain, one, two, or all tln-ee. Dui'ing 

 college life the x)er cent was 66 ; since graduation 

 64. If mere irregularities be isolated, and they 

 and the more organic disturbances treated sejoa- 

 rately we find: Irregularities alone — development, 

 16 per cent ; college life, 9 per cent ; graduate life, 

 7 per cent. Uterine and reflex pain — development 

 24 per cent ; college life, 36 per cent ; graduate life, 

 36 per cent. Of the disorders reported 7 per cent 

 are brain troubles, 33 per cent nervousness, in 

 addition to which 15 per cent report neui-algia; 26 

 per cent disorders of generative organs. 



We give only figures, and tliese only such as 

 bear directly uj^on the central question of the 

 health of woman in reference to her education. 



