must suffer severely during childbirth.

[Illustration: _"The House We Live In" for nine months: showing
the ample room provided by Nature when uncontracted by inherited
inferiority of form or artificial dressing._]

[Illustration: _A Contracted Pelvis. Deformity and Insufficient
Space._]

19. THIS IS WHAT DR. STOCKHAM says: "If women had _common sense_,
instead of _fashion sense_, the corset would not exist. There are
not words in the English language to express my convictions upon this
subject. The corset more than any other one thing is responsible for
woman's being the victim of disease and doctors....

"What is the effect upon the child? One-half of the children born in
this country die before they are five years of age. Who can tell how
much this state of things is due to the enervation of maternal life
forces by the one instrument of torture?

"I am a temperance woman. No one can realize more than I the
devastation and ruin alcohol in its many tempting forms has brought
to the human family. Still I solemnly believe that in weakness and
deterioration of health, the corset has more to answer for than
intoxicating drinks." When asked how far advanced a woman should be
in pregnancy before she laid aside her corset, Dr. Stockham said with
emphasis: "_The corset should not be worn for two hundred years before
pregnancy takes place._ Ladies, it will take that time at least
to overcome the ill-effect of tight garments which you think so
essential."

20. PAINLESS PREGNANCY AND CHILD-BIRTH.--"Some excellent popular
volumes," says Dr. Haff, "have been largely devoted to directions how
to secure a comfortable period of pregnancy and painless delivery.
After much conning of these worthy efforts to impress a little common
sense upon the sisterhood, we are convinced that all may be summed
up under the simple heads of: (1) An unconfined and lightly burdened
waist; (2) Moderate but persistent outdoor exercise, of which walking
is the best form; (3) A plain unstimulating, chiefly fruit and
vegetable diet; (4) Little or no intercourse during the time.

"These are hygienic rules of benefit under any ordinary conditions;
yet they are violated by almost every pregnant lady. If they are
followed, biliousness, indigestion, constipation, swollen limbs,
morning sickness and nausea--all will absent themselves or be much
lessened. In pregnancy more than at any other time, corsets are
injurious. The waist and abdomen must be allowed