denote: Impersonal approach of biology.]

I certainly do not believe in completely revamping biological science
for the purposes of sex-education. It is better not to "spoil" a course
by overemphasis on sex, for much of the value of biology as a basis for
sex-education is the fact that sex appears gradually and naturally and
far away from human relations. This impersonal approach will be lost if
the course in biology seems to revolve around sex-education, for that
will make sex too prominent.

It is still debatable as to how much should be taught in high schools
or in public lectures concerning the biological facts of human
reproduction. I think that I can make my own views clearer if I discuss
this first for boys, then for girls.

Sec. 28. _Scientific Facts for Boys_

First, it is generally agreed that boys of high-school age may profit
by learning their own sexual structure by means of diagrams such as the
one in Hall's "Sexual Hygiene." There is no harm, and also no gain, in
minute description, especially histological.

[Sidenote: Scientific names.]

The chief technical names of the parts of the male organs--testicle
(spermary or testes), sperm duct (vas deferens), scrotum, prostate,
seminal vesicles, penis, glans, prepuce (foreskin), urethra--should be
taught; and the scientific dignity of these words as substitutes for
vulgar words should be emphasized. In dealing with boys and young men I
have noticed that these and other scientific words have a great
influence on their attitude. The scientific names of the sex organs
should be made part of popular vocabulary for the reason that there are
no established common names corresponding to lungs, liver, stomach,
arm, leg, brain, and so on for all prominent organs except the sexual.
These have been left without authoritative names except in scientific
language, and as a result dozens of ordinary words have been vulgarly
applied and unprintable ones invented by uneducated people. Such usage
of vulgar terminology is widespread, especially among men and boys. An
editor of schoolbooks recently called my attention to the necessity of
changing some ordinary words in certain books because in some
localities the boys applied the words to sexual organs. Even the little
words "nuts," "stones," "balls" accompanied by the adjective "two" mean
testicles in the widespread vulgar language; and a physician told me
that a college graduate used one of these words the other day when