would have mothers impress this on their daughters. Let no
mistaken modesty prevent them.

Especially at their commencement should the monthly changes be carefully
watched. The mother should prepare her daughter's mind betimes for such
an expected incident in her life, thus preventing a useless fright, or
the employment of injurious means to stop what the child may look upon
as an accident.

Nor should the maternal care cease here. Such tender sympathy should
exist on the one side, such trusting confidence on the other, that the
mother should acquaint herself with every detail of each recurring
period until the function is thoroughly established. She should inquire
into the duration of each epoch, the abundance of the discharge, the
presence of pain, and its effects on the general health. She should
convince herself that all these do not vary from the standards of health
we have previously laid down. Or should they do so, she should not delay
to use the proper means to bring them to that standard.

Long observation proves that if, during the first two or three years
which follow the attainment of puberty, the health of the girl is
successfully guarded, and this, her most important physical distinction,
meets with no derangement, her life-long health is well-nigh secured;
but, on the contrary, if she commences her sexual life with pain and
disorder, she is likely to be a life-long sufferer.

We are about to approach a topic of vital importance, therefore, in
summing up as briefly as may be, the precautions necessary to attain
this end. They can most conveniently be divided into those to be
observed during the monthly changes, and those more general rules of
health to be obeyed in the intervals of the periods.

PRECAUTIONS DURING THE MONTHLY CHANGES.

At the head of all cautions and warnings which we could give about the
care of the health at these monthly periods, we put _rest_, _rest_,
bodily and mental. _Do less than usual_, we say to all, whether the
necessity for it is manifest or not. Over-exertion is a most fruitful
cause of disease. Long walks, shopping, dancing, riding, hard work
whether for pleasure or profit, should be avoided to the utmost.

The advantages of rest cannot be over-estimated. A striking example of
it occurs to our mind. Most readers are aware how toilsome are the lives
of the Indian women among our Western tribes, and also how singularly
easy and almost painless is their child-bearing.