Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].
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directed to get up, and, meanwhile, the special exercises should become more vigorous and longer, in order to give adequate practice to the muscles. Of course, it must be admitted that iron realities of existence only too often make the perfect blend of rest and exercise quite impossible. In many hospitals and institutions it is not feasible to keep the women under care as long as is admittedly necessary, and adequate periods of such care are also often not possible for the women themselves (owing to their private circum- stances)—however beneficial. Is it necessary to mention that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the home of the young mother also makes proper rest and care out of the question ? Nevertheless, we will here describe ideal conditions and requisites. Where these can be realised, we should aim at nothing else. Where they are imprac- ticable, we should attempt as close an approximation as circumstances permit. Before describing the appropriate exercises, I would stress the need of proper bandaging and abdominal support. The interactions of such support with the appropriate exercises after childbirth are direct and important, especially in the early phases of involution. The abdominal bandage is indispensable to the exercise of the muscles it supports. The pressure of the supporting bandage permits the relaxed and distended abdominal walls to contract again without injury to the slacker areas from the internal counter- pressure : e.g., to the sides and flanks, during special exertion of the frontal muscles. There are various kinds of bandage for use after child- birth. There is the large folded towel or " napkin " of traditional custom, drawn as taut as possible and secured with safety-pins. There is the " Gurita," introduced into Europe by Stratz, who first made use of it in the Dutch East Indies; it has been widely adopted in Central Europe. But neither of these is so well suited to the needs of exercise after child-birth as some deep bandage of woven elastic. The simplest form of such a bandage is perhaps a strip of material 6 yards long and 6 inches wide. This material is