Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].

confers, for both participants. Further and equally, our aim included the facilitation of the act of birth, the minimising or prevention of any ill effects therefrom, and the restoration of undiminished sexual efficiency and feminine potency. The preservation of sexual attraction and eligibility as a partner in this experience into an advanced age, and the prevention of certain morbid changes in the genital organs. (2) A further distinctive feature is my advocacy of the need to consider both the reproductive and erotic factors more seriously than has hitherto been attempted in recommending physical culture to women. (3) The exercises of the abdominal and pelvic zone form a definite and complete sequence, arranged for maximum efficacy. (4) The various regions of the muscular portion of the pelvic floor are distinguished in detail, and special exercises are suggested for each region. (5) Full use is made of the principles of Swedish gym- nastics for pregnancy and the puerperium. How can we best bring the benefits enumerated in the first place to the greatest possible number of women ? I suggest that they should study the chapters of theory in this book in order to gain both a general view of the subject and hints as to methods of attaining our purposes. Of course, these may also be brought to them by lecture courses, and more or less informal talks, which have the advantages of immediate contact between teacher and pupil, but the particular disadvantages that certain subjects, enveloped hitherto in an atmosphere of difficulty and delicacy, can only be treated vaguely before audiences of several persons just when there is most need for explicit clarity. The practical side, the mastery of the different exercises, can be attained simply by reading and following the directions in this book. But the more complicated and advanced items of our sequence, such as the whole of the exercises for the abdominal and pelvic zone, need the supervision of a specially trained gymnastic instructress. If