Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].
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different plane. It is common to both men and women among physical culturists. It is a part of the inhibition and suppression of this central vital function from public speech, and still largely from public print, and this inhibition prevails to a dangerous degree even in scientific publications and discussions. I will offer one among many examples of this lacuna in scientific instruction. A medical woman, Dr. Auguste Hoh- baum, has written a section in a book—" Weibliche Korper- bildung und Bewegungskunst " (In "Anatomical Structure and the Art of Movement for Women She treats of gymnastics and touches on sexual functions. She says : " The first genital function of the growing girl is menstruation.'' And then : " The second genital function of the womanly organism is pregnancy, culminating in birth/' Apparently there is no intermediate act or process ! Or, it is not sufficiently important to be specified. Pregnancy might be supposed to supervene without any initial act or process whatever ! This example, which is typical, has not been cited in order to condemn the book in question. It is indeed far from easy to oppose what is still the prevalent trend in public speech and print. Far from easy, but, sometimes, just and necessary; and equally necessary to inquire, however briefly, into the causes and mechanism of this gigantic repression. It is, of course, undeniable that one of the causes is deliberate hypocrisy and conscious pretence. But there is also a considerable degree of instinctive timidity, of shyness and of inhibition—of the peculiar inhibition and shyness we feel when anything closely interwoven with the powerful and private influences of sex and love, which move us all, however variously, becomes the subject of public discussion. There is a certain revolt of the Ego against any public revelation, or comment, on the most intimate portion of each life and each personality. This instinctive reserve is not wholly identical with sexual modesty, although they are closely interwoven. But to analyse it in detail would afford material for a treatise in itself, and I wish, so far as possible