Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].
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and too often the conduct of her husband, may be of crucial importance for their joint happiness. This is one of those psycho-physiological facts which can only be denied by persons with no sense of reality or no wish to perceive it. So it becomes easy to comprehend why so many women who have become or are becoming mothers, demand that their physicians should help them to preserve the form and charm of their bust by evading the duty of lactation. And it is even possible, to some extent, to sympathise with the emotional turmoil of the woman whose feeling for her mate outweighs her sense of obligation to the child. Of course, every responsible and conscientious medical man will use all his powers of persuasion to induce the mother to do her first duty to her child. But, as he is not only fully conscious of his responsibility to that helpless little life, but also aware of the adult difficulties and complexities of the situation, he will not content himself with seeing the baby fed at the mother's breasts, he will also do his best to advise and devise methods of preserving their firmness and freshness. How far can definite physical exercises do this ? As a rule, only indirectly, through the general improvement and expansion of the whole body. Apart from this general development, only one muscle comes into play ; that is the pectoralis major, rising from the breastbone and collarbone and curving in firm convergent clusters of muscular fibres towards the upper arm, where it is attached. Systematic exercise of the upper arms strengthens the pectoral muscles on both sides and promotes the curve and carriage of the thorax. Of course, this beneficial effect is best felt while the body is still growing, and it is advisable to give special care to this region between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four. But do not over-exercise the pectoral muscles I This error produces an ultra-athletic structure of arms and thorax, which defeats the object we have in view, emphasising the distinctively masculine contour and obliterating the feminine.* Exercises of this type during puberty and * Actually many girl devotees of games and athletics have typically boyish outlines of arms and thorax. I know one such case caused, in my opinion, by excessive rowing. The girl herself was extremely depressed and ashamed at this unfortunate result.