MAKING THEMSELVES THIN AND PALE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7525, 27 August 1886, Page 3

MAKING THEMSELVES THIN AND PALE.

No doubt many people are quite unaware of the amount of injury which young girls arc in the habit of doing their constitutions in their foolish and misguided efforts to make themselves thin and pale. It is now a recognised axioii with two out of every three girls that it is not fashionable or attractive to possess a plump figure or rosy cheeks ; and they strive by every means within their reach and knowledge to reduce themselves .to the coveted slimness and to banish nature's signs of health from their cheeks. Of course the means, employed to work such changes in fclieir appearance must from the nature of our animal economy be botli drastic and dangerous ; but_ these considerations do not deter them in any •way, they are quite willing— in order to obtain an interesting clearance and color — - toincuroither an early death or a lifelong invalidism.

Some girls run away with the idea that eating meat makes their checks red, therefore they abstain from meat diet and live on bread and slops and other such rubbish which have a tendency to make fat, thus, to a certain extent, defeating their efforts to make' themselves thin. (Jirls of extreme einbonjwint —it they would persevere and had the spare timecould make themselves reasonably slim without risk of injury by a mild course of training; but I am convinced that if one suggested such ti thing to them they would laugh at you. No I nothing will do them but phybicine ; and they endure such, untold misery and discomfort, almost amounting to martyrdom, that it oxcitca both ono'o pity and astonishment. Girls of all ranlcs and employment do it ; from the working man's daughter to that of the merchant there seems to be a concensus of' opinion on the point. The means employed to effect the desired reductions are various, and all dangerous. Some pin thoir faith on starch, which they cat wholesale in a dry state just as it conies from the shop. At first it is taken in small quantities, but I have known a, girl cat nearly a pound weight of it per day. l know of one girl who 'brought hereelf lo such n pass through eating starch that the doctors gave her up a<B incurable; she recovered only after inanylinonths' impnsoninont on asick bed. Another girl I knew used to take starch in 1/irge quantities, and bo impoverished her blood. that a sprained ankle made her a cripple for throe years. Since her recovery she has tried various other nostrums j lately hhe was taking quinine ; she persevered in it to such an extent that it nffecred

her heart, and she only desisted after experiencing a heart attack of a terrifying naturo, lam curious to sco what she will try next,

1X111) JiA vy -ivn >? -f*^ I hoard of a girl who formerly woj i strong, plump, and rosy, By degrees sh< 3 became quite thin and pnlcj her ladj . acquaintances seemed to be quite awan ) of the cause— tight lacing and daily doses . of salts. She became an invalid, her hcarl f was affected, and she was a wicck. Latei • on her death was sudden, and unexpected f by her friends. , The astounding thing is that all this . is either within the knowledge, or goes on under the noses of girls' parents, who , don't seem to bo aware of the extreme dangerof the indulgence in such practices. • Doctors are quite cognisant .of the evil, . and it forms m some cases quite a large item in their practice. I know of a case wliefe & girl had been pluMp and freshcolofed; site became thin arid haggard. The fact was. mentioned to a doßtofwlio knew her, when he at once exclaimed, : " Oh, she is taking something !" and siich was the case. The only way these practices can be prevented is by the publication of the dangers attendant on them and parents exercising a more careful sapefvisiori over thoir girls. At present I fear it wdiild he a simple waste of ink tO toll tjie, gi.i'ls that niell adniire a plump figure, dnd.ff/e'sii fibhiplesion, arid laugh at a braced waist, arid -a ghastly complexion.— Correspondent N. Z. Times;