Show PHYSIQUE OF WORKING GIRLS london writer give the result ot XII recent the employment of women and girls in large business houses post offices restaurants tau rants and other occupations in the place of men has led fee writer 1 to make inquiries as to their physical I 1 capability to withstand the long hours and labor demanded of them the result of these investigations may not be uninteresting although it should of course be remembered that in the majority of the cases to which reference will be made the observations are entirely hia own and may therefore seem to savor of prejudice it should however be clearly understood that he believes in the emancipation of women to a large extent providing in all cases that their daily employment does not unfit them for those domestic duties wl h only a woman can perform and unfitness in the case of married women it is regrettable to say has often ended in strife and separation but it is not proposed to discuss whether it is advisable or not for women to enter the labor arena the question is whether the many occupations now being almost entirely monopolized by females have any deteriorating effect upon their physique and beyond doubt the answer must be in the affirmative nowadays life is one continuous rush tho constant hurry of a mans busy existence the early rising duo to suburban migration the scamper to catch trains the incessant go as compared with the fairly placid existence of fifty years ago all have their effect upon the nervous system but in his case he is by nature physically constituted to bear the constant strain to which he is subjected it is not so ath a woman who must necessarily remain the weaker aex however great her mental development may be to be from the not over exciting sphere of domesticity and put into one of the restless active employments which they BO ably and worthily fill to enter into the ceaseless fieh of competition which now exists must necessarily have some weakening tendency upon the organism to the detriment of future generations it may of course be said that those who are to follow us must take care of themselves and that we must think only of ourselves and abide by the conditions under which we now live if this doctrine of selfishness is to hold good then of course nothing need be said if the ro that are due to generations unborn granting that women must so occupy themselves do they deteriorate in physique one has only to go into tho large aerated bread shops restaurants post offices and other public places to observe the effect of their employment upon women notice their rounded backs and shoulders the stooping gait the oftentimes hollow chest tho pallid faces compare these with the healthy upright and buxom appearance of those young women who are country bred or who are not compelled by circumstances to work for their living and it will no be denied that their occupations are responsible for this deterioration Acen sua of women was recently taken at random comprising waitresses barmaids bar maids shop assistants and employees and no less than sixty four were found to answer tho description above given while the majority of the remaining thirty six although apparently not outwardly imperfect so far as physique was concerned appeared to bb anaemic and anything but in a normal condition of health manufactures are not here referred to because the baneful effects these have upon women and girls are too well known if the conclusions arrived at are correct what is the remedy if remedy there be we certainly ought not to be content to witness this gradual decay in comans womans physique without at least making some effort to alleviate or abolish the evil from which she buffers london tit bits |