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What a Woman of Forty-Five Ought to Know
Excerpt from What a Woman of Forty-Five Ought to Know
In no line of literature, perhaps, is a book so much needed as in the line of the present volume, because few books have ever been written upon this subject, and the few have not been addressed to woman, but to the medical profession.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
In no line of literature, perhaps, is a book so much needed as in the line of the present volume, because few books have ever been written upon this subject, and the few have not been addressed to woman, but to the medical profession.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1902
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 23, 2012
An amazing snapshot of the time it was written (1902). I have an original edition. It is from a series called "Pure Books on Avoided Subjects." Ms. Drake says of a woman experiencing menopause: "There will be also a kind of mental unrest, a wanting to do something out of the ordinary, a desire for change that perhaps she finds a difficulty to understand. Everything about her may be the most cheerful, all her family may be bending every endeavor to make life pleasant, yet she is not satisfied."
It is a practical and straightforward discussion wrapped in historical context. I loved it.
It is a practical and straightforward discussion wrapped in historical context. I loved it.
April 9, 2025
There are a few things in this book that are super cringy and just way wrong. So I will start by acknowledging that. But that's part of our history, learn from it, do better.
In some ways this book really echoes the things that we push today. The book starts off by saying if you think this is the beginning of the end of your life, you're wrong. Forty-five is a time when your children are grown (because all married women have children- cringe) and you can start doing the things you had to set aside because other responsibilities took precedence. At this point in your life you have skills, you have wisdom, and now you can use these things you've gained over time and apply them to new endeavors. We don't live in the same world as women in 1902, but we have other responsibilities that take us away from following our passions and (at least for me at the magic age of 45) I'm starting to make time for them.
The main theme of this book is practicing conscious self-care. If you feel yourself getting stressed out, sit and be still, rest. If you feel tired, rest. Take care of your eyes and your teeth, exercise, eat wholesome foods. Let the people around you start taking on some of the responsibilities of the household so you don't get worn out. I didn't expect to read that from 1902. I especially loved on page 87 where the author (herself a doctor) says, "They sit down with an apology unless the hands are busy with some one of the many forms of needlework, that fill a woman's leisure(?). Why need she apologize?" True! Why need she?
Another thing the book talks about is the importance of exercise. "But since we live in this enlightened age, when all labor, save brain work, is made easy, and when activity is less cultivated than inactivity... planned activity is essential to [the body's] well-being." This was kind of shocking to read, considering how little they had in 1902 in terms of modern technology. Think about this in terms of today. We could literally sit in our houses and never walk more than a few dozen feet. She pushes getting outside and walking and it seems so simplistic but think about the people in your life of a certain age and compare those who get outside and walk or do other types of exercise and those who don't. The importance of this is immediately obvious.
There were some crazy things in this book but if you can overlook that I think there's a lot to be learned. The author had no concept of computers or smart phones and I'm sure she would be horrified if she knew how people live their lives today eating nothing but processed foods and never going outside except to get in a car to drive somewhere. We could all benefit from some of the advice she gives here, less alcohol, more nutritious foods, rest purposefully, and exercise regularly. I think we could all find our overall health improved by following this advice. Even if you're German or Scandinavian or if your mom dressed inappropriately.
In some ways this book really echoes the things that we push today. The book starts off by saying if you think this is the beginning of the end of your life, you're wrong. Forty-five is a time when your children are grown (because all married women have children- cringe) and you can start doing the things you had to set aside because other responsibilities took precedence. At this point in your life you have skills, you have wisdom, and now you can use these things you've gained over time and apply them to new endeavors. We don't live in the same world as women in 1902, but we have other responsibilities that take us away from following our passions and (at least for me at the magic age of 45) I'm starting to make time for them.
The main theme of this book is practicing conscious self-care. If you feel yourself getting stressed out, sit and be still, rest. If you feel tired, rest. Take care of your eyes and your teeth, exercise, eat wholesome foods. Let the people around you start taking on some of the responsibilities of the household so you don't get worn out. I didn't expect to read that from 1902. I especially loved on page 87 where the author (herself a doctor) says, "They sit down with an apology unless the hands are busy with some one of the many forms of needlework, that fill a woman's leisure(?). Why need she apologize?" True! Why need she?
Another thing the book talks about is the importance of exercise. "But since we live in this enlightened age, when all labor, save brain work, is made easy, and when activity is less cultivated than inactivity... planned activity is essential to [the body's] well-being." This was kind of shocking to read, considering how little they had in 1902 in terms of modern technology. Think about this in terms of today. We could literally sit in our houses and never walk more than a few dozen feet. She pushes getting outside and walking and it seems so simplistic but think about the people in your life of a certain age and compare those who get outside and walk or do other types of exercise and those who don't. The importance of this is immediately obvious.
There were some crazy things in this book but if you can overlook that I think there's a lot to be learned. The author had no concept of computers or smart phones and I'm sure she would be horrified if she knew how people live their lives today eating nothing but processed foods and never going outside except to get in a car to drive somewhere. We could all benefit from some of the advice she gives here, less alcohol, more nutritious foods, rest purposefully, and exercise regularly. I think we could all find our overall health improved by following this advice. Even if you're German or Scandinavian or if your mom dressed inappropriately.
November 4, 2024
A snapshot of how 1900s women discussed menopause
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews