out of place for me to enter into the subject of the moral objections to early marriage; the more so as it is almost self-evident that the artificial forcing of physical instincts and the consequent unnatural stimulation of the sexual cannot be regarded as a mere error of judg. ment. It certainly involves a degree of depravity the consideration of which may, however, safely be left to the intuitive moralist.'

"It may, I think, without any exaggeration or cynicism, bo said that the present system of early marriage in Bengal panders to passion and sensuality, violates the requirements of nature, lowers the general standard of public health, lessens the average value of life, takes greatly from the general interest of existing society, and allows the present race to deteriorate both to its own disadvantage and to the detriment of future generations." Mr. Malabari never used such strong language, and yet he was charged with exaggeration !!

Dr. Nobin Krishna Bose wrote: "In this country the custom under notice has prevailed for centuries and generations, and it is not at all to be wondered at, therefore, that our boys and girls should attain to puberty at an earlier period of life than under a healthier system of matrimonial connections they would have done." Here is a Hindu Doctor of some eminence actually admitting the results of the horrid forcing-system practised for so many years!

Dr. Atmaram Pandurang wrote: "In some cases puberty is known to come on as early as 10 years and in others so late as 17 or 18 years. In some rare instances the catamenia occur regularly every month from infancy. This difference amongst girls is caused by some peculiarity in their individual constitution, but in a large majority of cases chiefly or entirely by social influence—the influence on habits of thought and action which society has on each individual member." And yet how loth we are to improve our social influences!

Dr. A. V. White wrote:-" Early marriages, as they obtain in this country, have the effect of prematurely rousing the ovaries into a state of activity, and early menstruation is the result. But this early menstruation is unaccompained with the other signs of development or advancing puberty, such as the special growth of the reproductive organs in conjunction with the general development of the frame and of the mental faculties. This pernicious custom has so long prevailed that it has now become the constitutional habit of Indian

girls to menstruate early, and this habit, I believe, is transmitted from mother to daughter. If Indian girls were not to marry until 16 or 18, I believe that in a few generations this habit would be broken and marked improvement in this respect would be observed." Here is hope indeed of regeneration-of the salvation of a whole race. But the doctors are crying in the wilderness, and no one hears them.

......

Dr. Mohendralal Sircar wrote: "If we take the age laid down. in Susruta as the minimum, which is more likely from the language employed, then we must come to the conclusion that the minimum age of menstruation has, since the day of Susruta, become much lower, a fact which demands serious consideration. .I have no doubt in my mind that high and luxurious living, and early seeing and knowing of child-husbands and child-wives, favored by the anxiety of fond parents to see their little ones become fathers and mothers, are the chief causes of the forced puberty which we so much regret in our females rather than in our male children. Little fathers and little mothers! Little brides and little bridegrooms! Little widows and virgin widows! Are these to be proud of? Are these the only glory now left of the once glorious Aryan race? Are there no true son of Aryavarta to raise their voice against this iniquity, this abominable wrong to nature, to man, to wornan, to children, to the present generation and to the future? Is India. to have no Sitas, no Draupadis, no Savitris no Damayantis again? The little pigeons coo and woo and are happy. The whole of animal nature presents wonderful cases of sexual selection-of adult marriages-of happy couples and healthy offspring. When will India conform to nature in this respect? The little children of little fathers in Gujarat call the latter Motabhai (elder brothers).. as the little progenitors are ashamed to be called fathers! When will all this unnaturalness end? Is there no light? Is it always to be "behind the veil, behind the veil"? This strife between foolish man and the laws of God-is it to last for ever? Is it ir.. religion only to discard certain beliefs? Is it not irreligion also to violate natural laws-as it is to violate primal moral laws? The laws proceed from the same lawgiver-their sanctions are the same-andthey revenge themselves by the same self-acting machinery. And. yet our countrymen consider early marriage hardly a sin!

III.

HAS THE CLIMATE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE EARLY PUBERTY OF INDIAN GIRLS

AND BOYS?

The answer to this question is: “ a little only-so little as to be almost inappreciable." This may appear quite a novel answer to many, and yet those who have kept abreast of modern scientifiresearch will feel little surprise at it. Carpenter in his 'Animal Physiology' proves that organization plays a more important part in reproduction than climate, and Darwin tells us in his 'Origin of Species' at page 113, that, "adaptation to any special climate may be looked at as a quality readily grafted in an innate wide flexibility of constitution common to most animals." It was at one time supposed that the colour of the skin depended solely on climate, "but Pallas first showed that this view is not tenable, and he has been followed by all anthropologists. The view has been rejected chiefly because the distribution of the variously coloured races, most of whom must have long inhabited their present homes, does not coincide with corresponding differences of climate" (Darwin's 'Descent of Man,' Vol. I. p. 242.) These we take to be the latest conclusions of science. Let us now see what the medical authorities consulted by Keshub in 1871 had to say on this subject.

Dr. Norman Chevers wrote. "The general opinion among physiologists is that all collateral circumstances, except those of climate, being equal, all women would reach puberty at about the same age." In other words, judging from the context, given different climates but the same collateral circumstances, for instance what Dr. Mohen dralal Sircar would call the late knowing and seeing of husbands,' and all women would reach their puberty at the same age. Dr. Chevers continued. "If, however, there does prevail in India an idea that a crime equal to that of child murder is incurred whenever menstruation occurs previous to marriage, it becomes difficult to obtain statistics showing the ranges of ages at which naturally Indian women would attain puberty. It would perhaps be well to obtain some statistics of the ages at which puberty was reached by

some hundreds of carefully brought up widows of child-husband This has never been attempted, I believe, and such a table would be valuable to science and of valid aid to the excellent purpose which you have in view." A false physiological doctrine made into a religious precept would appear, from this extract, to have been to some extent at the bottom of the practice of early marriage. Would some of our M. D.'s take the trouble to collect the statistics suggested by

Dr. Chevers?

Dr. S. G. Chuckerbutty wrote:-"The usual sign of puberty (pubescence ?) in a girl is the commencement of menstruation which occurs as a general rule in all the countries between the ages of thirteen and fourteen, though in some cases it may come on earlier or later. The best standard for comparison would be the Native Christian girls on the one hand, and European girls on the other, for in respect of marriage they adopt the same rule. I am not aware that there is any practical difference between these two classes of girls as to the age of puberty. The Hindu and Mahomedan girls, from the custom of early marriage, attained to forced puberty at an earlier age. This should, therefore, never influence our opinion as to what is the proper age for puberty under normal circumstances." We believe, there is some difference between Native Christian girls and European girls. Heredity plays a permanent part in sexual development, and it would take years before Native Christains whose ancestors were originally Hindus and practised early marriage, could minimise the effects of heredity.

Dr. Charles wrote: "Two points constituting grave and formidable impediments have come prominently before me while making enquiries to enable me to offer an opinion on the question. One lies in a wide-spread belief that the climate leads to early menstruation which points to early marriage, and the other a similarly extended opinion that the climate causes an early development of sexual passion. There is just sufficient truth in both these statements to render it impossible to give them a full and unreserved denial, and yet so little truth in them as to render the arguments based on them entirely valueless. Menstruation in Calcutta is undoubtedly earlier than it is in London, though the difference in this respect between the two places is not so great as is usually believed. The climate and other surroundings of young girls may

have some influence in leading to this result, but the great cause which induces early menstruation is undoubtedly early marriage. The girl is forced into menstruation prematurely by the abnormal conditions under which marriage places her........

"On the subject of early development of sexual passion, I write with great reluctance, and only write at all because I consider by not referring to the question, it will do more harm than by allowing it to enter into this discussion.

"I have long believed that the young Hindu female is usually totally devoid of all sexual feeling and special inquiries on the point made during the present investigation have completely confirmed me in this opinion. Believing the allegation to be without foundation, I consider the fear of seduction grounded on it to be needless and am convinced that such a misfortune befalling any Bengali girl of fourteen or fifteen years of age would depend on a train of events in which sexual passion would hold as unimportant a place as it would do under similar circumstances in Spitzbergen or the Northern shore of Baffin's Bay. ' It is a psychological truth that a desire satisfied as soon as it is felt has no need and no occasion to become intense. In India sexual passion is satisfied before even it is felt. What is the natural result? It has lost in intensity and, parodoxical as it may appear, Dr. Charles' conclusions appear to us to be no more than the truth.

Dr. Smith wrote as follows: "Montesquieu enunciated the dictum that 'women in hot climates are marriagable at eight, nine, or ten years of age'-adding (what under the assumed circumstances is certainly much more near the truth) that, they are old at twenty.' The age of marriage,' says Mr. Sale, 'or of maturity, is reckoned to be fifteen-a decision supported by a tradition of the Prophet, although Abu Hanifah thinks eighteen the proper age' (Prichard's Natural History of Man, Vol. ii. p. 655). Some physiologists believe that the catamenial function does not occur earlier in hot than in cold climates. Mr. Roberton, whose writings on this subject are well known, is a learned exponent of this view of the case. Allusion to his investigations may be found in Todd's 'Cyclopædia of Anatomy and physiology,' Article Generation,' vol. ii. p. 442.