Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark Corners, by B.G. Jefferis and J. L. Nichols doc

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Title: Searchlights on Health: Light onDark Corners

A Complete Sexual Science and a Guide toPurity and Physical

Manhood, Advice To Maiden, Wife, AndMother, Love,

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J L Nichols

Release Date: November 24, 2007 [EBook#23609]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERGEBOOK SEARCHLIGHTS ON HEALTH: ***

Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, BrianJanes, Keith Edkins

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note: errors have been

corrected They appear inthe text like this, and theexplanation will appearwhen the mouse pointer ismoved over the markedpassage.

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A COMPLETESEXUAL SCIENCE

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AND

J L NICHOLS, A.M.

J L NICHOLS & CO.

Naperville, Ill Memphis, Tenn Atlanta, Ga.

SOLD ONLY BYSUBSCRIPTION.

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"Vice has no friend like the prejudice

which claims to be virtue."—Lord

Lytton.

"When the judgment's weak, the

prejudice is strong."—Kate O'Hare.

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Copyrighted 1895.Copyrighted 1896, by J L Nichols &Co.Copyrighted, 1904, by J L Nichols &Co.

OVER 500,000 COPIES SOLD.

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Knowledge is Safety.

1 The old maxim, that "Knowledge ispower," is a true one, but there is still agreater truth: "Knowledge is Safety."Safety amid physical ills that besetmankind, and safety amid the moralpitfalls that surround so many youngpeople, is the great crying demand of theage.

2 Criticism.—While the aim of this

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world is full of ignorance, and theignorant will always criticise, becausethey live to suffer ills, for they know nobetter New light is fast falling upon thedark corners, and the eyes of many arebeing opened.

3 Researches of Science.—The

researches of science in the past fewyears have thrown light on many factsrelating to the physiology of man andwoman, and the diseases to which theyare subject, and consequently manyreformations have taken place in thetreatment and prevention of diseasespeculiar to the sexes.

4 Lock and Key.—Any information

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should not be kept under lock and key.The physician is frequently called uponto speak in plain language to his patientsupon some private and startling diseasecontracted on account of ignorance Thebetter plan, however, is to so educateand enlighten old and young upon theimportant subjects of health, so that thenecessity to call a physician may occurless frequently.

5 Progression.—A large, respectable,

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Enlightenment can never work injusticeto him who investigates.

6 An Example.—The men and women

who study and practice medicine are notthe worse, but the better for suchknowledge; so it would be to thecommunity in general if all would beproperly instructed on the laws of healthwhich relate to the sexes.

7 Crime and Degradation.—Had every

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subjects.

8 A Consistent Consideration.—Let

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BeginningRight.The Beginning of Life.1 The Beginning.—Thereis a charm in openingmanhood which hascommended itself to theimagination in every age.The undefined hopes andpromises of the future—the

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2 The Growth of Independence.—

Hitherto life has been to boys, as togirls, a dependent existence—a suckerfrom the parent growth—a homediscipline of authority and guidance andcommunicated impulse But henceforth itis a transplanted growth of its own—anew and free power of activity in whichthe mainspring is no longer authority orlaw from without, but principle oropinion within The shoot which hasbeen nourished under the shelter of theparent stem, and bent according to itsinclination, is transferred to the openworld, where of its own impulse andcharacter it must take root, and grow intostrength, or sink into weakness and vice.

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must excite a pang even in the firstmoments of freedom Its glad shelter—its kindly guidance—its very restraints,how dear and tender must they seem inparting! How brightly must they shine inthe retrospect as the youth turns fromthem to the hardened and unfamiliar faceof the world! With what a sweet, sadly-cheering pathos they must linger in thememory! And then what chance andhazard is there in his newly-gottenfreedom! What instincts of warning in itsvery novelty and dim inexperience!What possibilities of failure as well asof success in the unknown future as itstretches before him!

4 Vice or Virtue —Certainly there is a

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charm in the beginning of life There isawe as well as excitement in it whenrightly viewed The possibilities that liein it of noble or ignoble work—of happyself-sacrifice or ruinous self-indulgence—the capacities in the right use of whichit may rise to heights of beautiful virtue,in the abuse of which it may sink to thedepths of debasing vice—make thecrisis one of fear as well as of hope, ofsadness as well as of joy.

5 Success or Failure.—It is wistful as

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mind forward a few years, and somehave climbed the hills of difficulty andgained the eminence on which theywished to stand—some, although theymay not have done this, have kept theirtruth unhurt, their integrity unspoiled; butothers have turned back, or haveperished by the way, or fallen inweakness of will, no more to rise again;victims of their own sin.

6 Warning.—As we place ourselves

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7 Mistakes Are Often Fatal.—Begin

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have lifted up his head and prospered, if,instead of merely satisfying himself withresolutions of well-doing, he hadactually gone to work and made a good,practical beginning.

8 Begin at the Right Place.—Too

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SOLIDCOMFORTANDGOODHEALTH.Health a Duty.

Perhaps nothing will somuch hasten the time whenbody and mind will both beadequately cared for, as adiffusion of the belief that

the preservation of health is a duty Fewseem conscious that there is such a thingas physical morality.

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of a conduct more or less flagitious.Though the evil consequences inflictedon their descendents and on futuregenerations are often as great as thosecaused by crime, they do not thinkthemselves in any degree criminal.

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Value of Reputation.

1 Who Shall Estimate the Cost.—Who

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deforms, every dignity degrades, and allthe arts, the decorations andaccomplishments of life stand, like thebeacon-blaze upon a rock, warning theworld that its approach is dangerous;that its contact is death.

2 The Wretch Without It.—The

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3 Its Divinity.—Oh, Divine, oh,

delightful legacy of a spotlessreputation: Rich is the inheritance itleaves; pious the example it testifies;pure, precious and imperishable, thehope which it inspires; can there beconceived a more atrocious injury thanto filch from its possessor thisinestimable benefit to rob society of itscharm, and solitude of its solace; notonly to out-law life, but attain death,converting the very grave, the refuge ofthe sufferer, into the gate of infamy andof shame.

4 Lost Character —We can conceive

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Influence ofAssociates.

If you always live with thosewho are lame, you willyourself learn to limp.—Fromthe Latin.

If men wish to be held inesteem, they must associatewith those who are estimable.—La Bruyere.

1 By What Men Are Known.—An

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GATHERINGWILDFLOWERS.words, and all men by theircompanions.2 Formation of a GoodCharacter.—Intercourse

with persons of decidedvirtue and excellence is ofgreat importance in theformation of a good

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much, if not a great deal more, liable toinfection, than the body Go with meanpeople, and you think life is mean.

3 Good Example.—How natural is it

for a child to look up to those aroundhim for an example of imitation, andhow readily does he copy all that hesees done, good or bad The importanceof a good example on which the youngmay exercise this powerful and activeelement of their nature, is a matter of theutmost moment.

4 A True Maxim —It is a trite, but true

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he is surrounded We know persons whowalk much with the lame, who havelearned to walk with a hitch or limp liketheir lame friends Vice stalks in thestreets unabashed, and children copy it.

5 Live with the Culpable.—Live with

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6 Society of the Vulgar —Do you love

the society of the vulgar? Then you arealready debased in your sentiments Doyou seek to be with the profane? In yourheart you are like them Are jesters andbuffoons your choice friends? He wholoves to laugh at folly, is himself a fool.Do you love and seek the society of thewise and good? Is this your habit? Hadyou rather take the lowest seat amongthese than the highest seat among others?Then you have already learned to begood You may not make very muchprogress, but even a good beginning isnot to be despised.

7 Sinks of Pollution.—Strive for

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of pollution, and on the benches ofretailers and gamblers Once habituateyourself to a virtuous course, oncesecure a love of good society, and nopunishment would be greater than byaccident to be obliged for half a day toassociate with the low and vulgar Try tofrequent the company of your betters.

8 Procure no Friend in Haste.—Nor,

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yourself a friend, endeavor to be alwayssuch He can never have any true friendsthat will be often changing them.

9 Have the Courage to Cut the Most

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Self-Control.

"Honor and profit do notalways lie in the samesack."—George Herbert.

"The government of one's selfis the only true freedom for theindividual."—Frederick

Perthes.

"It is length of patience, andendurance, and forebearance,that so much of what is calledgood in mankind and

womankind is

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THERESULT

OF BADCOMPANY.

1 Essence of Character —Self-control

is only courage under another form Itmay also be regarded as the primaryessence of character It is in virtue ofthis quality that Shakespeare defines manas a being "looking before and after." Itforms the chief distinction between manand the mere animal; and, indeed, therecan be no true manhood without it.

2 Root of all theVirtues.—Self-control is at

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current of life, and becomes

the slave of his strongest desire for thetime being.

3 Resist Instinctive Impulse.—To be

morally free—to be more than an animal—man must be able to resist instinctiveimpulse, and this can only be done byexercise of self-control Thus it is thispower which constitutes the realdistinction between a physical and amoral life, and that forms the primarybasis of individual character.

4 A Strong Man Ruleth His Own

Spirit.—In the Bible praise is given, not

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discipline, exercises a constant controlover his thoughts, his speech, and hisacts Nine-tenths of the vicious desiresthat degrade society, and which, whenindulged, swell into the crimes thatdisgrace it, would shrink intoinsignificance before the advance ofvaliant self-discipline, self-respect, andself-control By the watchful exercise ofthese virtues, purity of heart and mindbecome habitual, and the character isbuilt up in chastity, virtue, andtemperance.

5 The Best Support.—The best support

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ruler, or a cruel despot We may be itswilling subject on the one hand, or itsservile slave on the other It may help uson the road to good, or it may hurry uson the road to ruin.

6 The Ideal Man.—"In the supremacy

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7 The Best Regulated Home.—The

best regulated home is always that inwhich the discipline is the most perfect,and yet where it is the least felt Moraldiscipline acts with the force of a law ofnature Those subject to it yieldthemselves to it unconsciously; andthough it shapes and forms the wholecharacter, until the life becomescrystallized in habit, the influence thusexercised is for the most part unseen,and almost unfelt.

8 Practice Self-denial.—If a man

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held in subjection to the judgment; andthe little demons of ill-humor, petulance,and sarcasm, kept resolutely at adistance If once they find an entrance tothe mind, they are apt to return, and toestablish for themselves a permanentoccupation there.

9 Power of Words.—It is necessary to

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"from the destroying power of words!There are words that sever hearts morethan sharp swords do; there are wordsthe point of which sting the heart throughthe course of a whole life."

1 0 Character Exhibits Itself.—

Character exhibits itself in self-controlof speech as much as in anything else.The wise and forbearant man willrestrain his desire to say a smart orsevere thing at the expense of another'sfeeling; while the fool blurts out what hethinks, and will sacrifice his friendrather than his joke "The mouth of awise man," said Solomon, "is in hisheart: the heart of a fool is in his mouth."

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LOSTSELF-CONTROL.

1 2 Sow Pollution.—Nor

had he the self-denial toresist giving publicity tocompositions originallyintended for the delight ofthe tap-room, but which

continued secretly to sow pollutionbroadcast in the minds of youth Indeed,notwithstanding the many exquisitepoems of this writer, it is not saying toomuch that his immoral writings havedone far more harm than his purerwritings have done good; and it wouldbe better that all his writings should bedestroyed and forgotten, provided hisindecent songs could be destroyed withthem.

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young men lack moral principle Theycannot look upon a beautiful girl with apure heart and pure thoughts They havenot manifested or practiced that self-control which develops true manhood,and brings into subordination evilthoughts, evil passions, and evilpractices Men who have no self-controlwill find life a failure, both in a socialand in a business sense The worlddespises an insignificant person wholacks backbone and character Standupon your manhood and womanhood;honor your convictions, and dare to doright.

14 Strong Drink.—There is the habit of