The Modern Woman

Alright. So I was about to write a long post about using literature as a romantic litmus test, pegged to a press release I received earlier this week about the launch of the UK's Penguin Dating, powered by match.com. More on that later, perhaps.

But I took a break to wander up to the Portland Public Library, and scored this treasure from the Free Books pile: Health and Hygiene for the Modern Woman, by Leonard H. Biskind, MD, published in 1957.

Amazing; I love this stuff. Among the "22 Factual Chapters" are gems like: "Emotions and the Female Pelvis," "Little Girls' Problems," and "The Overweight Problem." Indeed! I must get to reading. Updates to come. For now, I'll leave you with this:

"The close relationship between emotions and so-called 'female trouble' has long been known, but its acceptance has been delayed for a variety of reasons. Now we speak not only of 'female trouble' but of 'troubled females.' There are a number of emotions which, when unrealistic, can cause symptoms of female trouble or aggravate obstetric and gynecologic conditions."

I can so picture Betty Draper reading this book.