Health Of College Girls

The regular qnarterly meeting of the Association of Collegiale Alumiue was held at Wellesley, Mass., on ISaturday alternoon, May 16. This assoeiation is compoëed of tlie womcn srraduates of different cojlegs. The members of the associatlon amembled in theoliapel, where Miss Freeman weloomad theni In a few pleaiant wiinls. The papar of the occasion, read bv Mks Hick?, was of unusual Interest, sonie time ago the anocUtlnn sent to about 1,400 woinen graduates of different college a circular contalnlng a I u-t or questious as lo their iiealth on entering college, thcir health during the cnur.se, and tlieir healtli since graduation. Oiher quectioDi reierred to their habita, diet, sleep, etc. Tlie object was to ascertalued go far u possible the actual eífects of higlier edueation upon tlie healtb of Women, wliich has 'jeeu Ihe subject of so mucli dispute. The paper of questions was Ulied out and retorced by 70.") women, The papers were eübmitted by the association to Cirroll 1). Wrighl, of the Masachusetts Bureau of Labor, who set his clerks to lift and classity the answer?. The reresults are very sutUfuclory to the advocates of " higher edueation. Of the 705 woinen graduates 282 reported their present health as "excellent," 277 as "good," 83 as "indifferent," 35 as " poor," and 36 tailed to report. Thus 78 per cent. of the woinen gnuluates heaid from are io good health. The healtli of 20 percent, of the women was below par before they entered college. The health of only 17 per cent. was below par ufter they graduated. Thus, on the whole, health has impioved rather than deteriorated during the college course. Those whose lualth have deteriorated sutler chiefly from nervous troubles. The Massachusetts Bureau of Labor not long ago questloned 1,082 working women employed In shops, tactories, etc. Of these 76 plus per cent. had been in good health before they began to yrork. Their troubles, unlike those of the college girls, were very nervous. The majority of the college graduates are from the country, and trom the Northern anil Western states. Contrary to wliat niight líate been expected, the girls who lived in the country before going to college do not make as good a showiiig, in the way of health as those who live in the city. Of the 705 woinen, 58S are descended, orí both sides, from native American parents. The average age of tne graduates is 2S years. Only 27 per cent. ot thiwt; baard fmin ar„ -..-¦j.j uul mis ttoes not represent the whole nuuiber, as it was more difficult for the association to trace the niarneci gracniates under their ntw names. Of the married graduatcs hardly any are divorced; 113 have children. The health of the children of college graduates is geuerally good, and the death rate ainong them unusually low. The speaker said that the average number of children to each (married) gradúate was 2, of whoin 1.8 were living. This provoked a general laugli. The average age of entering college was 18.34. Of the 705, only 8 reported theiuselves as butterflies without occup.ition, and only 2 expressed the belier that higlier education of women wu a mistake. The tigures read on this occasion are from advance sheets of the full report to be published later, which will be the most important contribution yet made to the discussion of the higlier edueation versus the health of women. Hitherto the arguments urged on both sides have been mainly tbeofetical.