PUBERTY BEI isHRNAL our type of society, much lip-service to the importance of the family as a stabilizing unit, but we do not yet attempt to teach the most important member of that unit her proper role and responsibilities at a sufficiently early age. Primitive peoples are in advance of us in this respect.The trouble is, of course, that we are not taught ourselves. Even medical students receive little or no instruction in the subject, and I am frequently shocked at the ignorance of undergraduates and some senior members of the university on sexual matters. At present we spend much time and money in encouraging "youth movements" without bothering to explain to young people why this provision is necessary.A most useful experiment would be to design a course of instruction for senior pupils-that is, those who have attained the age of 12 years and upwards-with the purpose of explaining the biological importance of the changes taking place at puberty both to the individual and for the survival of mankind. This would give the opportunity to explain the reasons why our type of society requires that intellectual and emotional maturation should also occur before the individual can assume his full responsibilities in it. Doctors are especially well equipped to take a leading part in such instruction, and they are, indeed, the only people with the necessary training and experience to do so effectively. ConclusionI am not sure that a brief introductory paper should attempt to reach conclusions, but the points I have tried to bring out are: (1) The changes at puberty are the result of an ancient and stable mechanism designed to fit the male for reproduction and the female for childbearing. (2) Unlike primitive peoples, we tend to gloss over the sexual changes in favour of intellectual development. The time lag between puberty and full social responsibility may be ten years or more. (3) As a result of this there is often a lack of harmony between physical, emotional, and intellectual development.-(4) Two measures to remedy this disharmony are suggested: (a) close supervision of children at the age of puberty, to correlate the progress of physical maturation, mental advance, and emotional stability; and (b) instruction of those who have attained the age of 12 years and upwards in the biological importance of the changes at puberty, and the reasons why our type of society requires that intellectual and emotional maturation should also occur before the individual can assume his full responsibilities.In this matter we might well paraphrase the poet Cowper's " Tirocinium " : Schools, unless instruction were double strong, Detain their adolescent charge too long. REFERENCES Brit. med.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract