Keeping your internal organs clean is just as important as giving scrupulous attention to your teeth, hair, face or any part of your external body. In fact, by the very reason of their complicated construction it is far more important. Some women think that nature takes care of this but they are in error. Other women argue that primitive women had no means of caring for their internal bodies and ask how they got along. If they will read history they will learn that these women died young without ever knowing what ailed them, while modern science through knowledge of hygiene has almost doubled the human span of life. It is just as important for young girls to cleanse their internal organs as for older, married women. Many mothers are fearful that this might injure the hymen or might make a young girl too conscious of these organs. All of which is poppy-cock. In most girls the hymen is long gone before they loose their virginity and if educated in the proper way, with wholesome talks, and careful demonstration sessions with their own syringe, the young girl will think no more about these organs than she does her eyes, bust, nose or mouth. The aches and pains, which often accompany first menstrual periods, can be greatly relieved by warm douching, and it is surely just as necessary to wash away the secretions, dead tissue and uncleanliness from outside sources, in the young unmarried girl as it is in the older married woman. Physicians now state also that douching during pregnancy is highly desirable and a special type of douche nozzle is manufactured for the purpose. Your physician, of course will advise you fully on this matter. A woman who is ignorant of female hygiene has no right to expect a happy marriage. Is she is to remain sweet and desirable to her husband she must observe the strictest hygienic practices both before and after coitus. Opinions differ on how often a woman should douche but all authorities agree that every normal woman should so cleanse her internal organs after menstruation and after having had sexual relations. There are on the market many types of douching equipment and great advances in their design have been made recently. While an ordinary fountain syringe is the most commonly used, it has many drawbacks. It cannot dilate the vaginal canal and having no retaining shield, the water runs out as soon as it is injected. It cannot reach and properly cleanse the folds and creases of the vagina and it is here that excretions collect. Special retention douche shields are being researched and in the future, anatomically shaped vulva sealing douche shields will be readily available. Improperly curved bulb syringe nozzles do not follow the anatomical shape of the vaginal canal, which is not curved, but slants backward. So called "whirling sprays" are not whirling sprays at all, for no mechanical object could possibly revolve inside the vagina where wall touches wall. In selecting a good vaginal syringe choose one, which follows the shape of the vaginal canal - straight, and slanting backward, one that is simple in construction and has an oval shield in a fixed position. The nozzle should be about four inches in length and it is desirable to get one on which the shield is curved to fit the vulva. Such a type of syringe does not enter into the vaginal canal far enough to touch or injure the cervix, yet it makes it possible for the douching solution to reach every part of the internal cavity and by reason of the shield to hold it there until the cleansing is through. Another good type, similar to that described above, has an adjustable shield, so that it may be placed at any point along the nozzle and this is found particularly desirable by young girls and brides or by those women having a prolapsed uterus. In the douching process, there are several positions a woman may take. If the spray is the right type, with an oval flange shield, the douche may be taken standing, making it unnecessary to remove the clothing. The knee-chest position is also highly recommended although it is somewhat difficult and awkward for the inexperienced. This position offers the best option for the retention of medicated solutions when the nozzle is not equipped with a shield. The douche may also be taken in an upright sitting position on the toilet seat, or sitting on the edge of the seat, leaning forward and downward. Many physicians recommend the reclining position-reclining in the bathtub, against the sloping end of the tub. This is especially recommended when the douche is for medicinal purposes, in the treatment of vaginal infections or when it is to be a prolonged hot treatment douche, as when it is used to relieve pain. In all cases, a warm douche is recommended-the vagina can stand a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit or more, but a good plan is to have the water no hotter than the sensitive tissues of the vulva can bear. It has taken a long time to convince the public that douches may be taken during a menstrual period, but women are gradually beginning to see the light. In fact, now after listening to the best authorities state this fact over and over again, the majority of enlightened women are beginning to see that the practice e is highly to be recommended not only from the standpoint of cleanliness but for the sake of female comfort. Many a woman, who for years suffered severe menstrual pains, now finds relief in the application of warm douches. What solution to put into the douche solution is a matter of opinion and it is also determined by the purpose of the douche. Warning is given, however against the use of all strong disinfectants, such as those containing cresol, and other poisons. Some recommend and acid douche-such as white vinegar, others an alkaline, such as salt and soda, for ordinary cleansing purposes. It is wise to consult a physician about which is best for you and never under any circumstances, use any medicated solution without first consulting him. The internal female organs are delicate and sensitive and irreparable harm can be done them by the use of strong caustic medications.
