Page:The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 1920.djvu/180



of the average age of the onset of puberty, its association with early marriage, and the average duration of menstrual life among Indian women, is desirable for the correct treatment of the various morbid gynaecological conditions associated with these ages.

The conclusions generally held regarding the age of onset of puberty among European races are that the average age of onset is 14 years, but the limit of normal puberty is much wider, ranging from 12 to 16 years ; that probably climate is less important than race, but other factors, such as nutrition, environment and heredity, come into play, some retarding, others advancing, the process.

To obtain some knowledge regarding conditions among Indian women, personal enquiries were made by medical women in different parts of India (Bengal, Berar, Bihar and Orissa, Bombay Presidency, Central India, Central Provinces, Delhi, Gujerat, Hyderabad (Deccan), Madras Presidency, Punjab, United Provinces). The women questioned represented many different castes and races, and were drawn from all classes of the community.

The results have been grouped together for comparison under the headings Mussalman, Hindu, and Indian Christian, since the returns for any one province or caste were not sufficiently distinctive to merit separate tabulation.