years.

One of the advantages of this post was that it brought him into constant
communion with many eminent medical men, and rendered him practically
acquainted with their treatment of disease. His skill in phonography
enabled him to take abundant notes of their lectures, and this led to
his early connection with the periodical literature of the profession.
Most of the reports he drew up were published in the _Medical and
Surgical Reporter_, a weekly journal, devoted to medical science,
published in Philadelphia. The series of reports commenced in April,
1866, and continued, with slight interruptions, until June, 1870. They
are characterized by a clear and correct style, and a manifestly
thorough grasp of the numerous topics treated.

The success which these ephemeral writings obtained turned his thoughts
in the direction of authorship. His tastes and associations led him to
employ his powers in two directions: first, in preparing for the general
public a series of works which would acquaint them with anatomy,
physiology, hygiene, sanitary science, nursing, and the management of
disease, to the extent that intelligent general readers can and ought to
know about these subjects; and secondly, in writing for professional men
several treatises on the means of alleviating and curing diseases.

In the prosecution of the first mentioned of these plans, he was early
impressed with the utter absence of any treatise on the hygiene of the
sexual life in either sex, written in the proper spirit by a scientific
man. The field had been left to quacks or worse, who, to serve their
own base ends, scattered inflammatory and often indecent pamphlets over
the land; or else, had one or more of the points been handled by
reputable writers, it was in such a vague and imperfect manner that the
reader gained little benefit from the perusal. While all agreed that a
sound treatise on these topics was most desirable, it had been openly
averred that it could not be written in a proper style for the general
public.

Strong in the conviction that pure motives, literary tact, and the
requisite scientific knowledge qualified him to undertake this difficult
task, Dr. Napheys prepared, in the early months of 1869, his work on
"The Physical Life of Woman." Proceeding with caution, he first
submitted the MSS. to some professional friends, and profited by their
suggestions. After the work was in type, and before publication, he sent
complete copies to