SELF KNOWLEDGE
——AND——
GUIDE TO SEX INSTRUCTION
VITAL FACTS OF LIFE FOR ALL AGES

———
A Complete and Comprehensive Guide to Parents for the Proper
Instruction of Their Children, Concerning the Delicate
Questions of Life; Timely Help for the Boy and Girl,
at the Ages of Greatest Danger, with Warnings
of the Pitfalls which Lie Hidden in
Their Pathway,

TOGETHER WITH

Vital Information for the Marriageable; Safe, Sane, Scientific
Counsel for the Married of all Ages, including Knowledge
Vital to those in Middle Life and Declining
Years, with a Word of Warning Against the Prevailing
Ignorance of God’s Sacred Laws of
Sex and Heredity

BY
Professor T. W. SHANNON, A.M.

International Lecturer on Moral, Social and Reform Topics; Member of Advisory
Board World’s Purity Federation; also Author of Eight other Purity Books
———
With Special Chapters by Hon. Stanley Finch, Special Commissioner for
The Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, U. S. Department of Justice;
B. S. Steadwell, President World’s Purity Federation and
Charles W. Eliot, Former President Harvard University
———
INTRODUCED BY

B. S. STEADWELL

Publisher “The Light,” Official Organ of The World’s Purity Federation

PUBLISHED EXCLUSIVELY BY

THE S. A. MULLIKIN COMPANY
MARIETTA OHIO



Copyrighted, 1913, By
THE S. A. MULLIKIN CO.


Agents wanted in all English-speaking countries. Address publishers
at foot of title page.



Dedicated
TO   THE   GRANDFATHERS   AND   GRANDMOTHERS,
TO   THE   FATHERS   AND   MOTHERS,
TO   THE   HUSBANDS   AND   WIVES,
TO   THE   BACHELORS   AND   MAIDS,
TO   THE   YOUNG   MEN   AND   YOUNG   WOMEN,
TO   THE   BOYS   AND   GIRLS,
TO   THE   BABES   THAT   BE   AND   ARE   TO   BE,
THIS   BOOK   IS   AFFECTIONATELY   DEDICATED
BY   THE   AUTHOR.

Yours for the Uplift of Humanity T.W. Shannon

PREFACE

Truth like gold is unaffected in quality by its environment, but the environment of truth does affect the character of the person receiving it. Half truths clothed in obscene language and imparted by the ignorant or vicious have made mental, moral and physical wrecks of millions. The same truth received from a pure mother, noble father, a good book or a wise teacher, safeguards the youth and accomplishes untold good.

The purpose of this book is not only to enable parents, teachers and all matured people, to inform themselves more fully concerning the vital facts of life, but it furnishes a specific guide to all parents, who would know how to tell their children the sacred story of life, and counsel intelligently with their sons and daughters at the ages of greatest danger and give them clean, concise and scientific sex instruction with a view to safeguarding them against the demoralizing half truths of vicious or ignorant schoolmates, servants or companions; and to all others of sufficient age, who have an opportunity for service to innocent and helpless children, who would have a wise word at the right time; and to the young man and young woman, married or single, who would avoid the pit-falls lying in the pathway of those ignorant of God’s sacred laws of nature; and to all mankind who seek to make the world better by more intelligent and better living.

The author of this book is sacrificing home life, financial interests, and much that is dear to all human hearts, to humanity’s cause. He lectures by day and works and travels by night and is unable to meet half of the calls for service. During engagements of two or three days he labors at night without money and without price in private interviews with young men after his lectures until midnight, one, two, three and four o’clock in the morning, hoping thereby to lend a helping hand to thousands to the end of nobler, purer and better living. In this work he has met with marvelous success. He now hopes to send his vital messages to the four corners of the earth in book form in order that the influence of his work may be felt in wider circles than he may ever hope to reach in personal endeavors. The spirit in which this book has been written is best expressed in the words of Henry Van Dyke:

“There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher. There is a nobler character than that which is merely incorruptible. It is the character which acts as an antidote and preventive of corruption. Fearlessly to speak the words which bear witness to righteousness and truth and purity; patiently to do the deeds which strengthen virtue and kindle hope in your fellow men; generously to lend a hand to those who are trying to climb upward; faithfully to give your support and your personal help to the efforts which are making to elevate and purify the social life of the world.”

Prof. Shannon observes that the spirit of society and the attitude of our government has been to protect our forests, inspect our swine and neglect our children, but that a wiser and more hopeful day is dawning. More interest in the study and application of the laws of Heredity has been taken in the past ten years than in the previous ninety. Newspapers and magazines contain articles by leaders of eugenic thought; purity organizations are springing up throughout the country and sounding the word of warning against the prevailing ignorance of these subjects; books are being written; sermons and lectures delivered and the masses are becoming interested. In this Prof. Shannon is doing his part. The sale of his books to date have reached in excess of a quarter of a million copies with no organized effort behind them. Each copy sold seems to sell two others, and with the business growing by leaps and bounds and getting beyond his control, the present publishers with a sales system unexcelled, were selected as a medium for placing his messages literally into the homes of millions.

Prof. Shannon is a member of the Advisory Board of the World’s Purity Federation and lectures under the auspices of this movement. Eight years as teacher of Biology, after his graduation from college, his experience in writing eight other purity books and years of research and lecturing on these subjects have eminently qualified him for the high position he holds to-day with the World’s Purity Federation, and as author of a number of books on moral, social and reform topics which are to-day meeting with such an enormous sale. He sends forth this volume on its mission of usefulness to the human race with the implicit faith that it will be the means of safeguarding the youth wherever it goes and make thousands of homes happier and brighter and the world a better place to live.

The Publishers.