The consequence is that girls are married at the age of nine or
ten years, but it is understood or professed that the
consummation of the marriage is delayed until after the first
menstrual period. There is, however, too much reason to believe
that the earlier ceremony is very frequently, perhaps commonly,
taken to warrant resort to sexual intercourse before the
menstrual flux has occurred: it may be accepted as true that
premenstrual copulation is largely practised under the cover of
marriage in this country.
"From this practice it results that girls become mothers at the
earliest possible period of their lives. A native medical witness
testified that in about 20 per cent of marriages children were
born by wives of from twelve to thirteen years of age. Cases of
death caused by the first act of sexual intercourse are by no
means rare. They are naturally concealed, but ever and anon they
come to light. Dr. Chevers mentioned some 14 cases of this sort
in the last edition of his 'Handbook of Medical Jurisprudence for
India,' and Dr. Harvey found 5 in the medicolegal returns
submitted by the Civil Surgeons of the Bengal Presidency during
the years 1870-71-72.
"Reform must come from conviction and effort, as in every other
case, but meantime the strong arm of the law should be put forth
for the protection of female children from the degradation and
hurt entailed by premature sexual intercourse.
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