Note 276 — VARIOUS QUESTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE FOREGOING SUBJECTS, ELUCIDATED BY PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCHES.
Reading edition
It has been a question much agitated by the ancients, why females arrive at puberty before males. Hippocrates gives the following as a reason, propter corporis imbecillitatem id evenit puellis, ut citius quam mares pubescant. (Lib. de Sept. part. in fin. et in lib. de nat. puer.) Aristotle also entertained a similar opinion. (De Generat. animal: cap. 6) and Galen also adopted it (De Usu part Corp. human).