Abstract
In the industrially developed countries of the world the age at menarche had been getting 3-4 months earlier every decade for the last 100 years. Extrapolation backwards of this downward trend provides us with ridiculous figures. We, therefore, examined the recorded data from the writings of the authoritative Indian legislators during the period between ca.500 B.C. and 500 A.D. to study the trend in menarcheal age. Almost all of the legislators in their writings pointed out that the age of menarche was at 12 although full completion of puberty took place at age 16. The present day data differed from the ancient data being 0.8-1.2 yrs. and 2.2-2.4 yrs. later in the Urban and rural populations respectively. When the data from Classical Greece were examined from the writings of Aristotle and Hippocrates during 384-322 B.C. the age at menarche was between 13-14 yrs. The Roman authors Galen (129-199 A.D.),Soranus (2nd Century A.D.) found this age around 14, and Oribasius (4th Century A.D.) observed menarche to occur between 12-14 yrs. Thus the recorded data of the ancient time contrast with the current downward trend for the age at menarche.
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