Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-08-18

irtifcial temperature of the greenhouse, S
annot resist, when afterwards exposed,
he inelemency Of our winters. 1t must I
buffet the storm, acquire muscular strength
rom the influence of the winds, and be-
:ome indurated and toughened by the So
ar and atmospheric influences, and the
flternation of the seasons, to become fitted
for the useful purposes ofman. We leave
the reader to carry out the parallel, be-
tween vegetable and animal physiology,
after perusing the extract in our last page.
EDUCATION OF FEMALES.
The principle just stated explains very
obviously tie WEAKNESS, debility, and inju-
ry to health which invariably follow tore
ed confinement to one position or to one
limited variety of movement, as is often
witnessed in the education of young fe-
males. Alternate contraction and relaxa-
ton, or, in other words, exercise of the
muscles which support the trunk of the
BODY, gre the only means which, accord
ing to the Creators laws, are conducive
to muscular development, and by which
bodily strength and vigor can be secured.
Instead Of promoting such exercise, how
ever, the prevailing system of female edu-
cation places the muscles of the trunk, in
particular, under the worst possible cir
cumstances, and renders their exercise
nearly impossible. Left to its own
weight, the body would fall to the ground,
in obedience TO the ordinary law of gravit-
alton; and sitting and standing, therefore,
as We'll as in walking, the position is pre-
served only by active muscular exertion.
But if we confne ourselves to one attitude,
such as that of sitting erect upon chair
or, what is still worse, on benches with
out backs, as is the common practice in
schools,-it is obvious that we place the
muscles which support the spine and
trunk in the very disadvantageous posi-
ton OF permanent instead of alternate con-
traction; which we have seen to be in re-
ality more faGguing and facilitating to
them than severe labor Girls thus re-
strained daily for many successive hours
invariably sufer-being deprived of the
sports and exercise after school-hours
which strengthen the muscles of boys,
and enable them to Withstand the oppres-
sion. The muscles being thus enfeebled
they either lean over insensibly to one
side, and thus contract curvature Of the
spine; or their weakness being perceiv
ed, they are forthwith cased in sitter and
stronger stays-hat support being sough
II for in steel and whalebone which nature
intended they should obtain from the bone:
and muscles of their own bodies The
patient, finding the maintenance of erec
carriage (he grand object for which al
the suffering is inficted) thus rendered
more easy, at first welcomes the stays
and, like her teacher, fancies them highly
useful. Speedily, however, their effect
show them to be the reverse of beneficial
The same want of varied motion, which
was the prime cause Of the muscula
weakness, is still further aggravated by tn
tight pressure of the stays interrupting tn
play of the muscles, and rendering then
in few months more powerless than ev
er. In spite, however, of the wearines
and mischief which result from it, tn
same system is persevered in and, dur
ing the short time allotted to that nomina
exercise, the formal walk, the body
. left almost as motionless as before, and on
ly the legs are called into activity. TIL
natural consequences ofthis treatment are
debility ofthe body, curvature of the spine
= impaired digestion, and, from the dimin
y ished tone of the animal and vital funC
tons, general i'll health and yet, Will
= we thus set Nature and he1 laws at def
" ance, We presume to express surprise a
= the prevalence of female deformity AM
disease
Ii would be easy, were it required, tt
{ prove that the picture here drawn, is no
y over-charged. A single instance, from
: note appended by DR. Forbes to an excel
" lent treatise on "Physical Education,
+ by Dr. Barlow of Bath, will suffice. Al
: ter copying the programme of boarding
school for young ladies, which exhibits
only one hours exercise, consisting of I
walk, arm in arm, on the high road, ana
that only tohe1 the aoeather IS fine at TIL
particular hour allotted to 1T, in contras
: with nine hours at school or tasks, anC
: three and hall at optional studies Of
y works,-Dr Forbes adds -" That thu
practical results Of such an astounding
= regimen are by no means overdrawn il
u the preceding pages is sufficiently evinc
; ed by the following fact, fact which, VIZ
will venture to say, may be verified by in
spection oil, thousands of boarding school.
in this country. We lately Disited in {
p large tolon a boarding school contGinin9
forty girls; and zee learned on close ana
q accurate inquiry, that there tOGs not on
!" of TIE girls pho had been at the school trct
gears land tie majority had been as long
that teere not more or less Crooked
Our patient was in this predicament; ane
we could perceive (what all may perceive