Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-10-06

y HNI VI AHt chHtAiAcf ~ IioitCt DtfetUs anu
I property aud ! hope society will never be
less sensitive to the degradation Of the princi-
pal in the olltnse. But am opposed to the
union Of all the yirinous and almost al the
vicious, those who are above human weakness,
( and those who arc weak in every other way.
blndly rushing to legal sanctions for the pro-
veniiou Of anticipated evil and to moral
sanctions, pledging men, women and children
against any touching, handling or tasting Of
stimulating liquors. The law cannot stand
long among democratic republicans who are as
wise as they are free nor can the pledge be
kept, which is a sheer violation of right and
Nature Substitution OF drinks, and jieiic
changes, alone, can raise a barrier to the wide
spread food Of dyspepsia , and lis fellow food
still wider spread, the ocean Of Intemperanco.
But the lungs should be strong and the chest
large and easy, to fulfil the other conditions of
human health. BY means Of them, there
ought to be a very large and constant, unceas-
ing day or night, reception and appropriation
of oxygen. They feed on air, and cannot be
over-iej. And vet how many, students par
iicuIarly, are found who think aud act upon
that obvious fact How weak, narrow and
sunken chests abound at colleges, and aiter-
wards, in those walks Of life for which col
leges are thought to be preparation. The
lungs can be easily expanded and kept in place
provided the stomach is sound, and rice rcrsa;
for each sympalhizes with the other. The
carriage Of the body in an erect and advancing
posture, whether sitting or moying, with the
head held up and breast projected, is one aid TO
the growth OF the lungs the habit Of deep
aid regular breathing is the next, but IS even
more generally neglected than the other. Half
breathing and quarter breathing is the uncon-
scious and destructive practice Of almost all
sedeniary people in trades and professions. The
result is certain, because the means are infalli
bic. The chest contracts, the shoulders come
forward, the arms drop, the back bends, the
knees advance. and the machine gives up TO the
protraeted bad treatment. If these same per-
sons, who so die by their own act, were to see
a lat die for want Of air, in an exhausted re-
ceiver, they would comprehend how that hap
pened but without any suspicion that by aciu-
al disuse Of the lungs, they were expiring in
the same way, for want Of air. Loud exercises
in reading, speaking, and singing. under in
sirucIion, are the finest and most profitable ap-
plicaiions Of the power acquired by those hab-
! its Of position and of breathing, aud they are
great auSiliares likewise. The air is vital to
human life as much so as food. Both yield
iha, oxygen which supplies the furnace Of en-
I ergy for the nerves and muscles by which, with
Z the brain, alone, any career can be great |
( trea, both as diet and dwell upon their i'm
poriance because know that, although we do
not live to cat, drink, and breathe, there is no
( living 10 any purpose unless people will eai
drink, and breathe. l am for moderation in
all things which means all things in modera-
tion.
But there is yet more to do for physical ed
ucaiion. Exercise must be regularly and Wig
orously, but naturally, taken by every student,
( in proportion to his need Of it, do not mean
I by exercise, work, nor fatigue, nor any hap
hazard and spasmodic violence now and then,
as the ft takes him, without instruction or per
sisiance. The body is only jaded or cheated,
or BOTH by such errors. | recommend the use
of gymnastics, according 10 the best systems
which have been produced. The muscles Of
the body and limbs can be increased in size and
in yigor, By following teacher who under
stands his art, just as certainly as can the fac
ullies of the mind under like instruction. 1t
is by contraction and expansion Of these, while
there is an ample supply of air in the chest
and some food in the body, that their growth
can be secured. The exercise qnickons the
breath, and makes the lungs feed freer air,
while, IL not too violent, digestion is also pro-
NOTED, aud thus the appropriation Of the oxy-
gen is increased and health and strength aug
mened 1t is erroneous TO suppose that much
time is occupied, or that expensive apparatus is
needed for the purpose. The tendency Of gym
nasiic lessons is TO become more simple. They
can be made economical, but they should be
pursued as a substantive and leading part ofed-
uca,ion. ! do moi forget all the 1ippant oh
jeciions 10 such exercises, nor how much spec
ialors Of the idle class are prone to express
their light opinions on the subject. But Amer
leans have too much sense 10 be stopped on
their way to great results, by anything but log
ic, or necessity Neither Of these oppose the
adoption Of most thorough course Of scien-
tifc exercises. The stake is so great for
us all, seeing the uniimely fate of our youth
Of both sexes, for want of physical powers
and development, that there is nothing so i'm
peraiiye as immediate attention to the correc-
tion of the evil The teachers of several
generslions Of young men and young wom-
en-, have in this country done a vast a.
mount Of hoi-house forcing, and have achiey-
ed few years of beauty and brightness for our
sons and daughters, at the cost Of half their
lives To proceed further with this system of
imperfect education, is impossible. The subject
commands the FIRST place in the business Of in-
struction. IIencelorlh, parents will sec the
great need of such an application of science to
physical training as will give us better prospect
of life and usefulness for the future. Our cities
being rapidly depopulated by the deterioration
of the inhabitants our men, women, and chill
dren, deprived Of all reasonable enjoyment Of
their lives by early neglect Of their bodies ;
premature diseases pervading even the rural
population the rich, owing TO physical suffer
ing, taking less comfort Than the poor present
a very discouragng side to tho picture of our
civilization. But there are on the other side,
our unrivalled soil, climate, institutions our