, 1859-06-14
Lecture on Physical Education.

v rom th% EQ&t0a lf4fallAr, 1no&E+h
Thsrs was . lnrge audience, including many
lics, At the Music Hall last evening, to hear the
lecture by Dr. George B. Windship Of Roxhury,
on Physical Education, illustrated By some Is
touishing feats Of strength. Tho articles used
in these ieats had been lying On the platform Of
the hall MI day, and persons who we're IN tho
hall in the afternoon attending an association
meeting took the opportunity to examine the
weights and ascertain that they were indeed what
they seemed, solid and ponderous iron.
Or. Windship Was received with hearty np-
plause. and stated that he would perform one or
Two experiments before commencing his lee
ture.
There was q framework On the platform, be-
meath which we're eight one hundred pound
weights on bar and chain weighing Is lbs-to-
getGer 526 lbs. Through the upper link Of the
chain attached was stick, crosswise. and while
standing oyer the weights IN the frame, Dr..
Windship grasped the stick with both hands,
straddlinR It, one hand before and the other be-
hind, and lifted the 83S lbs three times clear of
the platform. Another hundred pound weight
added, and be lifted s26 lbs cleaE, amid great
applause; ,,,,.,. o.,,~ ox.,..;a,.n,s
commenced bis lecture b. showing that, al
though there had been many advocates Of physi-
cal education, yet it hnd never been rightly un-
derstood. he then referred to the TACT that
every adult breathes "a hhds Of air daily, and
God had placed IN ocean Of aifover Us, and Jet
| We preferred to forget that to have pure blood
| We must have pure mir. Two instances Of the
| effects Of heedlessness to physical laws were
! given-one, that Of child oyertnsked and con-
| fined too much at school; the other, that Of =
man breaking down his constitution by inces-
SAINT laborious, ambitious application, without
rest, or exercise, or mir, seeking only wealth.
He then spoke ii most eloquent manner OF
the benefcrut physical, moral and mental re-
suits which proceeded from a thorough phys1-
cal education. Physical education could not
commence it He had even known Of one law
yer who commemorative practice Of gymnastics
| 2t 20 years Of age.
DR.. Windship then gare an account Of hi.
own experience in gymnastics, commencing
with his 18th year at college. where in two years
was the result Of desire to place himself on az
equality with one Of his classmates, who had ar
rogated to himself certain superiority. but de
clined the final combat. Since then he hac
been constant in his practice. Gymnasiums
he showed, had their abuses, from persons MOI
haustion aud weariness should never be allowet
to come. Lifting was neglected branch. OF
account Of the tendency Of people to injurs
themselves with it. Yet to thorough harden
ing Of the whole body lifting was necessary
He had commenced with five hundred pounds
l
past he had lifted 926 lbs.
Galen had calculated that the hips and leg
could support two or three TONS There wer'
other ways Of lifting By which large amount
could be lifted. Not long since, with his hand
and back together. he had lifted $500 pounds
There was vast difference between lifting ant
sustaining. He would not advise any one Il
Train themselves up to lift orer $40 pounds will
the hands, or 1000 with the straps. He ha'
gone beyond that to ascertain what could b
done. Totten and the Belgian giant were th
only persons he had ever learned authcn1icall
to have lifted 800 pounds. Totten lived 10
years ago, and was thirty years old when b
lifted it. DR.: ". said he had five years yet +
that, and he hoped to train himself to lift SO
pounds clear.
Ne1tto lifting. dumb bells were useful On
Of his own weighed l4l pounds, and others 10
pounds each. The rings came next. He
never pr,scticed over half an hour day, nll thu
was sufficient to exercise all the muscles. H
Was 5 feet Z inches high, and weighed u
pounds. In reference to practicing, he woul
say try no feat twice OIL the same day, if it va
found to tire or exhaust in the slightest degree
He proceeded next to speak at length Of Ii
| anti-dyspeptc tendency Of Developing the mus
cles, Of the effect in producing cheerfn1ness, {
the vuine to women Of moderate gymnasti
practice aud Of the suppression Of gymnas'a
some Of the German States because Of their trL
dency to cultivate spirit Of individual freedo,
, and Of resolution to oppose oppression.
/ The meaning of success in life" was define
not to be general, or postmaster, or men
Der Of Congress, but to enjoy normal develop
ment Of ali our faculties: AL men bad an ol
| portunity to develop their physical system
no matter what their occupation may be- !.
The lecture proper occupied Ell hour iu i
delivery, aud contained some passages Of r
, nnarkab1e eloquencc- 1t vas now twenty mil
uses after nine.