The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-01-14
LECTURE OF DIR. W7MSHfF, THE STRONG
eMAN 0H ROpTON

70 years OF age, weighs about las pounds and is
feet inches in height. His appearance before the
audience did not denote that he was possessed of
sucn physical powers as he afterwards exhibited
Inc Doctor commenced by saying that during
the last half century in this country considerable
attention had been given to physical culture but
although much had not been left unsad upon the
subject, much had been left undone. He referred
TO the little attention paid in all communities to
the physical training among all classes young and
old. Our youths were too much confined inschoos
and colleges, and little attention was paid {, the
development of the physical man. Our profession
| al men and merchants almost entirely neglect
ed it, an6 hence the number of premature
deaths, and what sometimes the newspapers chroni-
cled as mysterious dispensations of Providence"
The Doctor considered it greater mystery why so
many lived so long, with such habits of life. One
of the great of disease was the want ofprop-
| er ventilation. If we would have pure blood, we
must have pure air. When we take into consider
alton the fact, that, during twenty-four hours,
about twenty flour hogsheads of air are taken into
the lungs, it becomes evident that the atmosphere
we breathe should not be vitiated The lecturer
considered that many cases of insanity, and of
suicide, resulted from want of proper physical
culture and education
As to bodily training, it could begin too
| early and never too late. A of three score
years, commencing proper course OF physical cul-
| ture might regain his health if impaired, and pro-
| long his days DIR. Warren mentions the case of
| man of weakened constitution who commenced the
practice of gymnastics at the age of "A years, who
lived until 81, and then died in an easy and tran
| quill manner.
The lecturer said that he had commenced gym
nastc exercises at the age of IT, At that time he
was strong for his size, but not strong for his age
| ever since that time he had devoted part of the
! day to bodily training.
DEPRESSING somewhat. the lecturer said that the
science and practice of gymnastics first intro
| duced into this country from Germany. The first
| gymnasium in the country established in Bos-
| ton. The word gymnasium was derived from the
Greek word gynlnos, signifyng naked, because the
athlete of Greece always exercised devoid of cloth
ing. In Athens and Rome there were also places
where gymnastic exercises were carried on. MANY
objections had been made to gymnastic schools be-
cause In some instances, serious accidents had oc-
CURED among those who were exercising and
attempting certain feats. These, however, always
could be traced to indscretion the part of those
injured, and should not deter any one from com
menclng and continuing system of bodily train
ing.
The Doctor said he had devoted much of his at
tention to branch of gymnastic exercises not
much practised in gymnasiums, that of lifting
lie considered it one of the best exercises bring
ing all the muscles of the body into play al
most at the same time. In August 1851
being then gymnast, he commenced by lifting four
and hive hundred pounds; three months afterwards
he lifted seven hundred pounds, and continued to
increase the weight, until, on the 18th of May last
ne lifted in Music Hail. Boston, 929 lbs since then
ne had advanced, and in Mercantile Hall, Boston,
lifted lO32 lbs. About four days previous he had
| liited luz lbs, but not before an audience. He
| sup posed he could lift at times HOO lbs. but
was pretty sure he could always lift 1892 lbs.
AT this stage of the lecture the Doctor said that
| the atmosphere of the was so confined and
close, that he felt like dropping to the floor, and
asked the audience permission to retire, and also
to have the windows lowered, for better ventila-
ton. This was done, and in a few minutes the
Doctor again proceeded.
He said that, in the lifting exercises and the diff
ferent weights said to have been lifted by various
persons, we should discriminate between lifting and
sustaining. person by proper accoutrements
could sustain much greater weight than he could
lift. Sir David Brewster says that person of not
extraordinary strength could sustain between four
and i've thousand pounds from the lower extrem-
ties OF the body. The lecturer thought that bv ar
ranging certain straps to his shoulders, he would
be able to lift 1000 pounds; he was going to try it,
In referring to the feats of Others the Doctor said
that Topham, an English athlete, feet 10 inches
nigh, weighing 200 pounds, had lifted about 500
lbs; and that Benin, the Belgian giant, feet
inches high, weighing 800 pounds, had lifted lit
| tle over that. The lecturer feet Z inches
high, and weighed AS pounds. From this fact men
| OF moderate weight might take courage The Doc
| tor next referred to the usual exhibitions of
strength before audiences, and said that in many
| instances much deception was practced by having
hollow weights and rotten ropes In liftinp-exer-
| clse3 person need not exceed 500 lbs with the
hands, and 1000 lbs. with straps One of the best
modes OF exercising is with the dumb bells They de
mand pure strength. The lecturer, in his training
uses two bells of so lbs. each two of 100 lbs and
has one weighing 10 lbs. lie intends to get a
weight of 2l5 lbs, and expects to raise it in one
hand over his head in six months This will he
equal to the weight of a barrel of flour HAVING
exercised with the bells before mentioned so long
the lecturer prefers to handle barrel of -four
to almost anything he could lay his hands on. In
referring to the time necessary to devote each dav
| to proper physical culture the lecturer said that
! ne rarely ever exceeded hour al a time and
during the last year not over fifteen minutes
As a person grows stronger the time of
| exercise should be reduced. One should never
! practice to exhaustion, and care should be
| taken that one muscle should not be worked more
than another. As to diet. always take healthy
food, and have no fear of dyspepsia; the digestive
| powers increase with the muscular.
The lecturer here again stopped, and said that he
dio not ieei Ike going on with the lecture. the at
moSphere OF the room was too close; he asked the
audience to permit him to retire for a few minutes
and then he would give his exhibition of strength:
In the meantime the Hall could be ventilated.
| Here followed general letting down of window
sashes; and in few minutes the Doctor again ap-
peared, In his shirtsleeves and without collar or
! cravat Upon the platform had been erected
staging about 10 feet high, through the floor of
which rope was hung, sustaining nine kegs of
nails, each weighing LOG pounds. To the end of
| the rope, hook was attached, through which the
Doctor placed short stick Then straddng the
stick and grasping an end with each hand
he lifted the weight, (96O pounds) three sew
| eral times. The Doctor then attached strap
to ladder laid horizontally and raised himself
| to his chin, and sustained himself in that position
| by the little finger of either hand He then
raised his own weight seven times with the right
hand, and three times with the left The Doctor
then remarked that he would lift barrel of Aonr
whch weighed 2l5 lbs, and put it upon his shout
der. This was equal to raising a canon of 1000
lbs. weight The first attempt made to shoulder
the barrel failed. The Doctor got it up as hob as
his chest and then let it down. He said this was
the hrst time he had ever failed in performing the
feat. "A voice-"Don't give it up.''] The Doctor
said ne never gave thing up when he undertook
to do 1t. He then retired for few moments; when
| he returned he raised the barrel and put it upon
his shoulder, then replaced it on the platform as
gently as If it had been made of glass For this
feat he was much applauded.
The lecturer then said that he would be pleased
to answer any questions from the audience and in
reply to such, stated that he usually exercised be-
tween II and o'clock of the day, and that he usu-
ally slept from to 10 hours of the twenty-four.
After the exhibition, many of the audience an
Proached the Doctor for the purpose of examining
MS points We have hardly ever seen better
muscular muscular development than can be shown by Dr.
| with the lecture and exhibition
WASHINGTON NEWS.
The Union says:-We are authorized to state
that the proper mode of rating music with POSTAGE
Is by the piece, without regard to the number of
sheets IN piece: one cent for each piece not ex-
ceedlng three ounces in weight When piece ex-
ceeds three ounces in weight one cent should be
charged Tor the first three ounces and one cent ad
dltional for each additional ounce or fraction of an
ounce. on the same principle packs of PLAYING
card.
Dispatches have been received at the DEPART
ment OF State from our Minister in New Grenada
The pending questions between the two govern
ments are approxmating to speedy and satisfac-
tory adjustment The present government will use
its best endeavors to urge upon the attention of
congress, which is shortly to assemble at Bogota
an early ratification of the Cass Herran treaty and
the opinion is that it will be speedily ratified
George Pomeroy has arrived here from Kansas
lie is the prominent candidate for the United States
Senate, with Mr.: Parrot, the present delegate from
that Territory, from the Northern half Of Kansas,
and Governor Stanton and General Lane are the
| principal candidates in Southern Kansas.
Diplomatic advices here give a materially differ
| ent version of the Morocco war from the Spanish
accounts The Moors had proved much more
formidable enemy than was anticipated, and dis
eases, which entered the Spanish camp, had seri-
| ously impaired the efficiency of the troops.
The Mexican treaty will not be reported from the
Committee on Foreign Affairs for some days, as the
committee have called for all the correspondence
with Mexico, which will be ordered to be printed.
1t is said that Henry Winter Davis will assai the
resolutions of the Maryland Legislature when they
are presented to Congress.
Two thousand young men are now in this city