Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-03-17
The Strong Man, And how he
Became such.

keel 0XpoCIne0t9 I'D pnYelCal 6oli-e00cA-
ton. He is about tweDty-six years old,
five feet and seven inches in hight, and
weighs one hundred and forty-eight pounds.
He can lift eleUen hundred pounds, and is
now the best example of physical education
in the United States. lie was seventeen
years of age before be began his experi~
Dents, and was then but five feet high,
and weighed only one hundred pounds /;
his health was not good, for be already
suffered from the usual dyspeptic troubles
of American youth.
So great have been his improvements
that he now declares it to be his opinion
that no one having Eau atom of strength
and life" need despair of the benefits of a
right system of training. He instances DR..
Warren's testimony respecting veteran
invalid, who begun gymnastics in his sew
entieth year. with very salutary effects; and
of course, old Consro famous in Addison's
Spectator is not forgotten who, though no
gymDast, began in bis fortieth year to re
store broken constitution, and lived life
Of health and of envia5le cheerfuluess till
his hundredth year.
But what has been the eficacious theory
of the strong Yankee? He has given it IN
the Massachusetts Teacher, but, unfortu>
nstely, in an articleof too great length to
be read much We propose to take unusual
liberties with bis communication, 10 order
to condense int q more readable shape his
interesting details. They are the best pre-
scrIptions we have ever met for physical
Self-reuperatiOn and in this day, when
muscular" merit has become q matter of
special ambition, and physical training
subject Of even moral preachments, it may
not be Improbable to present to the public
an example which, from both it's moderate
good sense and its extraordinary results,
may be pronounced q model one.
How, then, has the Yankee doctor sur
passed all the pugilistic training Of the
age? We eDumerats at such length, the
principle Of his system. We give the most
essential particulars presenting them, how
ever with our Enumeration.
l. lie has brssthed an abundance of fresh
air almost constantly :" praoticing, We
suppose, initiation of the lungs.
z. He has drank no ardent spirits, and
used no tobacco The English "trainipg"
for the "ring" it is we'll known prohibits
these articles.
3. He has taken nearly every day, about
half-hour's gywnastic exercise in the open
air, and his lie an example of the surprising
moderation with which he has accomplish
ed surisiDg results.
4. de has eaten heartily Of such food,
animal and vegetable, as agreed with the
stomach, scouting the maxim that you
should leave the table hungry. He bega n
not to recover from his dyspepsia till he
had escaped this nonsense.
0. he has taken at least ten hours rest
daily including sleep, and appears to have
devoted as much Of it to sleep as nature
would allow.
b. He has worn every article of his
dress as loose and as easy as the freest &C.
zion OF the muscles and Limos would not
demand
Z. He has used the bath once week
during winter, and twice q week in sum
mer' lie deuounces the daily use Of
baths.
He has pursued this course FOR nine
years, and it has, during this long period,
afforded him some important, observa.
tions IT not discoveries. Here are q few of
them.
l. That it is as easy to increase the
strength OF the human body as it is that oe
q magnetic.
2. That whatever increased bis strength
increased bis general health. He enjoys
now maximum of the latter as he probably
does of the former, for his force is now
equal to that of two ordinary men.
3. That by developing bis body harmo-
nIously, he could preclude the possibility
of hernia. or any similar injury, that other
wise might result from an extremely yIo-
lent exercise of the muscles.
4. That lifting is the safest and surest
method of producing harmonious" deveI-
opmeuts, as also the most strengthening of
all exercises. fact not generally suppos-
ed.
That the performance Of twenty differ
eDt gVmDastic Geats once is better than
| the performance of one feat twenty times.
3. That he gained more by forty minutes
exercise once in two days than Sy TWEEN: ~
minutes once day.
Z. Twenty of or fifteen minutes' gymnas.
tics suf6ced for each day.
8. That, as strength increases, most in .
tense but less prOtracted exercises should
be the rule.
9. That increase of muscular power is
attended with proportionste increase Of
digestive power.
10. That great physical strength may DO
| acquired independently of hereditary ten
dancy to it-and, indeed, in spite of here
Qltafy weakness OF constitution.
ii, That increased strength cannot long
continue on a purely vegetable diet.
IL. That increasing the strength ma kes
excretion takes place less by the skin, aud
moro by the lungs and other emunctories.
Ii. That long before he could laiee
eleven hundred pounds with the hands, or
shoulder barrel of -four. be had put to
fight the whole brood of ailments--sick
headaches, nervousness, indigest ton, etc.,
which are the familiar companions Of
American health. or rather ill-health.
The Sampsonisn doctor proceeds to give
some very ;udicious rules, deduced from
his experience, for all aspirauts TO
good health and manly vigor. He advises
thus
/. You should select for your sleeping
room an apartment or the ''sunuy side, !"
aud let the sun play into it at least six
hours day. ifths clouds will allow him
to show his face.
2. Keep it veutilG ted all the time, aod
especially keep the windows partially open
at night, hut avoid drafts.
3. Practice general ambition once G
week in cold weather, take week in warm
Too much bathing, he asserts, "defeats
every intention for which water is exter-
Islly applied"
A. Take not less than eight hours rest
per day.
S. Use no food which has been prepared
| in q copper, brass or bell metal utensil.-
Use no water which has come in contact
with lead.
6. Use such food as your appetite pre-
fsrs, in spite Of Liebig or any other author
ity.
Z. Practice lifting as the best Of gym