Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-18
er-ExerciSe.

GymnaSuC training has receive 9
temporary back-set by the death #
young Gushing from injuries sustaine
in the gymnasium connected with the
Boston Institute of Technology OF
course his case was somewhat exception
al and abuse furnishes no argumen,
against use. But it seems to be law OF
human development to push particula
tendency to an extreme, regardless
consequences, and then to push the
posite tendency to a similar extreme.
few years ago the Graham fever swG1,
over the country and hundreds of people
dropped the eating of flesh as poisonous,
and starved themselves on hard bread
and cold water, with raw turnip now
and then by way of variety. The good
in the Graham system was turned into
evil by abuse. Hydropathy was an H.
valuable discovery IL itself, but 10
sooner was it found that class of pecul-
lar cases might be benefited by treat
ment of cold water than the extremists
set about soaking and bathing and
Il hOwering and packing and dOuching
| everybody for all real and possible mala
dies, and doubtless hundreds of people
had their vitality quenched and were
washed into their graves by the unrea-
soning application of a method which is
admirably suited to particular cases and
| constitutions
Halt century ago systematic phySI-
| cal exercise was hardly thought of, anC.
students, clerks and people of sedentary
habits and quiet pursuits suffered for
want of muscular development and ac-
| tivity. Physicians and health reformers
preached exercise to people who could
| not afford horseback riding and had no.
time to walk enough to get the exerci
! they required. The gymnasium grew out
of a necessity. But like other needful
and useful things it has been carried to
an extreme, in many cases, which has
proved injurious, if not fatal. The no
ton has gained currency that exercise is
a good thing in and of itself, and when
person has exhausted his vital forces by
brain work it is only necessary to eXer-
else his muscles in a vigorous way to re-
| gain his equilibrium. Expenditure of
nerve power must be balanced by al
equal expenditure in muscular activity
and if the time is shortened the action
must be correspondingly increased in
violence. The folly OF this notion is APP
| parent when it is remembered that the
system is a unit, and the vital force ex-
pended in one way cannot be recOv-
cred by another expenditure in differ
ent way, any more than a man regains
the money he expends out OF one
pocket by spending an equal amount
from another. 1t is constantly forgotten
| that recuperatiOn requires rest as well
as exercise, and that every tension of the
will should be followed by passive CON
dition. Modern life is an aggregation of
activities. Everybody is on the jump.
The faculties are strained to their ut
most tension. Study and business and
| pleasure are done on the high pressure
principle, and the same intensity OF
movement is carried over into recreation
| and appears in violent exercises in
climbing, rowing, ball-playing, and the
performances of the gymnasium. It
should be borne in mind that the anti
thesis OF action is not action in another
way, but quiet and passive repose The
vegetative processes must be respected
and the jaded faculties must be given
time for recuperation. The thing wanted
is not crusade on calisthenics and the
gymnasium, but a wise discretion in
their use. We have learned how to make
a perfect horse and OK and hound; we
have not yet learned how to make per
feet man or woman. In this respect the
wise old Greeks were far ahead of anv
modern people, and it would be well for
our teachers to borrow hint from their
methods and xperience.-N. 7. GrGgatSc.