The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-04-10
Hhy Rexen Han.


DR.. J. W. Ranncy lectured before the
Manhattan Athletic club on Wednesday
night last on "The Brain and Nervous
System" In his introduction, DR.. Ran
ney said that the citizens had had during
the past wcck one of the most exciting
events witnessed in New York city tor
long time. The excitement was not
confined: to that city, but extended to
all parts of the country, and to other
countries a. we'll. We may we'll ask
ourselves, he said, what it all means
Less than Eve years ago, when Weston
went to England. there was probably
not q man in the country who could
walk two hundred miles in six days
Now there are several who cen walk
moro than five hundred miles in that
length Of time. 1t 10 not test of pow.
er, but OF endurance. In the contest
Just ended We had Q representative OF
England, Of Ireland and Of Yankee land,
and they all accomplished wonders. The
man from England was q small man,
but he was thoroughly trained, and
through that training be was able to &C.
complish the wonderful feat undtaken
by him. He was educated, not in learn
ing, but in physical culture and training,
and therein lay the secret of his success.
The body has always stored away q
large amount of fuel to carry it through
scenes of trial, in the shape of superfu-
Gus fat, and the object of training is to
get rid Of this supsr6uous fat and con.
vert it into muscle. Then the muscles
must be educated and developed, and
made strong. Tho presence of too much
fat impedes respiration, and this is fatal
to endurance. The lungs must have
plenty of room TO expand, and the heart
must also have space to beat in order to
ensure free and healthy circulation Of
the blood. Rowell came here thorough
Iy trained, and with muscles as hard
as steel, and although the smallest man
of the four,he was the strongest. What
he lost in length of step he made up in
of motion, BY his continual jog
tFOt. The advantage of his skill Is
runner was largely enhanced by the fact
that by running he developed and exer.
cised the larger muscles of the thighs,
and by walking, the muscles of the low
er extremeties, 80 that both were of use
to him In the contest; and when he
walked the large muscles were resting,
Just as the smaller ones were when he
ran. No man who confined himself to
could compete in . long contest,
with . skillful runner, and no doubt
O'Leary saw that plainly at the end of
The FIRST two days. Hartman had a
ong stride, but It was too much of q
strain on the muscles Of the lower limbs,
md they finally gave out. Not only was
Rowell an educated pedestrian, but he
was free from dissipation. When O'Lea-
y competed for the belt be used up his
strength, which was further drawn upon
BY his subsequent walks with Hughes
md Canpana. Not only did he fail to
AXE proper time to recuperate, but, as
he lecturer was informed, he INDUCED
extensively in the use Of ardent spirits.
Dr.. Rsnney then dwelt at length upon
he evil effects of alcohol upon the sys-
EN-, which he described as terrible, and
passed to the discussion of tho brain and
,eryous system. Tho brain, he said,
vas the centre of the nervous system,
md was ., much subject to change from
he effects of study and thought as the
muscles were from use and training.