New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-25
EXERCLSE IND HEALTH.


The very day on which the article on " The Naluc
or Fxrrrlsp0 appcared in Thc SPECTATOR lecture
on the same subject was delivered 1t Huflch; by
Dr. Jaeger, rf Stuttgart, Il gentleman whose
theories touching the influence OF exercise ana
clothing on health have lately made considerable
stir in Germany and switzerland. As the lecture
was not ONLY highly interesting. but, IN a certain
sense an answer 10 the article brief statement OF
tie Doctors views may prove not unIntcrcsting TO
your readers. DIR. Jaegers attention was hrst az
Iected to the Value of exercise, ny MS own III
health the result as hc aftcrward discovered, of
roo srlcntary life He noticed that Wild animals
though they had no Thought for then health, arr
nearly always whole; and he asked himself {:
Wherein lies the difference between soundness ana
decacy Of constitution, ana whence arises Pi'uiS-
nositiOn TO disease 70 resolve these questions, ice
began a series of observations on the eject OF
ryuuaSic exercises on the human BODY. lie com
parcd. the health oil school children, who went
through a regular course OF gymnastics. with those
who did not, and he tOnnd that the absences IRON
ilncss among the former were 10 per cent less than
among the latter IN another gymnasium, the
difference was - per cent In a cirls school, in
which pvmnastic exercises were regularly given.
thr ai,scurrs were almost nil. Dr. Jaeger ncNt
turned his attention to the Army. lie found that
soldiers in the third year OF thcr service lau
much higher specific weight than newly enlisted
recruits. The mortality among ihlr"-ytar SolutT7
is moreover, 36 per cent less than among second
wear soldiers and among the latter 1t II - per cent
less than among recruits IN the hrl year ol tltlr
service Still more significant i the fact that the
deaths of fine older soldiers from typhoid ami kim
drrd diseases are relatively fewer than among
newcomers and second-year men. The proportion
pt
who recover Is greater. Dr. Jaeger ascrlb's theSe
results to drill and gymnastics. EXERCISE lie
Says. "by draining tie body OF us snperhuous
moisture ha:dens the flesh, and hard ncNh IS
like effect They draw moisture IRON me bood,
and quicken the renewal of tine body FROM these
facts the Doctor draws the conclusion that hardness
of flesh is the distinctive mark OF robust health,
softness OF flesh neycr-famg sign OF dcllcaCy Of
constitution. The soit-llcshed are more 5able TO
disease hy reason of their diluted blood. The
difference between these and the hard-ileshcd Is
the difference between milk fresh from the COW,
which sours on exposure to the alr, ana condensed
milk which is almost lmpervous TO atmospheric
influences. Exercise and perspratlon. moreover,
are powerful remedial agents. IN that they often
enable the body 10 get rd OF the germs of infectious
disorders before they produce positive Illness But.
in Dr. Jaeger opinion, exercise and perspiration
will not induce sufficient hardness OF flesh for per
feet health, unless the right sort OF clothing DO
| worn The right thing in clothing Is woolicn next
| the skin. Hence flannel shirts lshond he worn all
the wear round A piece OF moist flannel he says,
LAID on the breast of fever patient will reduce the
pulse in few minutes from 80 To 10 per cent. lie
has further ascertaIned. by actual admeasurement
that the body wastes less and therefore rcnews IT.
sell more WHY. when clad IN cotton or linen. than
| when clad IN woDllen clothing. The reason Of
| this is that whereas woollen tends 10 draw the
blood to the surface OF the SKIN, cotton ana linen DO
| The Doctor has a theory that wOollen acts as a
sort of disnfectant. II you put piece of linen and
u piece of flannel your breast for few days, he
says the linen will have an unpleasant odor, while
! the flannel will smell as sweelly as at first. For
this woolcn garments do not require to be
| washed. and, rs a matter of fact, they arc not
| washed. But with strange inconsistency people,
| albeit they have their cotton shirts frequently
| washed. never think Of having the cotton linngs
OF their woOllen clothes similarly puTlied. Lnings
| do more harm than good and If flannel shirts be
| worn waistcoats are snperhuous. he color OF
| clothing il another matter of great Importance
| lnuyed stuils are the best, and among colOrs
| indigo blue and e-black materials most con
| ducve to the preservation OF health.