Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-13

body are much moro likely to be n good
condition. One Of tho teSts oficutimes III
atcsrialninc occult disease Is 20 try the
muscular strength OF the forearm. aud u
Il r. up 10 fair standard 20 rive encour-
agcmcnt 10 the patient. Good sedily mus.
Giles almost always imply good lungs
"cspacious lunyso arc important posEts
10 liic-,nsurancc companies; a large heart
with an abundance Of blood. aud
stomach and bowels competent to nourisa
every part Of the body. A strong man IS
apt 10 have viii OF bis own and power
10 direct his intellectual forces Intelligent
~, whether the mental capacity be great
or small. A strong man usually has
voice able 10 make himself felt by others.
In hnc. property regulated physical
proves the world over does give the adj
vantage 20 A man over all his own powers
and those of his fellow-men also.
But muscular strength and agility are
not the sole attachments Of physical culture
in educational institutions. Nor IL IL To
growth and development entirely that al
tention should be gwen. As the health OF
n CITY in ordinary times depends rs much
on The cleanliness OF It's inhabitants, its
streets. and back yards. and the efficiency
Of It's sewers as II does on is food markets.
so does the body need 10 maintain In full
yigor it, excrctingor waste organs. Or these
the principal ones for the student 70 give
attention 10 are the skin and the lungs. OF
the six pounds OF food and water taken by
the average man daily, at least one half Is
taken from the body 10y these two waste
organs, and through an almost Infinite
number Of minute glands and tubes. II,
now. these organs do not maintain the
average activity and carry OH doleterious
substances, these mus. either remain IN the
body or the work be performed vicariogsly
by other organs, thus everlasting them
and disturbing the he llihy balance OF work
in the different parts Of the body. These
organs arc ordinarily stimulated to healthy
action by muscular activity. which regti-
latcs the amount Of blood sent 10 them, and
at the same time oxcites normal nervous
impulses. and thus secures q proper secrt-
| ton OF the matter 10 be rejected from the
! body. But in addition to the i'm.
| pulse Of activity OF the body other
| stimuli are necessary, such as the
solvent power OF water and the excitement
| Of heat. These are accomplished Gy tue
application Of, or the immersion In, water
or steam Of varying temperatures, as well
| rs dry heat. Pure air, also. with the proper
amount Of moisture in IL. is an essential for
the health OF both skin and lungs. Both the
almost infinite number OF sensitive nerve
fbers. which II maintained in proper he ,lth
and scnsitivity not only keep these eXcreting
organs in health and vig0r, but by their
II action aud reflex influence greatly control
othcI and more important organs OF the
body. and not only the emotions and feelings
but the intellectual states also. Or, a. Or.
Sargent, of Harvard College, says: g The
object Of muscular exercise il not 10 de-
yelop muscle only, but to increase the func-
tional capacity of the organs Of respira-
ton, circulation, and nutrition; not TO
gain in physical endurance merely, but TO
augment the working-pOwcr OF the brain;
not 10 attain bodily health and beauty alone,
but to break up morbid mental tendencies,
to dispel the gloomy shadows Of despOnd-
encv, and to insure serenity OF spirit
Based upon these general ideas, Amherst
College has for iwcnty.fOur years sustained
department Of physical education and
hygiene, by which Is meant the instruction
Of ull students in the laws OF The structure
and use Of the body. and some specific
directions 10 the individual for his health,
and Il required system Of physical exer-
else, combined, so far as possible. with re-
creation and enjoyment. The idea has been
carried out at Amherst that college can
be furnished with such means for some
physical exercise, by which all the stu
dents may be benefited, and that when
they are in class together, as in
other departments, thus securing the slim
illus and animation OF fellowship in the
duty, as we'll as a personal benefit at the
same time. This community, or associated
exercise, must be Of such kind as not to
have the military stiffness or the lcoseucss
of rowdyism. And this feature is an es-
seniial part of the whole plan, which is the
most difficult to manage and arrange, and
the benefit Of which must be Judged OF
more bv the opinion OF the graduates who
have gone through it than by the passing
judgment OF outside parties. The nucleus
of the WORK has been IN exercise with
wooden duml-bCils by each class at a stated
hour each day, guided by the music
Of Il piano, under the leadership OF
a captain. And this exercise does not
over-develop the muscles or tend to make
mere muscular men. The muscle is not
put TO severe tIial, but is only actively
and moderately called into action, so as TO
keep up IFS normal or healthy growth. IL
is only swinging light Oumb bells for 4
short time; and yet only those who have
gone through the actual work OF swinging
wooden bells 10 lively music. for even
healthy exercise and stimulus that is fur
nishcd TO the muscles. sim, and lungs. II
is not asserted that this exercise with light
dumb.bells and piano music is sufficient eX-
ercise for every student in college. The
demand for food, for fresh air, for sleep,
for study, vary exceedingly, and the per-
sona equation In these hygienic demands
must vary as well as in tbs necessary
amour: OF muscle use.
Up TO the early years Of the present GEN.
tmy The study OF the human form was ex-
cusiyely given TO find ont the mysterious
key or idea Of the plan Of the human form.
The desire was to find the art ificial idea OF
the body, rs Linn9us classified plants aud
animals 10y a simple numerical quality.
But between 1929 and 1889 the
natural system Of Investigation and
discovery was introduced, and was
by Sir John Herschell, OF England, and
Baron Quetelet, Of BEGUN. applied to the
human form. This depended upon a certain
use OF numbers ii is true-that OF measuring
and eighing-but it was simple collation.
Of data, aud so comparing and arrang-
ing them that the much-coveted "idea"
or canon" or Ideal could be obtained
by finding the variations in the body, and
thus dcducinS the true form, casting aside
the Irregularities. the greater first and then
the lesser ones, till an approximation Of the
ideal was exhibited. The examination,
the weighing, and the measuring Of the
body and its parts were quite extensively
carried OCt by these two men, who, by
establishing "moan individual" not an
"ayerage,' are bringing Us nearer TO the
determination Of the typical man, or wo.
man, than ever before.
And here must be considered the differ
cnce between the typical "average man"
and the typical "mean man." By an aver
age college student is meant the young man