Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-22

graduate Of the cooking school, and know,
about all sorts of housework, as well a.
botany and quafternions- young LADY
has a physique like Greek goddess, and
she is proud of it, too. She boasts of what
! she can do in this line, and if she is ever
sick, barring accident, she is rather
ashamed of the fact and coDceals it as care
fully as possible.
! No wonder our women are increasing in
size and physical strength, with such aids
to health and such a strong public senti-
ment in the right direction.
After interviews with dressmakers and
others in that line, Dr.. Dudley A. Sargent,
the director of the gymnasium at Harvard
| University, and an authority on all topics
| of physical culture, was asked for his opin-
ion on this matter.
He did not wish TO be quosed, with true
scientific caution, because he considered
the data upon which any statsfnent of the
kind could be based were too meagre and
incomplete to make the deductions of great
Importance. When urged, however, to
an off-hand opinion, SNAP diagnosis" as
the doctors call it, he stated that lie had no
doubt women were improving physically,
If they had not already done so.
The whole tendency of civilization is. of
course, toward deterioration, and It is only
by such agencies as the gymnasium and the
modern fashion for out-of-door life that we
can hope to keep up the standard.
DIR. Sargent is the inventor of a system
of physical culture which has been adopted
at Harvard with most surprisingly good
results. A single group Of facts will illus
trate these. Careful measurements are
made of each student at the gymnasium.
which are compiledinto total strength"
The highest total strength of 1880, that is,
the best physical development, was in
dlcated by the figures 6752, while the
average for the ten best men that year was
66o.2. In 1881 the highest was sol 8, and
the average for the best ten was 676.9. In
1857 the highest was 1,o95.S, and the
average S54.S. In 1888 the highest re-
manned the same and the average was in
creased to 1884, while in 1884 the highest
total strength was l,272,S- and the average
LOIS. Since 1884 complete tables have not
been compiled, but sufficient is known to
show that there are no less than 200 men
now In college whose total strength is
higher than the best man in 1880.
Referring to the admirable results indi-
Gated above and the surprisingly short
time needed to obtain them, DR.. Sargent
was asked if it were not probable that opt
door life and amusements were accomplish
ing almost equally good and rapid results
among women of the present day. "There
is no doubt of it." was his reply. en-
deed, we are making more permanent ad-
vance with women than with men in this
line. Why, just look at this list of names
of last years students in the summer
school of physical culture here at the
gymnasium. See how many of them are
physicians; notice the schools and insti-
tutions represented, and reflect on the
work they are going to do and the infu
ence they will have among women. We
shall doubtless see a marked resalt in
very few years from their work"
Dr. Sargent is at present collecting facts
upon this very subject, and we may hope
to have before long thoroughly scien-
sltic treatment of the topic from his pen,
though not much more can be said at
present than what is given-Jeaa Kineaid,
IN Boston Globe.