Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-15
woMAN,s PHYSICAL HEALTH.
Importance of Bodily Training and Hy-
gienic Precautfon.

tmPOItdhCo VI ASouhy AA01hAAS "AS- ~
gienic Precaut1on.
Mr.. Frederick Treves calls attention to a
perfectly new branch of the work under
taken by the society with reference to phys
lcal education. Within the last few years
an immense deal of attention had been di-
rected to the matter Of physical education.
1t had been pointed out that the education
Of the mind was we'll looked after while
the education Of the body was practically
allowed to look after itself. Parents did
not realize that proper physical education
must be conducted ON as precise and as
careful scientific lines as the ordinary edu-
cation of the mind. Parents were quite
content to send their children to gym
nasia, and when they had done this felt
satisfied that their physical education was
complete. They were unaware that there
was no proper control over the teachers of
gymnastics and calisthenics, large num-
ber of whom were people totally unfit for
their work.
The particular object Of the society had,
perhaps, rather more reference to children
and women than to men and boys. AS a
matter of fact, the latter class was admir-
ably looked after. No one could find much
to criticise in the athletic pursuits of our
public schools. When they came to the
London shop boy they found his condition
had been materially changed; he had taken
to bicycling and other pursuits. When
they came to schools, and especially to
girls schools, it must be confessed that the
conditions were about as bad as they very
well could be. They heard good deal of
the enormous advances of civilization dur
ing the last fifty or one hundred years, and
their marvellous improvement on the un-
fortunate savage, who had straight limbs,
graceful carriage and an absence of the
ordinary aches and pains, and he was not
disposed to be always taking tea or to be
living in an atmosphere of tonics. People
did not seem to be aware that by a judi
ciously supervised system of physical edu-
cation, exercises and due attention to the
development of the body it was possible to
alter its proportions, to reduce redund
ances and to develop deficient and feeble
muscles.
Motives of vanity and regard for the
future physical development of their girls
might so influence mothers who were in
different to higher considerations to see
that the physical education of girls was
carried out, whether in families or in
schools, under persons trained, skilled and
having the requisite knowledge to make
such physical training in all respects USE
full and in no case injurious Neither could
be said of the very limited amount of ply
sical training now given to girls. 1t was
pointed out that the National Health So
ciety's diploma would be granted to such
teachers of gymnastics, calisthenics and
physical exercises as had fulfilled the neces-
sary curriculum and passed the required
examinations.
The society hoped by the institution of
this diploma to encourage the development
of physical education in this country to
render such training precise, effectual and
scientific; to protect the public, on the one
hand, from incompetent teachers, and, on
the other, to establish the position of such
instructors as were fully qualified. 1t was
intended, however, that the work of such
teachers should be devoted and restricted
to the one legitimate object set forth in the
diploma, namely, physical training, and
that they should not undertake the treat
ment of deformity or disease by "move-
ment cures" remedial exercises" mas
sage and the like. The diploma would GER
tify that the candidate had passed an ex-
animation in the art and science of physical
education, had fulfilled the curriculum re-
quired by the society, and was fully quail
fed to act as an instructor of gymnastics,
calisthenics and physical exercises gener-
ally.-British Medical Journal