The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-04-22
THE WAY TO BREATHE.
Teaching Is Practicable. and 1t May
Save Lives.

at is as ridiculous to teach people
how to breathe, " exclaims a certain
wise man, as it would be to regulate
the circulation of the blood. Both
are natural functions, wholly indie
pendent Of the Will of the individ-
ual.r
II natural functions were beyond
interference from the Individual,
saws Werner's Voice Magazine, this
view of the case might be upheld 1t
is conceded that the test OF soundness
in an organ is Inconsistencies OF its
action. With perfect digestion no
Thought is-or need be-given to the
stomach: but with the beginning OF
pastric disturbance ZONES inquiry
into the cause of the trouble, and q
very natural desire to remove 1t.
1t is perfectly true that there is no
necessity for teaching children how to
breathe. because il is equally true that
respiration. with children and animals,
IL in a normal condition, is all that 1t
should be. While it is a good plan
for the teacher OF even the smallest
children to induce them to breathe as
vigorously as possible once in a while
as a good physical exercise, it would
be the height of folly for her to call
their attention to the manner in which
this function should be performed.
The result would be an awkward self
consciousness, and forced attention to
an operation which, because natural,
would be better carried on in COM
nlete Inconsistencies. Nothing would
be gained and much lost by this in
judicious procedure.
But, unfortunately, it is possible for
the individual, by a wrong sitting
position long adhered to. by constant
stooping over work which requires a
constrained attitude, or by clothing
so tight as to prevent the free move
ment of the muscles. to so interfere
with respiration as to deprive the
lungs of more than half of the air
which should be inhaled. AS the
oxygen received from the air by the
lungs is the food of the blood, and as
The purity of the blood depends upon
the amount of the oxygen thus re-
ceiyed, it follows that any decrease of
the respiratory power has an newt
able effect, more or less perceptible,
upon every organ of the body; and If,
as physicians agree, all diseases are
caused by an impure state OF the
blood, it is hardly possible to exagger-
| ate the importance OF the apparently
simple process Of breathing, or the
need of instructing the ignorant con-
corning the injury they are doing to
themselves.
To prevent the man OF woman from
drifting into this superficial and in
furious way of breathing, it is only
| necessary that the physical develop
ment of the child should be properly
attended to. The children trained
from the beginning of their school
course to sit and stand erect TO
breathe vigorously, and to use the
few simple exercises necessary for
strengtheningthe respiratory muscles,
will reach youth, middle age and old
age without perhaps being even aware
of the fact that human beings can ex-
ist by breathing only from the top OF
their lungs; without any suspicion
that the ~one-seventh of the race who
annually fall victims to bronchial and
pulmonary troubles could have saved
| health and life by proper care OF their
respiratory organs. +.
But as the necessity for this physical
| II vocal exercise - nOb ISCOSliIcd III
| our schools, thousands of young men
and women are cut down upon the
very threshold of active life by the
| insiduous disease which results from
years of ignorance and neglect.
Hundreds of them can be saved from
a lingering death by having their at
tention called to certain physiological
facts which in these individual cases
it is not yet too late to learn. Who
shall assert that it is now ridiculous
to teach them how to breathe % 1t
is not only ridiculous" but sad be-
yond all expression, that the reason
forso doing should yer be allowed to
rise In seeking so steadfastly for
the cultivation of the intellect and the
salvation of the soul, it is we'll not to
altogether ignore the foundation OF
these things, viz. the breath OF the
body.