New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-12
COMPULSORY GYMNASTICS.


We Law no claim to mechanical knowledge.
In the accounts Of scores Of ingenious inventions
which have first seen the light in these columns,
have but described the work of others. This
has been a labor Of love, and whether we have
been explaining q cow-milker. a cat-frghtener,
q burgar-catoher q NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or
rooster-camer, we have felt amply repaid by
the knowledge that we have given a new inven-
tion wider notice than IL would otherwise have
obtained Nor are instances wanting where ideas
made public by us have been taken up and put
10 further practical use Thus we gave an ac-
count of a travelling liquOHstore in Iowa drawn
nv two teams of horses Three months later we
read in q New-Icaland newspaper that travelling
bank, drawn by horses, had just been
started there, the idea clearly coming from
the Iowa liquor-store. Again, we gave
publicity to the ingenious plan Of an Arizona
horse thief, who proof against the most
active vigilance committee, owing TO the TACT
that he brcatbed through a silver tube connect
ing with his windpipe below the rope zone, and
Yesterday full accounts were published IN sew
era papers of the death, from natural causes, oil
q Tennessee horse-thief who recently fitted him
self with similar apparatus TO the dismay of
local lynchers. Sometimes, too the range OF IN
ventions noted by The Tribune is Unexpectedly
increased as in the case Of the Michigan mans
plan for securing false teeth with stout chain,
so that they could not be swallowed. Last week
man went 70 sleep in a chair at Tuckahoe, and
when he awoke he found that his false teeth
had been stolen out Of his mouth and carried
away The simple appliance Of our Michigan
friend will alike prevent facial burglary and in
advertent deglutition
But what we started to say Is that, though
utterly without practical knowledge of mechanics,
ideas sometimes occur 10 us which we gladly give
TO the public, in the hope that inventor possess
ing personal and familiar acquaintance with
thumbsCrews may take them up and carry them
to a material and tangible success. Thus, day
or two ago we printed paragraph from The
London Lancet" describing an interesting device
for expanding the lungs and warding of consump-
ton Around the chest is placed a small belt
or cord, the ends Of which enter little metal
box, the size and shape of a watch-case, which
contains take-up mechanism. The wearer in
aes his lungs TO the fullest capacity, stretching
out the belt The mechanism then gradually
takes up the slack TILL at the end Of two or three,
or five minutes as desired, the belt becomes tight
enough to be uncomfortable, and the wearer
naturally again expands his chest to the fullest
capacity once more to stretch out the belt and
obtain relief This goes on all day, and will soon
the circumference of the chest.
Now it occurs to US that in this may lie
hint for an appliance which shall do away with
all gymnastic apparatus and build up a race of
giants. For instance, there is no more health
giving exercise than that of jumping up and
cracking the heels together twice before coming
down In newspaper reports of extremely old
men, those that range above hundred, arc
almost invariably informed that the subiert can
Jump up and crack his heels together twice. Now
we suggest to tho practical inventors Of the
country mat they 60 to work and perfect device
of some sort to be applied TO some part Of the
bOdy-we leave them the widest possible range
in everything-which at the end Of each five
minutes shall cause the wearer TO experience great
discomfort till he shall have jumped up and
cracked his heels together twice. The task should
DO an easy one to d practical man acquainted with
thumbscrews, and at home with ratchet-wheels.
There should be, too, something which every man
could wear which would cause him to rise up
every half-hour and turn a handspring. Another
should every fifteen minutes give him an uncon-
trollable desire to seize pair Of Indian clubs and
swing them vigorously. Four times day another
should give him discomfort till he has gone OUT
aud run around the block at fast gait Others
can be devised as they are suggested by expert
ence.
We call on our successful inventors, whom we
have so long befriended to bestir themselves.
land which has produced the rapid-lunoheon
machines. recently described in these columns.
or the system for piping fresh air from the country
to the city, spoken of longer ago, ought not TO,
and we believe will not falter at a simple de-
vice for making every person take exercise at
regular intervals.