The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-26
EXPAND THE LUNGS.
Some Common Sense Advice to
Women Who Have Flat Chests.

at is possible for a woman to improve
her complexion, brighten her eyes, and in
crease her strength without the expenditure
of nickel, or the loss of ten minutes time
day, if she will do as say"
This was the declaration made just one
month ago yesterday by d rosy, well-rounded
matron befUre a party of women friends,
who had been discussing Ills ard aches for
an hour OF more in her uptown fiat, says the
New York World.
Two of them were married women, and
they both looked worn and dragged. Ole
was chiidless, the other the mother Of four
children. The rest Of the party consisted of
one tw enty-year-old girl, pale, narrow
chested and weak; another girl about the
same age, whose labnred breathing was
partly accou nted for when we looked at the
narrow waist and the rigid casing plainly
visible under the dress. Then there was
third, possibly half dozen years older
than her companions, of better physique
than they, but dull-eyed and languid. The
hostess was in direct and striking contrast
with all five. Her eyes spar6led, her
cheeks glowed, her step was firm, and there
was a subtle magnetism in her healthful-
ness that attracted you while IL made you
| enviorS.
| When Neliie's headaches and Emma's
lllSu DdCk anu IuCt Weak lungs udu
| been fully discussed, pitied and sighed over;
| and when the childess wife had explained
! about her own ailments and that of her pug
| dog, and the mother of four boys told OF her
| daily routine indoors, the symposium had
nearly reached the verge of fearful SYM
| pathy. 1t was then that the one healthy
minded, healthy-bodied woman spoke. 1t
was rather rude shock to have ones all
ments so suddenly set at naught, but the
| very novelty of the thing made them listen.
| The trouble with you girls" she said,
| and she included the two wives IN this cate
| CORY, lis that you are starving"
There was inurmur of surprise at this,
| and the young women looked at each other
" don't mean you are starving your Stum-
| achs," con tinued the matrOn, " but you are
starving your lungs. You don't drink in
| enough air, and what You do take in you
| take in improperly. Now, what l want you
| all to do is to try to initiate my manner Of
breathing for one month and take this lung
| exercise not less than four times day for
the first week and dozen times a day there
after. Now, all stand up-hands at your
sides-let them hang naturally-chins up
and mouths shut. See how do it."
The teacher threw her shoulders back,
and slowly took deep inhalation through
tue nostrils. The well-rounded bust filed
out and the veins on the neck swelled. A
tai e-meaSure taken in hand by the speaker
before she began TO talk, was placed under
her arms and around the chest. 1t showed
a measurement Of 1894 inches. Then the
air was slowly expelled from the lungs, ana
the tape was drawn taut at 30 inches, show
ing an expansion of 81 inches.
''lt is important" said the instructor, as
she threw the tape aside, that this exercise
be taken in the open air, and to gain the
benefits 1haye mentioned you must observe
these rules:
''First-Wear no corsets at all, or. if you
must wear them, have them lOoSer than you
ever wore them before.
"Second-Breathe through the nose and
keep your mouth shut. This is of vital i'm
p0rtance.
"Third-Take a breath with every step as
you walk, and continue this until the lungs
are full. Then eXhale the air more rapidly
than you took it in and empty the lungs
completely. This is as important as breath
ing through the nostrilS, because it emptieS
the lower lobes of the lungs that are rarely
called into action except during violent ex-
ercise. Their capacity is increased aud
strengthened by use. Follow out these
rules for month and report results"
The instructions were faithfully carried
out by fOnr of the party. One of the girls
became i'll and was unable to make the test.
OF the four who carried it out. the most
noticeable Improvement was that of the
young woman with the weak lungs. She
had gained three pounds in weight, her
appetite was good her eyes brighter. and
the muddy complexion showed signs of
clearing.
at was really task at first" she said.
i don't think L ever took deep breath be-
fore in my life. l loosened my corsets as
directed, and the deep inhalation gave me
pain in the upper part of my right lung. 1t
seemed, too, that all the blood rushed to my
head while | held the air in my lungs, and
when / exhaled it all my head began to ache.
This continued for three days every time I
tried it, bnt after that it passed away, and
then | seemed to get new life. | walked
over the big bridge and took in the air from
the river twice week. AT the END of ten
days my appetite began to increase. l ate
more and let out another inch of corset
Alter that the pain in the right lung disap-
peared and | didn't feel such rush OF
blood to the head. The chest expansion Is
pa inches, an increase of half an inch"
The languid young woman made q report
later in the day that she could hardly be
called languid then, for she was animation
itself and declared her intention of continue
ing the treatment indefinitely. The mother
OF four boys reported progress. She had,
to tell the truth, forgotten her instructions
for days at a time, because there was so
much to do at home" The chldless wife
was as lively as a sixteen-year-old school
girl, and her chest measurement had in
creased from 81 to 81 Y inches uninnated.
1--WE will form society,"" said the ma
tron, "and call it The Society for the Ex-
pansion of the Lungs There will be no
officers, no dues, and no meeting place. but
l hope every woman in the city of New
York will become member and strictly
nbc tha las -