Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-05-09
A Practical System for Women in
Search of Strength and Beauty.

search OF Strengtn ana Beauty
AS physical training is engaging
the attention and consuming the
time of young women everywhere,
Mrs. Bridget Mcguire, Fraulein
Gretchen Schmidt, Fru Johanna
Bjornson, Mrs. Dinah Johnsing,
and others who stand high in the
profession which these ladies adorn,
have organized school and prepar-
ed a course of lectures for the pur-
pose of introducing their system of
physical culture. They are also
about to publish a book, 1.-THE In
ternational System of Physical Cul-
ture Explained" the advance sheets
of which are already out. Below
we give the principal exercises pc
culiar to this system:
1. Take scopae (the high Latin
name for broom) in the hands,
which should be held at half reach
reversed grasp, allowing the bushy
portion of the scopae to rest upon
the floor and holding firmly to the
upper end of the handle. Bend the
body slightly forward, give the
arms horizontal movement, lift
the scopae slightly, and move one
foot before the other. Repeat these
movements until the scopae has
been brought in contact with every
portion of the floor.
2. Holding vertically in the
hands long pole to which a bum
die of feathers has been attached,
bend the body forward from the
waist, throw the head well back,
and elevate the arms until the
feathers rest lightly against the
ceiling or walls. Move the arms
back and forth, carefully holding
the pole in position. In similar
exercise, more frequently practiced,
shorter pole is used and the feath-
ers are allowed to pass over the diff
ferent objects in the room. But
this, while excellent for the arms
and shoulders, does not call into
play the muscles of the spine, neck,
and chest.
2. Kneeling upon the floor and
grasping a wet cloth in the hands,
bend the back till the cloth touches
the floor. Press the hands down
firmly, throw the weight upon the
arms, bending them at the elbows
as the motion of the hands requires,
and pass. the cloth briskly over the
surface of the floor.
4. Fill a large basin with water,
and place obliquely in it, 50 that
! the lower edge shall rest in the bot
tom of the basin and the upper one
lean against the opposite side n
corrugated piece of wood covered
with zinc. Then take some sort of
cloth, souse in the water, and rub
briskly on the board. A little soap
will lessen the friction and render
the exercise somewhat more gentle.
5. Take cloth, treated as above,
dip into paste composed of amy
lon and aqua pura, that is to say
pure water, and allow it to become
almost dry. Spread on a smooth
surface and pass quickly over it a
well-heated ferrum planum, or
smoothing iron, bending the back
and swaying the body lightly to and
fro, in unison with the motion of
the implement in the hand.
AS the majority of young women
are probably acquainted with the
implements used in these exercises,
any of the ladies whose names are
mentioned above will cheerfully
supply all necessary information.
Object lessons are also given gratis,
each day at the Opus Domus Insti-
tute.
One great advantage which the
international system possesses is
that while other systems can, at
best, benefit only the individual
who practices them, the interna-
tional, when carefully and regularly
carried out, will bring the best re-
suits to an entire household.-New