The San Francisco call., 1896-09-20
THE MUSCLES
SHOULD BE
MORE SENSITIVE



being who boasts that he has strong nerves
because he is not afraid of ghosts and can
suffer or see suffering without flinching
may betray himself, unconsciously, by his
involuntary start at a sharp unexpected
noise or the quiet approach of another
person.
We know how acute becomes the con-
! sciousness of those who live much with
nature; but civilization is rapidly lower
ing the physical standard of man and all
our boasted physical culture is not suffi-
cient to counteract its enervating in
huences.
spoke in my last paper of the benefit
to be derived from so simple an exercise
as making the tips of the thumbs meet
accurately above the head. There are
other 'trifles light as air. that are equally
useful and as easily practiced. If you
wish to know how little real muscular
consciousness there is in the tips of your
fingers, despite the exquisite nervous en-
dowment of these organs, here is a test
for it:
Close your eyes and resting your elbows
upon the table before you endeavor to
make the tips of your two forefingers meet.
After several attempts you will bump them
together, but it will take considerable
practice before you will be able to touch
tip to tip lightly, delicately, quickly and
accurately. You will not be able to main
tain your first effort very long, not be-
cause of muscular fatigue, but because of
the strain upon your closed eyes.
These organs are almost the most hope
lessly overworked servants in the body.
So accustomed are they to doing the work
of all the other mem bers that even the
closing of the lids is not always taken by
them as signal to go off duty, and quite
unconsciously on your part the eyes
strain and tire themselves in the vain ef-
fort to see the whereabouts of each finger
and telegraph it to the brain, that the
latter may guide the wandering tips to
the trysting place. This, because, with
nervous endowment superior to that OF
any other creature, we suffered our sense
of touch to deteriorate until we uncon-
sciously rely upon sight for the aid it
should give us.
Psychologists tell us that muscular &C.
tivity is, after all, mental activity. This
is undoubtedly true. but even the most
active brain cannot move promptly
through irresponsive muscles, and hitherto
ture has been to make the muscles re-
sponsive to but one demand of the brain
that calling upon them to put forth
strength. What we need now is training
that shall make our muscles sensitive as
well as strong. The right hand has been
too long ignorant of what the left hand is
doing, while at the same time the two
have been too long dependent upon direc-
tion from the same centers. The two act
together unconsciously, yet lack the keen
perception by which they unerringly meet
in the dark. The same lack of real CO.
ordination exists between hands and feet.
If you do not believe 1t try so simple an
exercise as a conscious direction of the in
teraction of the legs and arms in walking.
You will find. for instance, that if you
swing your arms al all the right one comes
forward at the same time as does the left
foot. Now, try walking steadily and light
ly, bringing your right arm forward stimuli
taneously with your right foot. 1t will
take you some little time to learn how.
Probably you will lose your balance, or
even get fall before you accomplish the
new trick. 1t is worth while to persevere.
| however, if only for the satisfaction of
knowing where your arms and legs really
are, and that they are there in response to
intelligent direction from the brain. There
is another benefit in the action, in that it
brings into play muscles not generally
used and thereby increases the body's
power and usefulness.
] Man differs from the lower animals in