The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-11
HEALTH IN
The DANCE,

ik~ 49, III ~ -s
"Medicina gymnastica has in all ages
justly been of great esteem in the cure
of chronicai diseases and still contin-
ues it's reputation, as its usefulness is
confirmed by daily experience SO
wrote that ingenious musical apothe-
cary, Richard Browne, more than a
century and a half ago. These meth
DDS. however, died out soon after his
time. to be revived in a modified form
in our days. But, as matter OF fact'
Browne here refers 10 one particular
form of physical exercise-dancing. IL
is TO the goddess Terpsichore that this
disciple of HGsculapius bends his knee
and asks for assistance. Dancing was
To be n powerful auxiliary in the cure
of disease and the maintenance OF good
and lusty health.
This was by no means a new idea.
AS Browne states, dancing had been
advocated in the earliest ages for the
cure of diseases. Lycurgus had brought
back to Lacedamonia notions of medico
religious dances from India and Egypt,
and. adapting these customs To his rul-
ing idea, enacted that the Spartan
youth should be brought up to dance
SNlnIllelTlGdlly
heavy armor. Thus he contrived To
combine martial training with phys
icaI exercise which was to make the
young men agile and graceful confer
ring on them great physiological bene-
fits. In the rival state we find Socrates
commending dancing. with a view TO
educating the mind and body; he too,
looking on dancing as a health giving
iNtn
dancing taking "A no mean part in the
occult practices. We may still see IL
working wonders in many savage
land. the dancing being performed now
by the patient, now by the medicine
man. according to the more or less ex-
act notions of scientific truth existing
, in the region.
Dancing was, and is, used chiefly as
a means of expelling devils and evil
spirits, or. as we now more accurately
put il. as a means of "accelerating the
elimination Of effete and deleterious Sc
cretions in the vessels and tissues by
physiological action" These notions
are not new, even with us. Richard
Mulcaster, celebrated schoolmaster
under Queen Elizabeth, recommended
that dancing should be taught as a
branch OF physical training, resulting
in the improvement OF polite carriage
and department and a means of keep
ing the bodies of young children in a
healthy condition.
But what has happened since Richard
Brownies days? The hours of saltatory
enjoyment have been receding steadily,
until surely we must have at last ar
rived at the furthest extremity, or
otherwise we shall soon be beginning to
dance by daylight again. OF course it
is no use railing against fashion. New
ertheless. we cannot help acknowledge
ing that Richard Browne was substan-
TALLY right in his protest.
These old world physicians were the
friends of carpet dances" and what
are sometimes called bread and butter
balls" He goes as far as the most en-
thusiastic could desire: II believe, in
deed. that TO dance an hour or more at
a convenient time after any meal, ac-
cording as we find ourselves in ca
pacity. would be most beneficial" So
here we have strong support for our
practice of getting up impromptu Gin
derella dances on the occasion of a
friendly dinner or evening party.
Exercise of any kind is always good,
and dancing, bringing as il does most
muscles into play, may safely be ac-
knowledged. IL not specific for the
cure of disease, at least "A means Of
keeping body and mind i'm a healthy
condition. on one point, at all events,
there can be no dispute-the ancients
were perfectly right when they declared
dancing to be a good educator. IL GER
tainly lends grace 10 movements and
general department and gives agility
and lightness To it's devotees. IL is a
mild form OF gymnastics i'm which all
may Join. with pleasure TO themselves
and their companions.
We cannot do better than conclude
with the sensible words of Browne:
"As for dancing. to persons i'm health. I
shall Just take leave TO observe that we
by no means ought 10 make n toll OF
our diversion by making IL one con-
tinued scene OF action. lest we exhaust
the spirits and enervate the body, but
10 sweeten and relieve the active pleas
ure by frequent intervals OF refresh
ment. by which not only the bad effects
which must OF necessity be the conse-
auence of n long, uninterrupted success
sion OF motion will be entirely pre-
vented. but the body, by such agreeable
exercise. will gain strength and vigor
i'm its actions and be more enabled to
preserve and keep up its economy"