The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-05
MIND AND MUSCLE TESTED.
EXPERIMENT. ON ATHLETIC ~
DENTS AT YALE.

NEW HAVEN. EeD. d,-Dr. william q. Andor-
son. instructor In gymnastics at Yale Univer4
sity. has lust completed a series Of expens
ments bearing upon the effects OF one SGT Of
muscles upon another aud OF the development
OF one side Of the body upon the development
OF the opposite side. The first experiment.
was an attempt TO prove that the muscles on
one side OF the body increased in strength,
without extra exercise. II the strength Of the
muscles on the opposite side increased. A
number OF students were experimental on for
six days. The strength OF the muscles OF both
hands was uscertained by means Of an oval
spring d~ynamometer. after which the men
exercised the right hand daily for one week
by squeezing a small piece of broom handle.
In tables compiled by DR.. Anderson IL 10
shown that the right hands OF the students
gained on an average 9 $40 pounds In six
days and the left Z 4-5 pounds. In the expert
ments with the dynamometer the average
gain Of four men experime ntinG IN minutes .
day was for the right hand IL 7-l0 and for the
left hand 13 1.5. DR.. Anderson concludes
from these experiments that II the muscles OF
one hand are trained or strengthened for Q
time those Of the other hand. which have not
been exercised during the same time. will
likewise increase in strength. The men ex-
perimented upon were athletes and gymnasts
and in active training during the year.
Another ext eriment proved that q man who
learns one exercise on one side OF the body
win have little difficulty in learning It on the
other side. A number OF students wero
taught one Of the most difficult movements IN
club swinging known as the snake. Each
man practiced the snake with his left hand for
a number OF DAYS until he had reached a high
stage OF proficiency. One man reports that
he worked daily about five minutes with his
left hand. spending In all los minutes. He
than, trtaJ ,f r-itk lio r;rlt hanI apl a,,naanS-
ed In doing it the very first time. and disoov.
cred that after six trials he was able to make
a better snake with his right than with his
left. Another experiment was to teach the re-
verse snake to a man who was already prof.
cient with the regular movement. He spent
thirty five minutes daily for six successive
days on the reverse snake. working only with
the right hand. After becoming proficient he
tried his other hand and found that he could
do it as well with that hand after forty i've
minutes practice, With the seven men exc
perimented on the averagestime required for
the right hand to learn the movement was
69.1 minutes and for the left hand 23.7 min
utes: in other words. the left hand will do
the task in about one-third of the time.
A still more interesting experiment was to
determine whether the muscles can be trained
to execute movements IL the movements are
thought out carefully In advance by the brain,
the muscles not to be put at work until the
brain Is perfectly familiar with what they are
to be called upon to do; to discover In how
much shorter time. II first mastered by the
brain. the same or similar movements can be
executed and whether such movements are
learned more quickly through the sense OF
sight or the sense of hearing. A number Of
men we're selected and directed to fold their
arms and to go through a drill in their minds
for four minutes. At the end OF that time
they arose from their chairs. took places on
the floor, and executed the movements. only
one man in fourteen making an error. To tho
same number OF men a number OF similar
were then shown. but were not eI-
planned to the II. The whole class learned the
exercise in a lew seconds more than one min
ute without showing any unusual fatigue. DIR.
An lerson con Guided from these experiments
that gymnastic movements can be learned by
the mind without using the muscles at all;
that movements when learned through the
sense of sight ,requir about one-sixth Of the
time needed when taught mentally and that
they are not so fatiguing; and that gymnastio
movements are learned more quickly through
the sense of sight than Of sound. but that the
shortest time is the result OF decentralization
Of the two senses.
The most difficult OF the experiments was to
determine how much time is needed to edu-
Cdle olle Sluc VI tit pDiS II lHo 'Illo blu 10
trained. and what physical and mental quail
ties are required to execute difficult balancing
feats. The experiment differed from those AL
ready described in.that the aim was to discov-
er how much time was required to learn again
certain feats which brought into play the
whole side of the body and not a single MEM
her. To do this a slack wire was placed in the
gymnasium. 1t was thirty feet long. the ends
being ten feet and the slack two feet from
the floor. The men experimental Cd had a
great deal OF difficulty in learning to balance
themselves upon this slack wire. but they
made gradual progress and after the third
week OF steady practice were able to perform
all the conventional leats of slack wire per-
formers One man describes his experience
as follows:
THE eyes must be fixed ~intently on one
spot. ] chose tho attachment OF the wire.
The undivided attention must.be fastened on
the act Of balancing. The passing OF tho wire
ncross the field Of vision. the shifting OF the
eyes. loud talking. n falling object, In fact, the
slightest thing that distracted the attention..
caused a fall. The mental and physical ia
tigue OF the first few days was great, the con-
dition OF the mind being similar to that after
excessive study. | suffered from pain in tho
lower back. my feet were sore. and the leg was
tired from standing on il SO long. ! noticed
that. after a hard days work on the wire. l was
unusually irritable AID could not study we'll al
night. Now | can look where / please. carry
on a conversation, and can DO all OF the difns
cult movements in club swinging on the wire"
Another Eymnast began work on April b
1898, and by May II was able to remove all HE
clothing while on the wire down to his tights.
He reports that he had the greatest difficulty
IN removing his shirt. and spent-three-quar-
tiers of an hour daily in actual practice.
DR.. Anderson closely'studied the faces Of the
men while they were attem pting to learn this
difficult balancing feat, and reports that Mr..
SIS face. after close application. showed lines
OF pain similar To those noticed after one has Q
~sprained ankle. Most Of the students. after
persisting in their efforts, gave evidence OF
worry and fatigue, much more so than whom
learning teats on the horse or rings. or In
tumblinG. Eight OF the ten men experiment.
ed with confined all their attention in the FIRST
place. to balancing on the left leg and dis
covered that. after they had accomplished
this thay cOull hnlance on the right lag in