Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-09-30
CURE FoR EVERY ILL.
Exercise the Preventive of as Well as
Remedy for Disease in Sweden.

Exercise the Preventive of as Well as
Remedy for Disease in Sweden.
STOCKHOLM. Sweden, Aug. o
(Willam e. Curtis in Chicago Record,
Herald) The true Swede believes
that exercise will cure everything.
and that as preventive of disease
there is nothing like it. If you go to
a Swedish physician for advice he
will invariably prescribe the move
ment cure and send you to gymna-
SUM or massage establishment in
stead of to drug store. Physical
exercise is therefore the national rem
edy. particularly for complaints due
to sedentary employment. neglect Of
natures laws and high living. The
movement cure for invalids, which
is practically the same as that we
have in the United States, is used in
all the hospitals as well as in private
practice. 1t was invented about
century ago by Dr. Ling. a patriot, u
gymnast and poet, who was inspir-
ed to revive the ancestral national
spirit in the Swedish people by the
aid of sports and songs and to develop
once more the great qualities, the
strength. the courage and the endur-
ance which in old times distinguished
the Scandinavian race. After hard
struggle he succeeded in 1914 in Sc
curing the recognition of the govern
ment and founded the Royal Gymnas-
tic Institute. where all persons desir
Ia, tn H., hn
lie schools or in private institutions
must take course of training and
receive a degree.
The Swedes are quite as particular
about this as about the practice OF
medicine. No medical practitioner
can hang out sign without diploma
from one of the universities. and no
person can teach gymnastics in this
this country without similar certi-
iicate of competency from the Royal
Institute. Every officer OF tine army
is required to undergo course of in
struction not only TO develop his own
physical constitution but to qualify
him to teach gymnastics to soldiers
The teachers in the public schools,
both men and women, are obliged to
take a similar course in order to drill
| their pupils properly, for in every
schoolroom in the country down to
the kindergartens. daily physical ex-
ercise upon Ling's plan is required to
promote the development of the body
and improve the health. This is re-
quired in private as well as public
schools. and the methods of instruc-
/ tinn cnhjnpt to tho incnnnfinn m n n
approval of the Central Institute.
In every town of any size there are
/ gymnastic clubs and associations,
which are generally guided by in
structors educated at the Central In
stitute. They include women as Wen
as men in their membership. and in
many of them fencing and other
sword exercises are also taught.
| In connection with all the gymna-
siums are lighthouses. You will find
them in every part of the city. Some
of them occupy entire buildings. 1t
is the habit OF business men to go to
! their stores or offices at 9 o'clock in
the morning and remain there until
2 or in the afternoon, when they go
to their club or gymnasium and take
an hours exercise and afterward :.
bath. These establishments in tne
business quarter of Stockholm and
other cities are considered just as i'm
portant as clubs restaurants or other
places of resort, and usually have con
nected with them reading and smok-
ing rooms, where patrons can read
the daily newspapers and current
l linz. utt. .lr.
while they are cooling OF. 1t would
surprise a visitor in New York or
Chicago to be informed that his brok-
er or his lawyer or his banker or IA
contractor with whom he has busi.
ness had gone to n bathhouse or gym
nasium at 3 O'Clock in the afternoon
but it is common reply to an inquiry
here. During winter afternoons you
can usually find anybody you want by
going to his favorite gymnasium OF
bathhouse. just as you would look for
him at his club in Chicago.
There is a distinctive dress for the
exercise. The patrons take OF theii
street clothing and put on light wool
en- shirts and trousers, and canvas
shoes on their bare feet, and, stand
ing in rows, go through a series o
motions under the command of theil
instructor to exercise the arms. legs
neck and every other part of the body
gently, not violently. The idea IL
movement. not exertion. and the mus
cles are restrained. The arm IL
, raised slowly with self-resistance. NJ
clubs or dumb-bells are used, only ;
r gentle motion like the exercise o
children in the schools. After twent.
) minutes or half an hour Of this th'