The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-12-15

that aQpTDdcHSS 5pOElIlS contests IluSI be injurious to a woman's physique. Almost any sort of physical exercise is good for her, if taken in moderation. I think boating and riding are as good as any, if not overdone. I do not object to scientific athletic training, provided it be rational, for take it myself But it ought to be without apparatus. have a splendid teacher who gives lessons in her gymnasium, which we put into practice daily at home, and she uses no athletic machinery. For instance, she has a fencing exercise without foils.
 But, to tell you the truth, I think the best exercise in the world for wo- man is that continuous but gentle ex- ercise involved in household work. Washing and ironing is much too heavy for most of them, but sweeping is ideal ized athletics. It brings into play every muscle of the body and requires just enough exertion to get up good circu- lation. Dish washing also is splendid, the warm water exerting a wonderfully calming influence on the nervous sys- tenn, It goes without saying that walk ing is good for all. "
 pr. Antoinette K. Fellows said: ''I think President Eliot is right, except that I see no reason why he should have confined his condemnation Of vio- lent exercise to women. It is just as bad for men and for horses. All these athletics break down their health and race horses only last a season or two. My views on this subject are pretty well illustrated by three of my pa- tients. One of these is young man whose heart has been ruined by college athletics. Another is a woman who has made one hip higher than the other by horseback exercise. A third is g. woman who is suffering from terrible pains in her limbs. brought on by pe- culiar gymnastic exercise in an athletic club.
 Now, am an old-fashioned woman, and have mighty little use for the gym nasiunl. It is good, admit, for those
 who can get exercise no other way. But my opinion is that the ordinary employment of the household, combined with walking, are the best physical ex- ercise that woman ever took.
 T do not object to rowing and horse- back riding in moderation. But horse back riding ought to be done astride if at all and bicycle riding has proved in- 1 furious to the muscles of the back.
 What everybody needs, however, is not violent exercise, but constant and gen. tie exercise Occasional visits to & gymnasium do not furnish this and nothing that I know of comes so near l fn fnyr a n-b hold work"
 l Mrs. Paulina Harriette Lyon, secreta- ry of the Woman's Athletic club, said:
 'The women of the present generation were greatly inferior in physique to their mothers and grandmothers until
 woman athletes came in. But now, wherever the athletic club has gone, the
 women are as strong and healthy as in any previous generation. Moreover the
 woman's athletic club has gone pretty
 nearly everywhere All the suburbs of 1 Chicago have them, and am appealed
 to every day to organize new, ones, sometimes as far away as in Ohio. President Eliot is right enough in what he said about women and all forms of violent exercise, only he ought
 to have said it about the whole human | race. I speak feeltngly about this, as ! have sons who are college athletes. I saw them in agboating contest last summer and I never want to see them l in another. It is simply ruinons to
 heart and lungs. j.. E.. n T think every kind of exercise that I is good for 0 man Is good for woman, though not in the same degree, and that i voIent exercise is bad for both of them. Moderate and continuous exercise is
 what develops the muscles and pro- notes health"
 Dr. D. R. Brewer said: 1T stepped into a hornets nest some months ago bmy saying that the women of the pres- ent day were not as strong and healthy as those of two generations ago. Mrs. Henrotln, Mrs. sGhatfield- Taylor and many other club women fired hot shot into me for a good while, but survived lit, and without undergoing any change of opinion, think the young women of our day get too little exercise. do not suppose President Eliot meant to deny this in what he said. We all agree with him that women are not formed for vio- lent physical strain, but no more are men. All these college athletes break down with heart disease later in life on account of their football and other forms of violent exercise. Provided
 moderation is observed I do not know
 any form of exercise that is ont good for women. Rowing, swimming, riding,