St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-01-20
By EDNARB 3. WlRMAN

BY EDWARD 3. W1RMAN
| tAuthor s. Scientific Physical Training, For
iii mer Editor Health Department
III Ladies' Home Journal
Copyri0ht 1905. By J. B. Bowles1
Deep Breathing Essential to Health
Most People Too Lazy to Breathe
Heart Failure Often Due to Over.
loaded stomach-Fill the Lungs
More, the Stomach Less-Those
with Weak Hearts Should Avoid
Running-To Hold the Breath Il
Injurious-Don't Breathe Through
the Mouth.
We may live days without food
hours without water, but only few
moments without air. When God made
man.. the. finishing touch was 1.-THE
Breath of Life" When man .1shufles
OF this mortal COIL" the last thing he
gives up is breath. Therefore, breath
is paramount. Yet. strange as it may
SEEM, all. the way from the cradle to
the grave, there is no one thing on
which man so economies as on this
freest of all free gifts-fresh air. It is
shut out. from the home, the Office, the
workshop, the church, the school, the
theater, ETC., as; though it were YER
table foe.
Deep, full, diaphragmatic breathing
Is essential for health. The upper
chest should be raised and fixed mus
cularly; that is, wholly independent OF
the breathing. The diaphragm is one
OF the strongest muscles of the body,
extending through the body from side
to side attached to the lower ribs)
and from front to back attached to
the -breastbone-in front,
and along the sides of the lower part
of the spinal column in the back. It
arches in, the center and separates the
cavity of" the chest from that of the
abdomen. It forms, as 1t were, a floor
for the lungs and roof to the alb
domen-tte heart and lungs above;
the liver, stomach, etc, beneath. Cor
rect breathing means a strong action
of the waist muscles front, sides and
back) at, not below, the waist line.
So-called abdominal breathing (mov-
ing the lower walls Of the abdOmen) is
not abdominal but abominable, and
often results in injury II you wish to
secure correct abdominal breathing, lie
fiat upon your back, place heavy book,
or other object Tor have some one sit
upon you) about over the pit of the
stomach. Breathe slowly and deeply
enough to raise the object while the
upper-chest, il in correct position, re-
mains immovab1e.
Deep Breathing Essential to Health.
Full use of the lungs always means
strength. Throughout the brute crea-
ton, from the mouse which breathes
$50 times minute, to the elephant
which breathes only six times a min
ute, one rule holds good: the larger
and stronger the animal, the more
slowly and deeply it breathes.
The same applies with equal force
to man. The greatest men OF all times
and countries-Napoleon, Luther,
Webster Gladstone; these
and many more were big-chested.
deep breathing men. The great states
man. Bismarck; the great preachers,
Beecher, Brooks, Sturgeon, ETC.; the
great actors, Salvini, Forrest, Nc
ETC.; the great pugilists.
Sullivan, Jeffries, ETC.; these are but
types of men with one thing In COM
mon-the fully developed chest and
lungs with the resultant vitality.
The Great. Blood Purifier.
Consider, for a moment, the fact
that the blood makes the entire cir
cult OF the body about three times
every minute, leaving the heart pure
red and returning almost black with
It's load of impurities. and then passed
IN again through the lungs for tho
purpose Of publication. How essen
.ial. then, that the lungs should re-.
seive their full modicum Of pure air.
When you inhale, the heart COM
:racts and forces cut the blood; when
rou exhale, the heart expands and re-
,eives the blood. Therefore, deep. full
in the open air is the great
,st blood purifier in the world, for we.
ire drawing upon the great. universal
of life. But do not delude
7ourseR with the iGea that merely be-
ng in the fresh air will suffice. Some
men are in the fresh air all day, but
lever take deep inhalation unless
he nature Of the work iss such as to,
compel them to do SO.
Any movement that we perform that
'equires more than the customary
muscular action calls, OF course; for
more blood. The blood Is the food OF
he muscles. Inasmucif as the amount
II blood in the body is more or, less
United, this extra quantity can be
supplied only by passing more Of II
through the muscles in an equal time.
Therefore the heart must beat more
quickly; but the rapid flow Of blood oc-
'sfs all over the body and, naturally,
he lungs participate in 1t. It will DO
'een that II the blood-fio through the
ungs is Increased, the air supply must
llso be Increased II the blood is to be
purified. To secure this, the amount Of
lir entering the lungs must be aug
nented which can be accomplished
,nly by fuller brea thing.
Breathing Exercises.
AS rule, do not believe in them
Is exercises except for an invalid. II |
,ou are able-bodied Especially able
egged), instead Of standing up or
sitting down" and "going through" a |
Ieries of exercises, 'twere far better to |
walk briskly or take some form Of Wig