The San Francisco call., 1909-06-27
HEALTH OF PUPILS
is IMPROVED
BY GYM
Beneficial Effect of Athletics at
ST. Mary's Reported by
Director
By WILL SCARLET

One of the strongest and most un-
equivocal tributes to the efficacy of
athletic training on this coast is the
Official statement of Brother Joseph.
prefect and athletic director at st.
Mary's college, concerning the gym
nasium course for the first time made
compulsory at the Oakland college. The
installation of the 100000 gymnasium,
the employment Of a high salaried ath-
letic instructor. and a full corps of
capable assistants and the placing of
regular gymnasium exercises in the
college curriculum were radical depar-
lures and the project, az its inception at
least, received its full share of criti-
cism. The gymnasium course at st.
Mary's has now been in operation for
six months and the time is ripe for a
definite statement of results.
Those results have been incorporated
in the report bearing the signature of
the prefect and submitted in the form
Of a circular letter to the faculty, the
alumni and the parents of the present
students. Brother Joseph states that
since the organization of the gym
nasium classes the health of the stu
dent body has notably improved, sick
ness being a thing all but unknown,
even during the seventies of last win
ter. The classwork, too, has been of
more satisfactory order, the ST. Mary's
boys giving tangible verification of the
old adage about the sound mind in the
sound body. Furthermore, the athletic
training has convinced habitual smok-
ers of the advisability of dropping the
weed and of abandoning other indul-
gences that do not form q part in the
scheme of normal, healthy physical ac-
tivity.
The substance of Brother Joseph's
report follows:
To keep In the very van of educa-
added to its facilities for physical cul-
ture instruction equipment estimated
at $4,000. In January of the present
use, and physical culture along ap-
proved modern, scientific lines was
made compulsory factor in the col
Prior to the organization of classes
exact measurements. weight, height,
ETC., OF each student were taken and
can be duplicated at any time. Now, at
the conclusion of the term, we have
again taken these measurements, which
likewise are. on file; The results. are
pleasure in life is with the success of
the work among their students.
Here are few items to be noted in
this connection: The average increase
in chest expansion in the entire student
body is three inches and half. Boys
who were known not to smoke have
gained as high as four and half
Inches. and even five is not unknown.
Habitual smokers-made such often
times by the unfortunate weakness of
parents-have gained but from one
inch to two. Boys whose weight was
above normal have shown q healthy
decrease, in one instance of 65 pounds.
Students who needed weight have
gained perceptibly, with scarce an ex-
ception
development physically, intellectually
and morally. That these three are in
terdependent is a pedagogic axiom.
A boy with a sound, vigorous body,
which ordinarily harmonizes with a
temptation to vice more readily than
his languid and languishing companion;
he is a normal, natural boy whose SEN
sations are not so likely to become
an abundance of natural life; it does
not need, nor does IT crave, Injurious
stimulants. He is keen in the life OF
the classroom; he is awake and ready
to do; ordinarily neither peevish nor
Some wholesome results, due to our
bettered physical course, that for some
time have been apparent TO all OF us
are: Less sickness practically none
at al) than during any previous year,
though few winters could compare in
severity with the last; a happier con-
dition, and a most ideal spirit of good
will among the boys; decrease In
smoking of over so per cent; weekly
individual reports issued by the profess
sors to the prefect show that the in
tellectua1 life of the college, on which
ST. Marys has always prided itself, has
this year attained to even higher
we can know. are in most desirable
1to