The San Francisco call., 1910-12-09
ATHLETIC SLOUGH
ATTENDS COLLEGE
Condition, According to PrO-
lessor, Hold by Head Pos
ture- and Bent Back
Classified With Flat Footed and
Spine Curved Women
Students

BERkELEY,C Dec. S.-The athletic
sloach' has been added by Prof. Walter
z. Magee, head Of the department of
physical culture of the University of
California, TO the list Of faults of men
and women entering college, and he
says that this defect was as prevalent
as curvature Of the spine and fiat
footedness, which he deplored at the
meeting OF the board of education
Tuesday night. Hi sassertion that 20
per cent Of all women students enter
ing the university are afflicted with
curvature Of the spine and that 20 per
cent are fatfooted has created much
interest. and physical culture instruc-
tors, educators and physicians hold
with him that these figures have not
been overdrawn.
The exact causes for the athletic
slouch" have not been determined, ac-
cording TO Professor Magee. For some
uneXplaina bic reason the various ath-
letes of the university slouch around
the campus with heads poked forwa rd
and backs bent That athletics. under
the present system in the schools. has
caused a one sided development is the
claim Of the university savant, but
what is the reason for the athletic
slouch is yet to be discovered
The posture of the athletes can be
coupled with fat footedness and curva-
rure OF the spine, says Professor
Aagee. he further said that he had
figures for the women Of the fresh
man class OF the university, in which
II was shown that out of the 3S4
examined 226 had lateral curvature of
the spine and 1ss were fat footed.
The absurd way in which the feet
Of the young men and women of this
generation are dressed said Profes-
sor Magee. is the direct cause of their
fat fOOtedneSs. The young women
wear French and Cuban heels on their
shoes and cause this defect Then
gain. they wear shoes which are far
TOO tight. to ma ke the feet look small.
and we have therefore a well developed
case Of fat footedness which can not be
corrected during their college course.
This part Of the physical training
should have been attended to in the
high and grammar schools.
Up TO the time 4 child is or g
years Of age the foot is well arched,
and. except in the case of hereditY.
there are few cases of fat footedness
Then comes the period Of high heels
and tight shoes and the physical defect
IS the result
school children nowadays are made
TO At the seats in the classroom at the
school instead Of the seats being made
10 ft the children
The school furniture should be
changed and made to At the pupils.
Some Of them are tall and should ac-
cordingly be given proper seats which
viii not crsmp their bodies and inter
fere with their physical welfare
If gymnasium is established in
the high and grammar schools of the
state there viii no doubt be courses
dren more exercise. For instance, /
do not believe that children should be
allowed TO sit all morning at their
desks without some physical exercise.
They should be put through physical
drill even If ii / sonly for q. few min
utes at z time twice during each morn
ing period.
.Corsets are another factor in health
and they interfere with the functions
Of the body. While they DO not cause
curvature Of the spine. they compress
the chest and the lungs, as well as the
heart. In fact. they interfere with the
functions Of all the organs of the alb
domen."
According to the figures of Professor
NIagee more than. 40 per cent of the
men and women OF the state unfver-
sity do not know how TO stand when
they enter college. and much correc-
tive exercise is needed to bring them
10 normal condition.
Athletics he says, will not aid much
in rounding out the student and max
ing him the perfectly developed man.
The indulgence in sports is said by
Professor Magee TO be q hindrance to
e perfect body than otherwise.
There are" he continued, of course
z large number of athletes who are
D perfect specimens Of manhood, but on
the other hand the most Of them are
oispropOrtionately developed. They
are developed too much in many ways
and not enough in others. There seems
70 be missing the well rounded training
necessary for the complete development
Of the physical body"
Professor Magee is an advocate of
the large gymnasium which can also
he used as headquarters for the
school children. The closed-in gym
rasium he preferred on account of it's
general desirability- He emphasized
Especially the value of the swimming
pool and hsndball court, as these will
give the pupils much pleasure and val
liable exercises as well.
Or. H Boncroft, physical examiner
Of the University of California women,
q grees with the opinions of Professor
Afagee and said that faulty shoes was
probably the cause for the prevalence
Of fat footedness.
But curvature Of the spine she at
tributed to the lack of red blood in the
veins.
This is due" she said, TO the fact
that pupils Of the high school age do
rot get enough sleep. Their social ac-
tivities are many and they do not de-
vote the time TO rest that they need
and require, so that the blood has not
the proper amount Of red corpuscles
necessary to exercise its functions.
Undoubtedly bad posture can be
laid al the foot Of curvature of the
spine. also as well as improper sit
ting positions"