The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-05-22
DR.. George J. Fisher Addresses
Members of Y. M. c. A.
Physical Department
BODY, MIND, MORALS, ARE
INSEPARABLE, HE SAYS
From Standpoint of Biological
Development of Man, Shows
Relation Of Exercise to Mental
and Moral Energy

MANY a man Is fighting battles on
his morals, which should be fought on
his muscles said DR.. George Fisher
Saturday night in an address to men,
bers of the physical department and
directors of the Y. Nj. c. A, at the
association building. Dr. Fisher, who
Is secretary of the physical depart
ment of the international committee
of the Y. M. c. A., has spent much of
his life studying the problems of
physical we'll being, and devotes his
time to the extension of the Influence
of the physical training department of
the association.
DR.. Risher began his address by
predicating the inseparable relation OF
they physical, mental and moral ma
ture of man.
Instead of being separate parts of
the man, as they were once conSid-
cred" he said, "the physical, mental
and moral natures are inseparable.
believe in the evolution of man from
a lower form of life. and that carries
with 1t the belief in a dependence OF
the higher nature, the mind, on the
body"
Mind and Body Inscparable
DR.. Fisher went on to show that
the relation of the physical to mental
and moral came about through the
close relation of the brain cells con-
trolling the various functions of the
body. Demands for energy of one
sort beyond a certain limit draw on
the reserves of energy of another
function, through the brain cells. In
this way he showed that the man with
continually fatigued body was draining
not only his physical force, but also
drawing on the energy needed fol
proper balance of his mental and
moral nature. -
by keeping the body in proper con-
dition through right kind of ever.
cises," he said, the man is making
possible for his mind to develop, fol
his better nature to grow, But If he
lets his body deteriorate he draws not
only on his physical energy, but weak
ems the whole system and puts taa
on his mind and morals as well. MANY
man is fighting battles on his morals
that should be fought on his muscles
The tired man is tempted where the
untired man would not be-
Big Muscles Not Needed
Big muscles are not needed, indeed
are useless in the proper balance o.
the physical being for the best condi
| ton of mental and moral nature, ae
cording to Dr. Fisher He cited in
stances in which he had been obliged
when he entered an association, t
spend months In undoing the work O.
directors who had spent their time If
building up big muscles for the mer
in their department.
Muscles need only to be large
enough to do the work required Of
them" he said "big muscles are use
less, for they are not required. The
man with a lot of extra muscle only
has that much extra tissue to feed
and either keep it up or let 1t degen
crate in either case using energy need
lessly
TOO Much Machinery
Every labor saving device nova
DAYS is in some way blow at oul
at our physical development. We arr
in danger of losing our physical pro
portion through too much saving o.
labor. / sit at my desk, and there
| is some device for saving every move
that / might have made once. There
is q button to press, there is a steno
grapher to write my letters. a tele
phone before me, every detail of m,
business within arms length of m!
chair"
Trunk Muscles Most Important
The heavy muscles of the trunk
showed DIR. Fisher, are the oldest, thu
| first developed of the human or
ganism.
"Inasmuch as they are the Oldest
and the strongest, the brain has dele
gated their control largely to the spin
al column" he said. This makes |
possible for us to give ample exercis'
to people who need it, without ex
hausting their reserve of nerve force
Working of the muscles of the trunk
from the shoulders to the knees, In
wolves the use of much less nervous
force than the working of the muscles
nearer the extremities. That Is VIII,
a. man who writes little may us'
his fingers, a man who writes severa
letters will use his hand, and thu
man who writes all day will use hi
whole arm in the swinging of thu
! pen The nearer the trunk the mus
cles, the less they draw on the braii
| for its nervous energy.
| From this important law, which wal
| first observed in connection with ply
steal training work, and later wa
worked out scientifically by means o
careful tests are drawn the rules FOL
exercise most needed for particular
cases.
In the case of man who was YER!
fat, and who needed physical training
but could stand but little exhauStine