The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-09

TN the April American magazine in
the Interesting People" depart
1 ment, apears an account of DR..
Thomas A. Storey, physical director OF
the College of the City of New York,
who is responsible for a great system
of physical education there. In this re-
markab1e democratic institution hy-
giene and bodily development are as
important as mathematics and history
Following is an extract:
"The department OF which DR.. Storey
is the head has full authority to compel
the student to attend to some of these
matters, or show cause why he cannot
As result, for example, in a recent
year 1900 cases of decayed teeth were
looked after by dentists to whom stu
dents were sent; $50 case of defect
i've vision were attended to; 223 en-
larged tonsils were removed So cases
of trachoma, 10 cases of heart disease
30 cases of hernia, and 96 cases of
incipient pulmonary trouble were treat
ed. The unusual thing about this
physical examination and training is
| lHdt- II o1IupicS just 40 Ah'fOf ee'S ~
place in the college curriculum as
any other subject, and Is given the
same credit as history or mathematics.
Further IL student refuses to follow
out the directions of the physical d.
rector, he may be summarily dis
charged
Beginning with the third year in the
preparatory department, the boys are
required to do class work in the gym
nasium at least once week. Here they
get physical exercise, and much sound
advice in the form of lectures. But they
also are required to have at least once a
week what is perhaps more important.
and that is a swim-a warm shower
followed by a dip in the great swim
ming tank which covers the whole
basement of the gymnasium (not a
dark basement, but great we'll lighted
place with enormous windows which
admit fresh air and sunshine). Before
a boy can enter college--that is, while
ne is in the preparatory department.
he is required to learn how to swim.
He may not save any lives as result,
or become hero, but he forms the
very important habit of bathing after
exercise.
Last year there was required at
tendance at the swimming pool of 3D.
S16 But the best of it is that in the
same period the voluntary attendance
was 99,3s4. And DR.. Storey says that
at the beginning of the fall term III
these later years he has noticed a
constantly increasing number of stu
dents who come back to school with
sunburred shoulders and limbs. Six
years ago, before This great work at
the college began, the athletic teams
representing the college used to go
home after their games without bath
ing. Now they object If the-water does
not flow freely and bountifully. They
| cannot be clean enough.
MANY who read these lines will per-
haps see nothing remarkable in the
facts here recorded Perhaps it is taken
naturally sleep with his window open,
battle freely, take care of his teeth,
his eyes, his throat. eat properly, and
keep himself clean and sweet and pure.
But these who have this illusion should
travel in their imagination to the
| crowded districts of New York. whence
! a vast proportion of these students
come. Remember that thousands OF
these boys are led to take intelligent
care of their bodies for the first time in
their lives on entering the preparatory
department of this institution. And is
it not also easy to see that these boys
go back to their homes and spread
habits of cleanliness and decent liv-
ing among a multitude of fathers,
mothers, brothers, sisters and friends?
80 clearly is theAwork one of vast
Importance that briet account OF it is
set down here. first because It Is In
teresting, and second because It is an