Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-31
By Harlow Brooks, MD.

Professor Of Clinical Medicine N the NetD York
Unicersitv.
Given In the Series Of Medical Lectures by
the Medical Society Of the Borough Of the
Bronx, Feb. ~, 1914.
A MONG the primitive instincts OF all ami
~ NAL life are those Of selfpreservation.
a = OF the desire for food and the perpetu.
alton Of species.
Claiming very close relationship 70 these
essential and insIstent vital motives Is the de.
sire to play. We hnd this instinct manifested
IN practically every grade Of animal life from
the insect up TO mankind. The piayfulness Of
the kitten, the games Of birds and even those
Of reptiles are matters Of the most common.
place and certain scientific observation. The
froiics Of puppies. OF colts, OF young calves and
ali manner OF our Wild friends, but most beau.
tiful of all the pranks Of our own babies are
80 commonplace and so much q part and par.
eel OF life in its happier aspects that need
but to recall them to you to induce you 10 ac.
cept with me that play Is indeed an essential
and primitive part Of all animal life.
II is also readily shown that in most In
stances the plays Of youth under natural con.
ditions and in ell grades Of the scale of evo.
luton are largely preparatory for the gterner
obligations Of adult life. The higher we A.
cend in the ladder Of mental and nervous de.
veiopments the more marked and evident does
this instinct Of play become and the greater its
necessity. You are then. I hope, prepared to
accept with me the axiom that play and re-
Taxation are part OF life itself. and since we
find no such general instinct in nature, with.
out deep and important purpose we must
assume that In some way play IL q necessary
part OF life and that as life becomes more com.
plicated the necessity for II becomes the
greater.
Mans recognition OF this fact goes back as
far as history. and the very earliest OF history
tells US that Adam and I've were given one
everlasting holiday, and had II not been for
that very unfortunate vegetarian fad Of our
hrst militant ancestor, It is quite probable
that we all should be this very day joyfully
gamboling about some beautiful park. instead
OF considering the wherewtthai shall we be
clothed and the office for tomorrow and the
rent day of next month,
All the great nations Of history have recoE.
nized the need for relaxation and recreation.
We see this demonstrated even by the stern
Spartans in their games and by their feast
days. II Is also evidenced by the art OF ancient
Greece and II is manifested to-day by our public
parks. concerts art collections. athletic games
Government be II more or be II less paternal
IN type, hae arranged for the play and relaxa.
uon OF It's people. The nestas Of the Latin
people, the beer gardens and glorious music
Of those serious-minded scientists, the Ger.
mans. are but evidences OF this impelling in.
stinct and the necessity OF SIS normal gratin-
cation for the public welfare. Even our own
Government has taken cognisance OF this In
strnctive demand. and we see It recognized Ia
the establishment of national Fairgrounds,
such as the yellowstone and Glacier National
Parks. Hardly now State or a city OF any
pretense but what has its Yosemite. It's Pros
pect Park. or its Bronx Zoo.
Napoieons greatness was no more mani.
Tested by his great military operations than In
net tNarA 1enAI AIlmka.
tons and his encouragement OF architecture
and OF the numerous similar institutions OF
France. Perhaps we should have even for.
gotten Great Caesars ecnQuests had he not
amused himself by the writing OF them down.
This is form OF amusement. however, which
am afraid some of you in common with my.
sell may have looked upon as anything but
an innocent occupation when we were nrst
attempting to describe that crucial bridge.
So great statesman as Patrick Henry even
gave the object Of life as "the pursuit Of happi.
National, state and Municipsl oovarnmaDt.
despotic or popular. have thus since the time OF
history made the subject OF play and relaxa.
ton serious study and a public care. We
near OF city opera OF State theatres. and pub
lie Fairgrounds. Many, IL not most OF these
are designed not 50 much to educate as 10
amuee and 70 relax. aud their establishment tS
recogniuon OF that instructive craving within
ue Tor play and diversion an instinct which
then demands thoughtful attention
IN our convaiescent wards at the hospltals
we nave found the necessity OF the visiting
quartetfe, OF the phonogrsph, the books. games
and OF the pictures designed to entertain and
divert All these subjects have under such
circumstances become matters Of grave study
ana careful supervision We have our nro-
fesaional play instructors. Just as certain Of
me birds. the partridge family for example
have also theirs. The storv-teiers OF the
Romans OF the Norsemen or those Of our own
Americans, the Apaches or the Comanches
are replaced by the trained story-tellers OF our
city Libraries and public schools
But although every one must recognise these
general facts as have stated them, how infre-
Quently L is that we hear OF any person care.
fully and stndiously arranging for his play and
relaxation. This 10 the point TO which wish
% especially call your attention this evening
Tor ! am convinced that there Is great need
for the individual 70 carefully instruct himself
IN these matters. A great medical scientist
and teacher CDR V. c. Vaughn) was accus-
toned to tell his students that perhaps quite
a. much OF success in life depended on the
selection of hobby OF form Of relaxation, as IN
the choice Of 3 profession.