, 1917-09-06
Some Suggestions That May
Prove of Great Value to the
New Soldier.
HOW TO REST BY RELAXATION
Wonderful Currents, Curative, Restor-
Ing and RepIenishing, Flow Into
the Submissive Body During
Moments of Relaxation.
BY AUGUSTUS THOMAS,
Of the viuiIantes,

d uOcunent, written by the OlStln-
guished dramatist to his son about to
go to France. Mr.. Thomas when writ
Ing had 40 thought of Its publication.
He Is an enthusiastic Vigilante; others
Of the organization happened to see
the letter and persuaded him to let 1t
be published.
My Dear Son.:
1 was interested In the report of the
boys In their hike under the full
packs. int their readiness to fall
asleep when chance came at the end
Ut the day. That "dog-tired" fatigue
ls the kind that brings the most COM
plete relaxation and the fullest re-
cuperation. We learn late in life
some of us-that the secret of re-
cuperation, and therefore the secret of
power, no only physical power, but
also power mental and spiritual, Is
the ability to relax.
You are probably going to France,
and If so will often have great need
Of the quickest replenishment of your
expended strength. Perhaps you will
remember more definitely some sug-
gestions about relaxing If 1 give you
AZ DdoiC IcuSOho loI tleih.
1 used to amuse yor when you were
a little fellow by "~hypnotizing mos
quitos." You will recall that a mos
quito that would fly from my hand or
face when you tried to catch him
would sit still for me until I slowly
picked him up. The trick in that was
my waiting until 1 felt his sting, and
then taking a deep breath, and push
Ing on 1t" or tensing up. That tension
automatically closed all the pores of
the skin, and the mosquito who had
put his bill int one of these pores
found it gripped and held there as a
bears foot might be held in a spring
trap.
That closing of the pores under ten
sion is one of natures means of pro-
lection. A man suddenly plunged into
water instinctively inhales and auto
~matically closes his pores. He does
the same thing If startled by danger or
attacked by any emotional shock. He
does it also when making any consid-
cradle effort.
Strength From Without.
1t Is only with age and some humil-
lily that we come to realize how much
Of our so-called strength comes from
outside of US, actually flows into us
and through US on what, If the phrase
won't brighten you, 1 might call the
'cosmic currents"
There is a little scientific instru-
nent called the biometre that regis
,ers, and to some extent measures,
his strengthening current. 1 hope 1t
Won't bore you If 1 tell you Of 1t
,riefiy.
The biometre is a small glass bell
" dome, inside of which there is a
copper needle suspended by n silk
bread. The bell rests on a board un-
Ter which is a coil of copper wire.
Che needle swings free, not quite
ouching the supporting base. When a
nan approaches the biometre with his
eft hand the needle is drawn toward
lin slightly but perceptlbly. When he
approaches the bell with his right hand,
he needle swings away from him more
%,erceptibly than it swung toward him
n the first experiment.
If two biometres are used, one for
ZACH hand, the needle in the left one
6 drawn toward the man, and that in
he right one is repealed. That would
seem to Indicate that a current was
lowing into us and through us from
eft to right.
Furthermore 1t is possible to pro-
luce this interesting phenomenon: If
he man tries to affect h current by
4 tensed effort, the right needle moves
further from him than before. but the
eft one ceases to be attracted and
hangs plumb. This would seem to in
dictate that his effort expended the
energy which the right-hand needle
registered. and at the same time the
effort closed the body to any intake
of the supply.
It's worth thinking about.
To Relay Is an Art.
Sometime in the early nlneties saw
Kid Mccoy knock out n fighter named
Billy Stiff. Between the rounds Stiff
took the usual rubbing pnd tanning by
his seconds, but Mccoy occasionally
substituted n system of deep breathing
and relaxation as he stood by the
ropes. | believe he was the first fight
er to spar with open palms, closing
his fists only as he struck. l recall
some interviews in which he was quot
ed as saying that he conserved his
strength by that manner being re-
Taxed when sparring and tenslng up
only for n blow. The fact was that
strength flowed into him In those mo-
ments of relaxing as 1t flows into all
of us. The big cats are instructive in
that respect. It's wonderful to watch
their complete relaxation In most atti-
tudes. Children, too, have the quality.
Great peace is with us only when
ua ora comnIafelv relaxed. and "let