The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-09-20
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 Vigilantes.

| OF the VigiidntcS.
| New York.-This is a genuine letter
a document" written by the distin.
guished dramatist to his son about to
| go to France. Mr.. Thomas when writ
| ing had no 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:
/ was interested in the report of the
| boys in their hike under the full
| packs, and their readiness to fall
asleep when chance came at the end
| OF the day. That "dog-tired" fatigue
Is the kind that brings the most COM
pIete 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, not 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 give you
the basic reasons for them.
/ used to amuse you when you were
little fellow by "hypnotizing mos
quitos." You will recall that 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 it, or tensing up. That tension
automatically closed all the pores OF
the skin, and the mosquito who had
put his bill into one of these pores
found it gripped and held there as a
bears foot might be held in 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-
ity 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, l might call the
"cosmic currents
There is a little scientific instru-
ment called the biometre that regis
ters, and to some extent measures,
this strengthening current. hope 1T
won't bore you if I tell you of it
briefly.
The biometre is a small glass bell
or dome, inside of which there is a
copper needle suspended by a silk
thread. The bell rests on board un-
der which is coil of copper wire.
The needle swings free, not quite
touching the supporting base. When a
man approaches the biometre with his
left hand the needle is drawn toward
him slightly but perceptibly. When he
approaches the bell with his right hand,
the needle swings away from him more
perceptibly than it swung toward him
in the frs: experiment.
If two kilometres are used, one for
each hand, the needle in the left one
is drawn toward the man, and that in
the right one is repealed. That would
seem to indicate that current was
flowing into us and through us from
left to right.
Furthermore it is possible to pro-
duce this interesting phenomenon: II
the man tries to affect the current by
tensed effort, the right needle moves
further from him than before, but the
left 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.
SOnoClDne III the early LIuSliCS so"
Kid Mccoy knock out a fighter named
Billy Stiff. Between the rounds Stiff
took the usual rubbing and tanning by
his seconds, but Mccoy occasionally
substituted a system of deep breathing
and relaxation as he stood by the
ropes. I 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 tensing up
only for blow The fact was that
strength flowed into him in those mo-
ments of relaxing as it 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
we are completely relaxed, and "let
go" as it were.
To relax is somewhat of an art. 1t