San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-29
WHAT DETERMINATION CAN DO

"A hopeless cripple at IA years Of age
a real contender for the wowrlwd's heavy
weight wrestling championship at IS
years OF age" "
Thus begins a story of Allan Eustace,
a Kansas farmer boy. There are some
who will regard it as "story" in the
discreditable sense. To others, perhaps,
it may suggest the possibility of providen-
tial ministering-a miracle. But to physi-
clans and psychologists it will be merely
another exemplification of what may be
accomplished by physical exercise-and Of
the Importance of will-power as thera-
peutic agent.
If it is true that this is an extreme case,
the fact testifies to one of mans incon-
sistencies He proclaims himself the
most intelligent animal in the whole Of
creation-and then loses confidence in his
own mental processes. Therefore there
is work for the Coues of the world to do.
Recently some wit, commenting upon the
report that "Uncle Joe" Cannon was "off'
cigars, said that determined man could
quit smoking eff he chews to-" That IS
a sad commentary upon man, but it be-
longs in the all-too-true category. "
Will-power is one of the greatest forces
given to man. Like other natural facili-
ties, it can be increased only by exercise
exercise of itself If it is never PIT to
work, it will diminish and ultimately dis
appear. 'r'~. f
This is not day of great will-power.
Many of US have to be propagandized into
doing Our duty. Spartans among us are
not so numerous as they were, in the
earlier days of Our history Some of us
are no less soft of mind than of muscle
and, not altogether incidentally, the two
conditions go together oftener than not.
As a scientific matter, it is not only
possible but comparatively easy to elm
mate some bodily defects by physical eX-
ercise-if one have the requisite will
power And if ones will-power is weak
it may be partly because he is not physi-
cally strong. When a pronounced physi-
cal weakness is overcome through the
medium of physical exercise, some people
wonder The explanation is simple: The
patient had the requisite will-power.
Cases comparable with that reported
from Kansas are encountered more fire.
quently in fiction than in actual life. Yet
the fictitious cases are based upon the
same elemental principles as those almost
daily practiced by people of determine
ton. A high sense of duty may. cause
a person to undergo without serious i'll
effects such hardships as would injure
him perceptibly if he should experience
them against his will. But when fic-
ton writer has one of his characters learn,
through constant practice, to walk on his
thumbs, or to put off certain death by
sheer force of determination to accom-
plish a given purpose, some people are
inclined to think that such things exist
only in the realm of imagination.
The Kansas youth who changed HIM
self fro ma hopeless" cripple into ply
steal giant had an uncommonly large
measure of will-power. 1t would be fall
lacious to ASSUME that all ailments would
yield to such treatment as he applied to
his paralyzed arm and leg. However,
his case indicates in an impressive way
the therapeutic possibilities in physical
exercise-and the importance of bringing
will-power to bear upon whatever troubles
enc may have.
THE EVENING STAR.