Year: 1871

Professor Burke G.. Wilder, Of Cor
nell University, delivered q lecture
in New York city, on "HOw We


Stand and How We walk The lee


turer said the subject would seem q


simple one. Any one can stand ana


walk, even the animals can move


with ease and rapidity about the earth,


vet to describe the operation was no


easy matter. Walking" says


Holmes, sis a continuous falling, and


a continuous reeovering-a process
most complex and dangerous" II


any ten in the audience came forward


and attempted to describe how they


stand, and how they walk, each one


would tell a different story, and no


one. perhaps. could repeat his story


twice. All know they have a soul,


but it is only owing to mans erect


formation that, unlike beasts, he Is


permitted to gaze upward with ease.


By means of figures drawn on the


blackboard, the lecturer illustrated


how, notwithstanding the curves OF


the neck and spine, true line Of gravi-
ty is drawn straight from the base OF


the skull to the point Of the spinal
[ column, and thence it a direct line to
the sole of the foot. Ii was entirely
different in the structure Of the ape
/ and other animals, I'm which the head
! is supported at a point throwing the
weight forward, and with q spinal
curve without any angle at the base,
as in man. He illustrated also how
modern fashions among the ladies
were limitations Of the lower order OF
animals: as for instance the appliea-
/ ton of a large ehignOn to the back OF


tha head. which would cause the head
I TO lean forward from its centre OF


gravity on the point Of the spinal col
I umn. This involves the necessity OF
bending the hips backward, and the
latter eompels a bending OF the knee


and walking on tiptOe the whole


forming not q Grecian or any OtheI
than simply a monkey bend inc


structure of the bones OF the foot was
.. ! perfect keystone arch. It was also


found that Wneu q man stood on Olt


root he was shorter than when hs


stood on two. This he endeavored tC
illustrate by an assistant present, bui
= while he admitted that the expert
ment, so far as his assistant was con
eerned. was failure, he asserted th'
principle to be no less true. Man
, also. was taller when standing still
than when walking. This he illus
trated by having his assistant Walk
blindfolded, under a bar which hat
been previously brought down Il
touch exactly his head. Man wa
: taller when taking in a full breatl
than when the air was expelled IRON
his lungs, as he was also taller b!
from half an inch to an inch wheI
! lying down than when standing tn
reason being that while lying IN
Joints were relaxed, while in standing
the parts became consolidated. 70
this reason men devoted % hard labO
became stunted and fail to aequir
their natural hight. So, too, man
3 sometimes longer than he is tall, be


cause IL he stOOps or leans forWsr'
his hight is the distance between tw
e parallel lines, the one running unde
{ the sole Of the foot, the other beinI
: paraIlel TO il and touching the head
e while the length Of the body is stil
E the same. The lecturer then describe
! the whole movement Of walking
:. from the first preparatory mOyemen
: to step to the regular and rapid cor
5 tinuous stride, with all Of which TN
I 'fBoys in Blue" If not all boys, an
; girls. too, are quite familiar.