334 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and sports is that in them the mind is occupied without being taxed. 

 It is diverted from its usual cares. The sports are well called recrea- 

 tive. Both body and mind are recreated by them. 



To affect the chest and the underlying organs, such as lungs and 

 heart, the most direct means lies in exercise of the muscles of the arms 

 and shoulders. If a person has weak lungs, one of the first objects at 

 which he should aim should be the strengthening the muscular system 

 covering the chest. If such a person is weak, let him begin exercise 

 very cautiously, and increase very slowly the duration, frequency, and 

 difficulty of his exercises until he is made to breathe hard. In taking 

 a full inspiration, not only are the lungs affected, but, strange as it 

 may seem, the brain and spine also. " The fluid surrounding the brain 

 and spinal cord is essential to their safety. The motions dependent on 

 the action of the heart are much weaker on the spinal cord than on the 

 brain, while those connected with breathing are more constant and con- 

 siderable on the former, from the more powerful distention of the 

 veins of the spinal canal. . . . The fluid surrounding brain and spine 

 regulates their vascular fullness," and "it is manifest that, in order to 

 keep up the proper alternations between the brain and spinal cord, and 

 between the heart and lungs, it is not enough to breathe pure air, but 

 it is also necessary that it should be deeply breathed." * 



The effect of exercise on the character is felt most of all on the 

 will. This is very natural, for in all muscular exercise a certain 

 amount of resistance has to be overcome, and the power which acts 

 through the muscles to overcome this resistance is will-power. De- 

 velopment of muscular strength is, therefore, to a certain extent devel- 

 opment of will. It becomes development of the highest kind of will, 

 that of self-mastery when to take exercise a man resolutely over- 

 comes the distaste for it. This feeling often comes upon us, when we 

 are weary with brain-work and are inclined to rest, and to forego 

 exercise. But let any man resist the temptation and take the exercise, 

 and he will find that the brain is rested and refreshed, and the whole 

 body renewed and invigorated. 



It is not true that so much given to body is just so much taken 

 from brain. It has been the aim of the writer to show that all parts 

 of the body, the brain and the nervous system among the rest, con- 

 tribute to the vigor of the whole ; that the muscular system forms 

 about half of the body, and is a very important contributor to the 

 health of all the organs. Body and brain are parts of a harmonious 

 whole. Either neglected makes trouble for the other. Each appro- 

 priately exercised means not only health and strength to that one, but 

 vigor to both. This hue and cry against exercise and sport, as being 

 detrimental to mental culture, is founded on a mistaken theory that 

 the material and spiritual parts of a man are enemies so much less 

 material, so much more spiritual. But it ought to be observed that a 



* Dr. George Moore. 



