GYMNASTICS. 81 



condition of young bone and the manner of its growth at the epi- 

 physes, how easy it is to imagine the advantage of regularly stretch- 

 ing the cartilage in the lines of the most serviceable shape and posi- 

 tion of the future bone ! We know how easily the thorax-walls, for 

 instance, become misshapen from abnormal pressure within or without, 

 even from lazy slouching ; and we know too how quick and lasting is 

 the "setting-up" of the West-Pointers. Their splendid carriage is 

 due simply to the stretching of ligaments and cartilage, maintained 

 till the natural equilibrium of muscular force is regained in the new 

 position. Merely for aesthetic reasons this result is well worth the 

 cost. Of far greater importance are the increase of chest-room and 

 the greater resistance to fatigue thus gained. 



In passing now to the theoretical advantages of regularly exer- 

 cising the voluntary muscles, little consideration need be paid to the 

 supposed advantage of increase in size. Muscles readily respond to 

 increased demands by rapid growth in size, and, for those whose duties 

 do not require large muscles, it is questionable if they are any better 

 off with them. A blacksmith's arm may be considered rather as a 

 superfluity if on a parson. For some sets of muscles the blacksmith 

 and the parson, and in fact all people, have equal need, and, in order 

 to be equally vigorous in their respective stations, the development 

 that the blacksmith gains naturally must, by others leading a seden- 

 tary life, be obtained artificially. Of prime importance to all are 

 both the voluntary and the involuntary muscles of respiration. So 

 directly does our physical health depend upon their continued vigor, 

 that nothing short of their highest possible development should satisfy 

 us. Especially is this true of the abdominal muscles, which should 

 give not only most valuable assistance in the mechanism of breathing, 

 but also a oupport of exceeding value to the viscera. No other set of 

 muscles has suffered more in the change from active to sedentary life. 

 Corsets are proof of this. Fashion is by no means wholly responsible 

 for their almost universal use. They do not come and go, but, in 

 spite of all efforts at dress reform, corsets hold their sway, because 

 their wearers feel better in them. This will continue to be the case 

 until the muscles whose office they partially supply are developed by 

 exercise designed to take the place of what is no longer naturally 

 obtained. 



It is not sufficient to have merely large muscles. Like raw troops, 

 their usefulness depends upon constant discipline. This widely-recog- 

 nized fact is often wrongly explained, as, for instance, by the theory 

 that our nerves need exercising. In this age, nerves need no such 

 stimulus. A much more probable theory is given by Maclaren, of 

 Oxford, namely, that the potential energy of body-substance depends 

 upon its newness, which may be explained by the facts that the 

 potential energy of combustible material is directly proportional, and 

 its chemical stability is inversely proportional, to its molecular com- 



VOL. XXIII. 6 



