LVI ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



what conditions this complicated organ acts, vigorously or otherwise? 

 Is a good brain likely to accompany a good physique? It has been 

 most conclusively pointed out that brain or marked ability in any par- 

 ticular line of thought and action, is superior in size, weight and com- 

 plexity of structure, to the ordinary brain. A popular idea is that 

 brain must be developed at the expense of muscle and vice versa. Such 

 views fortunately are not borne out by either science or history. Pro- 

 fessor Beard's views on the longevity of brain workers is an important 

 document. Take members of the cabinets of England and Canada, or 

 the 'Congress of the American Eepublic, the average in height, weight, 

 girth and physical development generally, is most remarkable. The 

 law of the dependence of mental activity, is in fact, closely allied to 

 physical vigour. Lincoln, Conkling and Gladstone retained a quantum 

 of physical power, each in a particular line, rail splitting, boxing and 

 tree felling, and so with Tennyson, Beecher, Huxley and Webster, each 

 •bad his day of physical training as well as of mental culture. With 

 such evidences, is intellectual greatness the only thing worth striving 

 for and physical prowess a matter of secondary consideration ? G-orging 

 the brain in ordinary schools from six to nine hours daily, with only 

 one to three hours each day, in the open air, is really not likely to bring 

 about such results as frequently sought after. With many years of 

 practical observation on this point, I feel confident the intellectual 

 development and physical growth of the young generation around us, 

 will be greatly promoted by four hours of exercise in the open air, and 

 four hours of study, and the final results better in every particular, than 

 by the system now in operation. The facts noted by Chadwick of 

 England, of factory children are most valuable. The '' half time 

 system " giving four hours of regular work in the factory, and four 

 hours of study have been followed by remarkable results, in fact the 

 progress in education is more marked than wdth children who spent the 

 eight hours in study. The leaders in brain work in both England and 

 the continent to-day, give three to five hours daily to the desk or 

 laboratory. Such data point to the necessity of an equal exercise of 

 mental and physical capacity, in order to build up successfully mental 

 and physical power. The most precious truths, like the most precious 

 mjetals are in ismall space. All are agreed that the problems of the 

 universe, so far as physiologists have been able to define them, are 

 really locked in " the cerebral cell." This is an interesting time in the 

 new life of our Dominion and the sports and games of university men, 

 and young people generally, are such that we cannot agree in the idea 

 that the reign of bone and muscle is over, and that the reign of brain 

 and nerves, is taking its place, even with the cerebral cell under lock 

 and key. Many suits of armour in the tower of London, would not fit 



