PHYSICAL TRAINING 147 



motive. Games and sport involve an open-air life 

 with exposure to all the influences of climate ; in 

 summer the intense sunlight produces obvious 

 chemical effects in the body, as shown by the sun- 

 burnt skin ; in winter the cold increases muscular 

 activity and nutrition ; every change of weather 

 demands an adaptation of the body. There is little 

 doubt that as a nation we owe much to our variable 

 and uncertain climate and to our devotion to out- 

 door games and our primitive open fires. 



From birth to boyhood there is a progressive 

 training for physical fitness, and all that is needed 

 is freedom in the open air ; for the healthy child, as 

 is the case with other young animals, possesses an 

 instinct to play, will evolve its own games and 

 introduce and enforce the ideas of leadership, dis- 

 cipline and efficiency. The games, moreover, are 

 adjusted to the seasons and possess sufficient variety 

 to prevent monotony or one-sided development. 



AIL the foregoing remarks are but the statement 



of oommon knowledge and contain nothing new. 



The athletic youth of the country have learnt by 



experience the truth, but that unfortunately has 



not guided those who legislate and govern. Sixty 



years ago Herbert Spencer in his essays " On 



Education " protested against the neglect of the 



teachings of physiology. The need of reform is as 



great, if not greater, now, for the advances in 



civilisation have imposed a heavier task upon man- 



l2 



/ 



