242 MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE. 



Continued muscular efforts require cerebral excite- 

 TH^.The principles of physiology which we have 

 already explained, show most decidedly, that continued 

 corporeal exertions may be maintained under the stim- 

 ulus of the mind, which the same individual could not 

 possibly sustain under coercion. 



We see the exercise of this principle every day. A 

 boy with his kite or gun, will exert all the powers of his 

 muscles for five or six hours, or even for the whole day, 

 and still hardly complain of, or feel fatigue ; while the 

 same amount of muscular power exerted against his will, 

 could not possibly have been sustained, though his life 

 might depend on the performance. 



Dr. Darwin's case. A case mentioned by Dr. Dar- 

 win, illustrates our subject. A young man full of desire 

 to see his female friend, who was fifty-five miles from 

 him, decided to undertake the journey on foot the next 

 day ; and which, under the stimulus of hope and expect- 

 ation, he performed without difficulty. Having arrived 

 at her residence, he found that she was attending a ball 

 in the vicinity, to which place of course he repaired with- 

 out delay. Here were new causes of excitement ; the 

 object of all his thoughts, he now saw dressed in gay at- 

 tire ; the music, the friends, the dance, all tended to 

 make him forget his long journey ; and as though fresh 

 from the neighborhood, he joined in the pleasures of the 

 evening, and danced most of the night with his wonted 

 vigor and vivacity, and all this without fatigue. 



Now had this performance been commenced by com- 

 pulsion, that is, had this person been made to take the 

 same number of steps at the command of a master, and 

 then in the ball room had he been compelled by the whip, 

 to use the same gestures that he did with his lady, at the 

 sound of the music, what think you would have been the 

 consequence ? Undoubtedly he would have sunk down 

 and died from exhaustion, under such treatment. 



In armies, it is well known that long marches can be 

 endured under the excitement of music ; while without 

 this, many of the soldiers would be unable to perform the 

 duty required, and would be left behind even in the 

 country of the enemy. In forced marches therefore, 

 the commander who understands this, divides his mu- 



