308 APPENDIX. 



evils in question, they must remember that the first and 

 grand rule in Physical Education is, or ought to be, 

 never to interfere with, or disregard the laws of the ani- 

 mal economy, in the treatment of their children, or 

 pupils. 



We do not mean by this, that children and scholars 

 are not to be placed under restraint, or that a proper 

 and wholesome degree of discipline is unnecessary or 

 improper. On the contrary, full liberty of person and 

 action during the buoyancy arid inexperience of youth, 

 would lead to opposite consequences, more to be dread- 

 ed than the strictest discipline to which children have 

 ever been subjected. But in no event should the disci- 

 pline of children be such as to interfere with, or counter- 

 act the physiological functions of any portion of their 

 growing systems. And we need not repeat here what 

 we have already spent so many pages in showing, that 

 young animals have a natural propensity to muscular 

 action, and without which, it is impossible they should 

 make well formed and healthy adults. 



Now the muscles of the spine, in common with those 

 of the other parts of the system, require almost constant 

 exercise in the young, during their waking hours ; and 

 not only so, their inaction, or unnatural contractions, as 

 we have abundantly shown, are peculiarly liable to be 

 attended with the most unfortunate consequences. The 

 peculiar structure of this part, being composed of alter- 

 nate pieces of bone and cartilage, renders it peculiarly 

 liable to grow out of shape in youth, for the reasons al- 

 ready assigned, and when once a distortion of this col- 

 umn commences it is exceedingly difficult to prevent its 

 ruining the symmetry of the form, and still more so to 

 bring it back to its original position. Distortions of this 

 part, indeed, are often so insiduous and gradual, that not 

 a friend, nor even the subject herself is aware of it, until 

 it has made such progress as to be apparent to a com- 

 mon observer. And it will perhaps astonish some of 

 our readers to know, that in our cities probably one in 

 six are thus deformed. 



To prevent distortions of the spine and shoulders in 

 young females, it may be inferred from the physiological 

 principles we have explained, and the facts we have 



