20-2 



PHYSICAL KPT-CATION 



destruction \ the old cell* and their rapid replacement 

 by new one* ; in other words, one which, while it has- 

 tens the molecular death of certain tissues, will at the 

 Rame time .-end tin MI an increased amount of material 

 with which to repair damage*, or which may even en- 

 able tlirin tu improve upon and add to the original 

 structure Now. when we look for such an agent. <\\-- 

 earding dru :.-e, us inapplicable and injurious, 



and :iieniiiir food to its prom-r place a.s fuel which 

 may I* transformed into force but is useless alone and 

 nnasuwted, we find that there is Imt one means within 

 our reach for effecting this purpose wifely, continu- 

 ously, and healthfully, and that is exercise. By " 

 ercise " is meant certain movements made by means 

 of the contraction of the voluntary muscles, and 

 made with .sufficient force and rapidity to quicken the 

 breathing and the circulation of the blood, that is, to 

 augment the action of the involuntary muscles con- 

 i in tho-e functions, chiefly the heart and the 

 diaphragm. We understand what exercise thus essen- 

 tially means. The force which moves the muscles 

 employed in exercising is derived from the death or 

 bunting up of some of the cells of the body ; this 

 creates a need tor the introduction of more ox.vuen 

 into the system to unite with the carbon of tin 

 and produce this combustion : this increased quantity 

 of oxvgcn is supplied through the lungs, which conse- 

 quently have to expand much oftencr than usual to 

 meet the demand. This is the physiological and easily 

 understood explanation of the fact that exercise is ac- 

 companied by quickened breathing. The increase that 

 takes place in the quantity of air inspired under a va- 

 riety of movements has been estimated as follows : 

 Taking the amount of air inhaled at each breath in the 

 reeiiinlx'tit position at 1 . it rises on standing to 1 J ; 

 on walking at the rate of one mile an hour, to 1.'.* : at 

 four miles an hour, to 5: ridini: at a trot raises it to 

 4 ii."> : and swimming to 4.3.3. But it must be remem- 

 bered that this oxygen thus brought to the lungs by 

 the increased quantity of air inspired can be carried to 

 the cells in the various tissues where it is needed only 

 by the blood, which must, therefore, itself be sent to 

 the lungs in greater amount to receive the oxygen and 

 to give up the carbonic acid with which it is laden; in 

 other words, when we exercise we not only breathe more 

 quickly, but the heart licats more rnpidly and forcibly. 

 To make a similar comparison, we may say that while 

 lying down the heart will beat n.~> or To times a minute ; 

 on standing. T"> b on walking slowly. 80 to 90 



times ; during fast walking. 90 to 1 1 M t i mcs ; and during or 

 immediately after great physical exertion, as a boat-race 

 or a running-match, from 115 to 125 times r; minute. 



These, then, a* Kalfe has pointed out, are the two 

 important facts to be remembered about exercise : that 

 it increases the breathing-power, rids us of carbonic 

 acid, and purities our blooa ; and that it increases the 

 action of the heart, sending a larger oii.intity of this 

 purified blood to all the tissues of the body, removing 

 their waste, (applying the material for their renewal, 

 and quickening all the vital processes. 



Kxercise thus fulfils nil the conditions that we have 

 seen to be necessary in an agent which is to increase 

 strength and health. As soon as any act of exercise 

 is begun, a number of the voluntary muscles are put 

 into action, their contraction compresses the hlood- 

 venels and impels the venous blood actively towards 

 the heart, which, tlni- spurred, contracts vigorously and 

 sends the blood in mantitv to (ho lungs. 



The inspiratory muscles contract ana lift the bony 

 frame-work of the. ehe-t the diaphragm pushes down 

 the contents of the abdomen, and air rushes into the 

 lungs to fill the space thus produced and supplies the 

 oxygen needed for the purification of the blood. This 



i refurm-d t-i the heart, to bedistribut 

 throughout the system, carrying with it the material-! 

 to_ supply the w.. i.;. the museuW im 



These material" nre often deposited 

 .es than are required to counterbalance 



the destruction which has taken place, and then we 

 have the muscle growing in size, or in hardnef- 

 loth. The involuntary muscles also, including th* 

 heart and diaphragm, grow stronger in the same man- 

 ner, the pulsations of the heart during exercise be- 

 coming more forcible but at the ~amc time slower and 

 less obtrusive, showing that it docs its work more 

 easily, the increased activity of the circulation carries 

 the blood in larger quantity not only to the muscles 

 but also to '// the organs of the body, and thus stiinu 

 lates them to greater activity, strengthening the app-- 

 tile, digestion, and nutrition, and causing a gain in 

 weight; the larger amount of blood sent to the skin 

 results in an increase in the quantity of perspiration, 

 which carries with it much of the worn-out and useless 

 or noxious material of the sjstcm. and thus adds to 

 the resistive powrr of the economy against evil influ- 

 ences from without, such as bad air from ill-ventilated 

 rooms or dirty streets; the bony frame-work of the 

 die.-!, though elastic, does not quite go back to its 

 original dimensions, but. increasing a little at a time, 

 ! soon Incomes noticeably augmented in si/.e. giving 

 additional room for the important organs which it con- 

 tains and prole. 



These, then, are the effects of exercise the most 

 obvious but least u.-et'ul being an increase in the size 

 and |Miwer id' the voluntary muscles, the more impor- 

 tant being a strengthening of the involuntary muscles 

 concerned in the processes of respiration and circulation, 

 which enables us to use the increased power of the 

 voluntary muscles with comfort and saf'ctv. and to in- 

 fluence through these pioccsso not only the health and 

 strength but also the growth and development of the 

 whole Inxly. and even the activity and force of the men- 

 tal processes. 



No system of exercise or of physical education is 

 com plelc unless it recogni/cs the necessity which ex- 

 ists for attending to the .////'/////</;? development 

 of the contraction of the voluntary muscles, and the 

 body. If, for example, atypical rowing-man, one who 

 11 exclusively an oarsman, is carefully exam- 

 ined, it will be seen that his hips and thighs are devel- 

 oped at the expense of bis calves ; that the muscles of 

 his back nnd loins are far stronger than his chest mus- 

 ele.s ; tliat his back arm and forearm somewhat exceed 

 in development and liardnes> the front arm. though 

 neither is noticeably devi loped. This condition indi- 

 cates the proper exercise.- with which to supplement 

 rowing in such a man. which will round him out, com- 

 plete his development, add to his symmetry, and in- 

 crease his general health and efficiency. He needs, ob- 

 \i'm-K. running for his legs, the parallel bars for his 

 die-t t lie rings or ladder tor bis upper arm ; and this 

 would be the advice which he would receive from a 

 careful and intelligent trainer, to his great advantage 

 not only as a man or an athlete but also as an oarsman. 

 Further examples might be drawn from athletic sports 

 to illustrate the general and important truth that no 

 one exercise (nor, indeed, any serie- of tin recreative 

 and competitive exercises alone) will give complete 

 and symmetrical development. 



It is with this fact inmindthat tin -y.-tems of physi- 

 cal education now in use at Harvard, the I'niversity of 

 Pennsylvania, and oilier American colleges, and long 

 used at Oxford, have Wen devised, the plan being 

 approximately a.- toll, 



Ka^h student is stripped and can fully examined ai< 

 to his weight, height, the cm umference of his chest, 

 and the sine and condition of his legs, thighs, arms, and 

 forearms. The sum of then- measurements, cxpn 

 in any convenient terms which may lie selected, centi- 

 metres or feet, fur example, i- taken as an approxin 

 indication of bis development It indicates, that is. 

 with more or 1- I particularly in men of 



immature vi MI- in whom there i.- but little ,-uhcmit 

 neons fat), tin amount of working material which he 

 'possesses, though it fail- ' ' tin- :i<'tiul workinr 

 value of that material 



