72 HORSE-BACK RIDING. 



sible, is but too often fatal to the child and danger- 

 ous to the mother. 



In our struggle against the march of this disease, 

 we employ every possible means to aid nutrition 

 and assimilation. Diet, air, light, judicious and 

 moderate exercise, are all necessary. 



"Horse-back riding," says Chassalgne, "claims 

 this privilege with more than one reason ; we have 

 already seen how it acts in the accomplishment of 

 the phenomena of nutrition ; we have also seen with 

 what activity the transformation of the products of 

 digestion into the tissues of the body takes place 

 under its influence ; we have seen how the mineral 

 constituents of the food fix themselves in the bone 

 when needed." 



But this is not the limit of its useful influence. It 

 stimulates the function of digestion, aids in a greater 

 elaboration of its products, and requiring work from 

 the muscles, develops them and necessitates their 

 more solid attachment to the bones. The latter are 

 also enlarged and strengthened, for as the muscles 

 develop the prominences on the bones to which the 

 muscles are attached are increased in size. 



The converse of this is also true, for when, in cer- 

 tain diseases of childhood, the muscles are not used, 

 the growth of the bones is often diminished, and 

 sometimes even arrested. 



The tendency to a contraction of the chest is 

 directly opposed by the fuller breathing which this 



