



BONES, MUSCLES, EXEECISE, AND REST. 287 



leave their books and their studies, and walk, or otherwise 

 use their muscles abroad, they might recover that energy 

 of brain and mental clearness which they had struggled 

 without success to gain while they were in their rooms. 



662. A few years ago an unusually robust youth left his 

 home in the country, and went to college. He was of a 

 quiet, contemplative disposition, very fond of his books, and 

 faithful to his plans of life. He did not enter into the 

 active sports of the other students; and the walks in the 

 neighborhood of the college did not interest him. Yet he 

 was then in excellent health, had a good appetite, and ate 

 heartily. Moreover, he was an industrious student, and a 

 good scholar. While the first year wore away, he walked 

 little, studied assiduously, and, at the end, nis health was still 

 good. The second year found him and left him about the 

 same, except that he walked rather less. He was advised to 

 pursue a different course, and the necessity of muscular 

 action was urged upon him as a law of health. He ac- 

 knowledged the law in general terms, but claimed to be an 

 exception to its requirements. He had lived two years with 

 very little exercise, and yet he was not only well, but was 

 able to study as much as his fellows ; he therefore supposed 

 that he was exempted from the almost universal necessity of 

 action abroad. His third and fourth years passed away, in 

 much the same manner, except that he walked less and less, 

 for the reason that it was more and more irksome to him ; 

 but his health was not very perceptibly deteriorated. After 

 he left college, he taught school one year, and then com- 

 menced the study of his profession, and pursued this about 

 two years, with the same habit of physical inaction and 

 mental industry. But in this period his appetite began to 

 fail, and he suffered from indigestion. His powers of mind 

 languished, and his spirits grew dull. He lost his power of 

 application and habitual cheerfulness. At the end of this 

 period he broke down, and was unable to pursue his pro- 

 fessional studies any longer; he then gave them up, and 

 went to his home a confirmed dyspeptic. There he re- 



