APPEN 



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3 16 APPENDIX 



the 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. 



1016. 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, a full liberty of person 

 and action during the buoyancy and inexperience of youth, 

 would lead to opposite consequences, more to be dreaded 

 than the strictest discipline to which children have ever 

 been subjected. But in no event should the discipline of 

 children be such as to interfere with, or counteract 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 ani- 

 mals have a natural propensity to muscular action, and 

 without which, it is impossible they should make well- 

 formed and healthy adults. 



1017. Now the muscles of the spine, in common w r ith 

 those of the other parts of th'e 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 

 already 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 insidious 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 common 

 observer. And it will perhaps astonish some of our 

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

 are thus deformed. 



1018. 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 



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