PHYSICAL CULTURE IN THE TROPICS. 
By H. A. Frere. 
Strength of body and strength of mind : the reason of the sage and the vigour of 
the athlete exhibit the most perfect model of a man and the highest refinement 
of the mind.—Rousseau. 
Physical culture is a modern term applying to the daily exercise of the body 
on scientific lines. There are many excellent forms of exercising the body 
nowadays that need not be referred to in detail: we have the gymnasium 
with all its apparatus for developing the muscles and teaching agility and 
intrepidity of action, we have numerous games for exercising hand and foot, 
eye and limb; we have the bicycle for testing the endurance , if necessary, or 
for gentle relaxation from business or mental occupation. But none of these 
forms of exercise is understood by the term physical culture, the exact mean- 
ing of which I shall now endeavour to explain. 
Physical culture may be divided into two separate groups of exercises :— 
(a) those that develop the muscles to abnormal proportions ; and 
(b) those that promote the circulation of the blood and give tone to 
such organs as the liver, heart , lungs and stomach. 
The first group of exercises should only be attempted by the naturally strong 
and even then only in moderation as they are very apt to be practised to 
excess causing serious injury to the heart, the lungs and nervous system. 
The second group may or should be used by all except those with organic 
disease as they undoubtedly tend to keep one physically fit, a most desirable 
condition to aspire to and to continue in, especially in these days of keen com- 
petition in every walk of life when the delicate man soon discovers that his 
services are not indispensable, and that there are dozens of more fortunate per- 
sons quite sufficiently educated to take his place. 
With regard to the first form of physical culture, its utility is doubtful 
though its results often give striking proof of the power of the mind over matter 
and furnish living examples-of the superb physique possessed by the ancient 
Greeks serving as beautiful examples of manly strength and figure so much to 
be desired and admired by both menand women. Such men as Sandow, Inch 
and Hackenschmidt are ever before us as ideals ci strong and healthy man- 
hood, but none of us need feel a spark of shame or regret in not possessing a 
single muscle that can compare with the same one of theirs. With all of these 
renowned strong men it is generally a case of nascitur non fit whatever they 
may tell us to the contrary, and both their strength and development is abnor- 
mal. What we in practical life want is to be normally developed in both mind 
and body since only strong men, geniuses and poets are born. There is a divinity 
