July 17, 1891.] 



SCIENCE. 



35 



that he is a member of the class of the non-survivors, those 

 who prematurely disappear, because the conditions as a 

 whole of his habits and surrouodings are unfavorable to 

 him ; and that he can so order his habits and surroundings 

 that they shall tend to his advantage. A great work and a 

 great future lie straight before us. We have to ascertain 

 the tendencies of all the conditions to which our bodies are 

 subjected by our habits and environment, in order to apply 

 that knowledge to our own protection and advantage. And 

 that is the sphere of true physical development. 



An important step towards the attainment of this great 

 object has been taken by the formation of a society to apply 

 the principles of physical development in the ordinary rou- 

 tine of daily life. Some twenty-five members joined at the 

 first meeting of the Polytecbnic Physical Development So- 

 ciety. Now, thanks to the courteous and cordial co-opera- 

 tion of Mr. J. E. E. Studd and the authorities, upwards of 

 three hundred members have entered their names on the 

 books; and when the society is better known and the great 

 benefits it does confer are recognized, I do not doubt that 

 that number will be considerably increased. At Leeds I 

 gave the results obtained by a hundred members. The aver- 

 age increase of their chest girth was If inches. I divided 

 them into three classes, the average increase of the chest 

 girth of the third class being 1^ inches, that of the second 

 class being 2^ inches, and the first class 3f inches. There 

 has been a considerable increase in the range of movement 

 of the chest, the average then being, I think, 4|- inches. 

 Hutchinson's standard of vital capacity has been greatly ex- 

 ceeded, and in the power of inspiration and expiration the 

 majority belonged to or exceeded his "remarkable" and 

 " very extraordinary" classes. 



At the subsequent examination for the society's gold med- 

 als, the first medallist had obtained an increase of the chest 

 girth of 6^ inches, the second an increase of 5 inches, and 

 the third 4| inches. The society's medals for the best phys- 

 ique were awarded to members who had exceeded Brent's 

 "medium" standard by 3.67 inches, 2.42 inches, and 3.32 

 inches, and twenty certificates were given to those who had 

 obtained and exceeded that standard. 



I am glad to say that increase continues. We have just 

 held our second general annual meeting, and I find the 

 average increase of the chest girth of one hundred members 

 is now two inches, that of the third class being If inches, 

 the second 2J, and the first 3f. That increase has taken 

 place in small as well as in large chests, whether the men 

 were tall or short, under or over twenty-one years of age, 

 and with or without previous gymnastic training. Our 

 members are engaged from eight to twelve or fourteen hours 

 daily in over fifty different trades and occupations, amongst 

 them being clerks, compositors, printers, watchmakers, car- 

 penters, engineers, drapers, warehousemen, etc. The varia- 

 tions in the chest girth and vital capacity that have taken 

 place are most instructive. I have frequently noted a large 

 decrease when the members were training too much in the 

 gymnasium, or engaged in extra work, stock taking, cycling, 

 and when they neglected to follow the directions given 

 them. In fact, the increase or decrease observed has been in 

 direct relationship with a corresponding change in the con- 

 ditions of their habits or surroundings. It is satisfactory to 

 note that the number of chest girths of from 38 to 40 inches 

 and upwards is steadily increasing. We have also many 

 members who have nearly attained Brent's " medium "stan- 

 dard, which is 5.40 inches above the average of the artisan 

 class, and 3.17 inches above that of the most favored class. 



The importance of these facts will be seen when it is borne 

 in mind that this is a new society, carrying new principles 

 into practice, that its members are placed under more or less 

 unfavorable conditions, that it is purely voluntary, and that 

 its members leave us when they leave the institution. 



Perhaps the best way to explain the practical work of the 

 society is to describe what happens to a new member on 

 joining it. He is placed in an erect position, his shoulders 

 are brought well back, and his clothing so loosened over the 

 whole of the chest that it permits full and free movement. 

 I find in nearly every case the clothing is from one to two 

 inches or more too tight. Then he is shown the simple 

 movements that are necessary to throw the weight of the 

 shoulders on the spine, he is taught to in_.ale and exhale 

 deeply through the nose, and to use the spirometer and 

 manometer. We explain to him that the conditions of his 

 habits and surroundings tend either to his injury or to hLs 

 advantage. He is told to avoid those that tend to act inju- 

 riously, and where that is not possible or practicable, to as- 

 certain their amount and to counteract their effects, and to 

 place himself under those that tend to his advantage. We 

 request his careful attention to these conditions, and deal 

 first with those that have to be avoided. The habit of stoop- 

 ing, positions that cramp or impede the full and free move- 

 ment of the chest, or a faulty carriage of the body, are very 

 injurious. Habits that tend to the disuse of the muscles or 

 to their excessive use are to be avoided. Breathing through 

 the mouth, or breathing air that has a temperature much 

 above that of the external air, or that is impure, or that con- 

 tains dust, is very injurious. Wearing tight-fitting or too 

 heavy clothes, braces, corsels, or shoes with high heels and 

 narrow toes, tends to impede the full and free movement of 

 the body and is injurious. And whatever of his habits or 

 surroundings tends to act injuriously or to produce such acts 

 must be avoided. 



We tell him to acquire the habit of holding the body erect, 

 the shoulders back, and the chest well forward; to breathe 

 through the nose, and to take deep inspirations followed by 

 full expirations several times daily; to develop the muscles, 

 especially of the chest, by gymnastic exercise on Ling's sys- 

 tem; to go in for the daily tub or swimming; and to hare 

 the clothes made quite loose at full inspiration, and to se 

 that they do not impede either by their weight or shape the 

 free movement of the body. We advise him to live in rooms 

 that are in free and direct communication with the external 

 air night and day, summer and winter, and to takecare that 

 their temperature is not too high; to spend as much time as 

 possible daily in the open air, and to maintain^^the temper*- 

 ture by muscular exercise. We point out to him that walk- 

 ing is a most healthy exercise, and that broad toes and low 

 heels tend to promote it. We tell him to practise singing, 

 and to take advantage of some form or other of athletics 

 whenever the opportunity presents itself. And whatever of 

 his habits or surroundings tends to his advantage or to pro- 

 duce acts having that tendency must be adopted. 



We are all of us at times subjected to unfavorable condi- 

 tions that we cannot, under present circumstances, avoid. 

 For example, it would be difficult to be present at any public 

 meeting in a large building without having to inhale both 

 impure and overheated air. But when we have obtained a 

 certain amount of physical development, a few deep inspira- 

 tions followed by full expirations in the open air will be 

 sufficient to counteract that. Again, the occupation or busi- 

 ness in which we may be engaged may necessitate a some- 

 what cramped position of the chest, but on leaving, a trained 



