and Rational Gymnastics. 69 
bodily deformities of every kind, which for more than 
twenty years I have had an opportunity of observing; the 
majority of these cases have been traced to the neglect of 
the science of physical training, and of the elementary laws 
of health, or in other words, to ignorance, indifference and 
neglect. 
Without stating the results of my personal experience, I 
will read a few facts extracted from official reports, you will 
then be able to judge whether it is worth while to think of 
physical training, whether our public and private school- 
masters and schoolmistresses are to continue to restrict 
their instructions to reading, writing, and arithmetic, with- 
out paying the slightest attention to bodily training; or 
whether it is time to introduce some reforms in our train- 
ing-schools, and thus prepare a staff of intelligent teachers 
whose task will be to educate mind and body simultaneously 
and who will not train the one without the other, but 
will guide and lead them like a pair of horses harnessed to 
one pole, as Montaigne proposed. 
The following are the few facts to which I beg to call 
your attention :— 
“In 1860, 27,853 recruits were examined at the head- 
quarters of the recruiting districts forthe army, and 7,128 
of them, or 256 per 1,000 were found unfit for military 
service. This number does not include all rejections, for 
11,054 were secondary inspections ; that is, inspections after 
the men had been examined and accepted at out-stations, 
where, of course there must have been rejections. 
“Of the 16,799 primary inspections, 318 per 1,000 were 
rejected; while in France, in 1859, the rejections were only 
317 per 1,000. I say only, because in France every man is 
liable to be drawn for service; and the proportion would 
be probably smaller if the enlistment would be voluntary 
as in England. 
“In the various recruiting districts the rejections per 
1,000 amounted in Glasgow to 43 per cent., Belfast to 42 
per cent., London to 33 per cent., Bristol to 20 per cent. 
The rejections amongst the Scotch are 31 per cent.; Irish, 
25 per cent.; English, 24 per cent.; Welsh, 23 per cent. 
“Two-fifths of all rejections were for causes indicating 
general bad health, an item = 0126 per 1,000. One-fifth 
for causes which would affect the soldier’s powers of march- 
ing = 63 per 1,000.” 
On comparing the causes of rejection, I find that England 
has the highest proportion of small and malformed chests, 
NEW SERIES.—VOL. I. G 
