and Rational Gymnastics. — "1 
These laws form a most important,—I may even say the 
most important part of all scientific physical education, the 
object of which is the simultaneous and harmonious de- 
velopment of the bodily and mental faculties; such develop- 
ment is the basis of a sound constitution, and enables the 
will to control the body, and the body to obey the demands 
of the will ; sound physical education enables us in any 
condition of life to move and to act with caution and firm- 
ness. The beneficial action of mind and body when sound 
being mutual, a certain amount of energy is produced, 
_ which has the most beneficial effect on our moral, intellectual, 
physical, and bodily faculties. 
If the will has, within reasonable limits, perfect control 
over the well-developed body, we can not only resist with 
more ease many injurious influences, but also preserve our 
individuality while in contact with the external world; 
being exposed not only to external influences, but also to 
the attacks of others, it is important that we should be 
able to defend ourselves against these attacks, and therefore 
rational physical education serves as a step to prepare us 
for the defence of our homes and our country. 
These few remarks show the connection which exists 
between physical education and military gymnastics ; that 
all those who are entrusted with the mental education of 
the young and adolescent should also be able to conduct 
their bodily education; at present, with very few excep- 
tions, only uneducated persons have the care of the bodily 
development of the growing generation,~“and they are 
expected, by a merely mechanical drill, or by falsely called 
calisthenic exercises, to produce that harmony of the 
various bodily and mental faculties which it is impossible 
to do without previous training, and without the knowledge 
of the structure and functions of the organs of the human 
body, and without the knowledge of the laws which govern 
the right development of the human frame. 
The drili-sergeant and the dancing-mistress are the 
persons who in the majority of educational institutions 
are resorted to for the physical education of the young. 
The drill-sergeant is engaged to drill the boys and girls 
once or twice per week. He does this most conscientiously, 
and exactly as he is accustomed to drill the adult recruits, 
according to the directions of the manual of drill as pub- 
lished under the sanction of the authorities. 
The dancing-mistress tries her best to give the young 
gentlemen and ladies by calisthenic, or at present by what 
G 2 
