October 17, 1918 
LAND 6? WATER 
17 
Rejuvenating the Mind 
By Julius M. Price 
The famous War Artist Correspondent. 
It does not seem so long ago that our best-known news- 
paper proprietor committed himself to a sweeping statement 
that, so far as useful activity was concerned, men were too 
old at forty. He is himself an interesting example to the 
contrary, for it is now many years since he passed what 
he considered to be his grand climacteric — yet he is at the 
present time one of the greatest centres of energy in the 
cause of the Allies. The reason for this is that he has what 
I am tempted to designate a highly "Pelmaniscd" mind, 
and so far as men over forty are concerned the raiscn d'etre 
of his existence is largety, as Voltaire said, fciir enccuragcr 
ies atitres. 
Naturally, the question arises, what is meant by a " Pel- 
maniscd " mind? In his case unquestionably it means 
capacity for the most intense concentration on the affair 
of the moment linked with a memory which forgets nothing. 
Such a mind as this is analogous to a fine vintage wine which 
improves with keeping. It is unnecessary to repeat the 
trite remark that brains cannot be created when they do not 
already exist, for it is much more important to realise that 
the dullest child or the most tired-out old man in all reason- 
able probability possesses mental capabilities which have never 
been exercised. % 
If we take the question of physical strength, we shall find 
that a man like Sandow was a comparative weakling in his 
youth, but the muscles in embryo were there, and, above all, 
the determination to develop them to the uttermost. In 
my own observation a child under pressure is too apt to 
give way to despair, and a man over forty tco much inclined 
to become blas^ and allow the poisonous thought to creep 
into his mind that his best days have gone by. It is here 
that Pelmanism comes to the rescue. Taking the analogy 
of physical strength, no one need worry as to the precise 
quality of his brain or his increase of years ; his great ambi- 
tion should be te -exercise, and exercise to the limit, the 
mental equipment he possesses. 
In the course of the inquiries I was invited to make at the 
Pelman Institute nothing astonished me more than the 
testimonials — or, rather, human documents — that arrived 
by every post. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, and, indeed, 
members of every craft and trade er profession have written 
quite fascinating and oft-times pathetically touching letters 
describing the benefits they have derived from taking up 
Pelmanism, and these letters are written with the most 
candid enthusiasm. 
This coming in contact, as it were, at first hand with the 
most diverse students, as I have done by perusing many of 
these documents, is undoubtedly the cause of such well- 
known men as Lord Charles Beresford, Sir Rider Haggard, 
Sir William Robertson Nicoll, Sir James Yoxall, M.P., Sir 
A. QuUler-Couch, Sir E. T. Cook, Sir R. Baden-Powell, 
Jerome K. Jerome, Max Pemberton, and a great many 
others of undoubted probity and perspicacity giving their 
public approval of the Pelman System of training the mind 
and the memory. 
In the course of my Ravels I had already heard so mucn 
of Pelmanism that I had actually decided to take it up at 
the first opportunity, when by the long arm of coincidence 
I received the flattering invitation to visit the Institution 
myself and express my opinion on its work ; with the result 
that I was so much impressed that I had no hesitation in 
enrolling myself as a student. I will frankly admit, there- 
fore, that I did not pay my visit as a sceptic— very much 
to the contrary, in fact, as during the two and a half years 
I was on the Italian front I was constantly hearing the 
System praised both by officers and men, thus proving that 
it had a large following of disciples who were determined 
not to let the enforced mental stagnation brought about by 
trench life bring on complete atrophy of their brain-power. 
In the course of a varied career I have come across many 
clever men who just missed being geniuses. By "missing" 
I mean that they just managed to get to a certain point 
and to achieve a certain degree of success, and then, as it 
were, mysteriously to get no further. I have often asked 
myself what could account for this. Why some distinguished 
general, for instance, has failed lamentably at a critical 
moment ; and in all cases that have come within my imme- 
diate knowledge I have been forced to the conclusion that 
in these semi-failures— -for they were not to be classed as 
actual failures— their process of thought has not been based 
on any logical principles— it has not been sufiBciently drilled. 
so to speak, and in consequence they have either done the 
wTong thing swiftly or the right thing too slowly. 
Following up this train of thought, I found myself wondering 
whether Pelmanism would not have lielped to correct this 
weakness of the nervous system and of the cells of the brain, 
much the same as a judicious course of dumb-bells will 
strengthen the muscles. 
In his innermost self there must be many a man who 
knows that he has displayed at times a certain hesitancy 
that was difficult to explain, and which he scarcely ventured 
to probe into, dreading that it ^as. perchance, a sign that 
the advancing years were making themselves felt, much the 
same as one fears to consult a doctor when one is assailed 
by some subtle pain that may mean a great deal or nothing. 
Pelmanism, as I grasp it, fills the part of the friendly doctor, 
but with this difference — the doctor keeps the knowledge 
from which he has involved his diagnosis to himself, whilst 
Pelmanism lets you into the secret of yo\ir failings, and 
thus helps you, as it were, to act as your own physician. 
But there is no nonsense about it, no mystery, nor is it a 
dodge for getting your fees. If you are in earnest, and you 
must be in earnest when taking up Pelmanism, you will 
not be long in discovering that Pelmanism is just another 
word for scientific stabilising the mind and memory, and 
entails a regular, but not at all uninteresting, study to bring 
it to a successful issue, and that if it is carried out with serious 
intent there is no doubt that it develops self-confidence in 
young pieople and a rejuvenation of the mind in those getting 
on in years. 
To sum up, therefore, an investigation of the System 
forces one to the conclusion that it is a practical form of 
mind and memory training, of such value to young and old 
alike that one of these days it appears certain a course of 
the applied principles of Pelmanism will enter into the curri- 
culum of every student's life and influence him in his career» 
Famous Men on Pelmanism 
Admiral Lord Beresford, G.C.B., G.C.V.O. : 
The Pelman Institute, as I understand the matter, does not 
profess to work miracles. What it "does profess to accom- 
plish is to enable a man to make the best use of the abilities 
he already, consciously or unconsciously, possesses. The first 
condition of success is willingness to learn. The student 
must be prepared to do his part. It is not always an easy 
part, but it is fair to say both that it is always possible and 
always interesting. 
Maior-Gen. Sir F. Maurice, K.C.M.G., C.B.: 
I can think of no better method than the Pelman Course 
either for keeping the mind fit in times of leisure or slackness, 
or for restoring mental vigour to a soldier whose mind has 
become flabby from overstrain or physical weakness, and 
I can recommend no better investment than a Pelman 
Course to the soldier on convalescent leave. 
The Pelman System is not cram, or trick, but a scientific 
method of training which has proved its value to the soldier 
in war, and it would, I am certain, be of the greatest benefit 
if it were adapted to Army training generally. 
Sir R. S. S. Baden-Powell, K.C.B.: 
The Pelman System, so far as I can judge from what 
I have seen of it, appeals to me because it deals with the 
individual, and because it offers to him in a practical form 
the cardinal steps to the development and strengthening of 
mental character, which is the foundation of success in any 
line of life. And marty, if not most, of these steps are those 
which have been omitted in the average school training. 
"Mind and Memory" (in which (he Pelman Course is fully 
described, with a Synopsis of the lessons) will be sent gratis 
and post free, together with a full reprint of Truth's famous 
Report on the Pelman System and a form entitling readers 
of Land & Water to the complete Course for one-third less 
than the usual fee, on application to the Pelman Institute, 
39 Pelman House, Bloomshury Street, London, W.C.i. 
Overseas addresses : 46-48 Market Street, Melbourne ; 
15 Toronto Street, Toronto; Club Arcade, Durban. 
