Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 50.djvu/539

Rh declared that cycling in England had raised the average health of women—and this of English women. It preaches more effectively the gospel of recreation, fun and fresh air, and of hygienic dressing, than could countless lectures of eminent physicians.

There is a problem which men have failed to solve and which confronts us—the problem of making general the habit and love of outdoor athletic sports. In spite of the interest awakened throughout the country in baseball, football, rowing, and track athletics, in spite of American successes in the international contests in Greece, it is yet true that American men are not, as a class, habitually athletic or physically vigorous.

So with our students: notwithstanding the interest that has been awakened in athletics among them, there are yet many whose outdoor exercise still consists in an hour's walk, which, allowing the mind to dwell on the last subject read, does but meager service as a form of physical recreation.

In this connection the question has arisen whether we shall endeavor to stimulate general interest in athletic games by intercollegiate contests. The Western colleges seem inclined to answer this question in the affirmative. Chicago has played with Northwestern; there has recently been a very interesting game between the University of California and Leland Stanford University, and other Western colleges are anticipating future competitions with neighboring institutions. On the other hand, the Eastern colleges unite in disapproving of intercollegiate contests. Among other reasons it is thought that the strain on the players would be too great; that the tendency would be to narrow rather than to increase the number of players by raising the standard of excellence of the play and discouraging the less expert players; also that the interclass contests afford all the advantages of intercollegiate games without the objectionable features of the latter.

In considering athletics for women we must reckon with the American's national characteristic of immoderation when fired by interest in any new thing. It will be necessary to restrain the enthusiastic few from excess while endeavoring to stimulate the indifferent many to active interest. The end to be desired is, of course, symmetrical development, not the training of athletes.

For the best solution of the problem to which I have referred I think we must look for help to the secondary schools, in the hope that physical training and instruction in hygiene may begin with them.

The freshman comes to college utterly ignorant of the fundamental laws of hygiene. It is exceptional when the physical examination does not reveal marked defects of the nature of weak backs, poor chests, round shoulders, and anæmia. She is