Page:The physical training of children (IA 39002011126464.med.yale.edu).pdf/311

 taught by any drill-sergeant in the neighborhood. Do everything to make a boy strong. Remember, "the glory of young men is their strength."

If games were more patronized in youth, so many miserable, nervous, useless creatures would not abound. Let a boy or a girl, then, have plenty of play; let half of his or her time be spent in play.

There ought to be a gymnasium established in every town of the kingdom. The gymnasium, the cricket ground, and the swimming bath are among our finest institutions, and should be patronized accordingly.

First of all by an abundance of exercise and of fresh air make your boys and girls, strong, and then, in due time, they will be ready and be able to have their minds properly cultivated. Unfortunately, in this enlightened age, we commence at the wrong end—we put the cart before the horse—we begin by cultivating the mind, and we leave the body to be taken care of afterward; the results are, broken health, precocious, stunted, crooked, and deformed youths, and premature decay.

One great advantage of gymnastic exercise is, it makes the lungs expand, it fills the lungs with air, and by doing so, strengthens the lungs amazingly and wards off many diseases. The lungs are not sufficiently exercised and expanded; boys and girls, girls especially, do not as a rule half fill their lungs with air! now, air to the lungs is food to the lungs, and portions of the lungs have not half their proper food, and in consequence suffer.

It is very desirable that every boy and girl should, every day of his or her life, and for a quarter of an hour at least each time, go through a regular breathing exercise—that is to say, should be made to stand upright, throw back the shoulders, and the while, alternately and regularly, fully fill and fully empty the lungs of air. If this plan were