TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7529, 19 April 1890, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

V»a_ few men of fai mm% 4, achieved ench auddeu dtattiiettim * Professor Henry Druuunoad, _* tufa!! of t-be-Natural Law in *. World," who has juat arrived ia &&£ He waa born at Stirling aad educate ftt the University of Edinburgh. Altai passing through the Free Church Dlviuifcp Hall, he was ordained and went to Maltas a missionary. On his return land ne was appointed a Lecturer ia Science at the Free Church College, Glasgow. On the publication ot Natural Law in the Spiritual World "tk young professor awoke like Lord Byrea found himaelti famous, Xh« book rapidly went through several editions, acaieviag. really wonderful sale tot a work ol -««<», logical character. The principle which i*a laid down—that the same laws wto govern the natural world rule also fct tfcs spiritual—was bold and original, and gsovoked some very able replies from vario-i writers of eminence. What ohiifly eeg. tributed to the popularity ol the book withe attractive and lucid English \% it is written, and the interesting lnannet in whioh Professor Drummo-d drew upon his biological studies for illustration- ta enforce bis arguineajs. Professor Drai mond hag bean rather an exteajfa traveller. He went with Profes* Qeiki- to the Eooky Mountains tsk South Africa. Recently he visited ft* Nyassa district of Central AMoa, fa result being a book entitled '" Tropscsl Africa," giving by far tho most wadabu and lifelike description which has j$ been published if what has now bee--) a very interesting portion of <• The D_?k Continent." Professor Drummoad k k attractive preacher, and a eat-laa ot te_. gious addresses whioh he gave, ia 1886 aad subsequently, at Grosvenor Home (the residence of the Duke of W-atmi-ster) were quits an event of the season fashionable world, and drew large „s&< ences representing the best society ia London. It ia to be hopoa IVostep DrumiAQnd will he able to extend his fki. to New Zealand.

lAh interesting paper on. physical «-8& v tion, by Dr. F. JB. Hutchiown, »ppms ia the April number of Zeaktvliq. Dr. Hutchinson takes a rather gloomy view ot quit future, physically. TaasatUma rw tondenoy we have to face is, 'no bßli«¥«% \om toward actual decay or degeaot-Oy, It is seen in a general delicacy and want oS resisting power in the younger generates j in the very general premature the teeth) in the great spread of BMW disease and disorders, There are aas_v her of causes, in the writer's opinio*** to bring this about, the most imports*! beipg our habit of crowding into town* and the brain strain of modern life* Whether there is a greater - tendency among Hew Zealanders as a whole te degeneracy than, say, among the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, is » point upon which Dc, Hutohlnson <iM not give any data upon which one 09-$ found a satisfactory conclusion. For ear* pelyes, we should require vary -onvinsi-f testimony before aoeuptiag the assumpt'Qas proved. Still, everybody will _d__* that our city life is not the most healtoflthat cau be devised, aud will read wU_ interdst suggestions for raising the g«a«a_ physical standard of the populate

Dr Hutchinson advocates a very thojrougand BQieptihc system of physical JHfefayß^- " The beat attempts, I fcaow of at realising a scientific system of physical eda* tion are being carried out in America, Tils syate-u, was hegun, I believe, at the gf**S university of Harvard. Every * ttmr maa' at Harvard ia measured all over, weighed, and his strength is, tested l)f dynamometers. He ia then pafsed iv three positions—-front, b4cV»| a aide, i'ftil prooaw in repeated fa?hj_Jcaliy, so as to keep a regular «ffcfe form and development. Further, ths measurements are tabulated according t? an ingenious scheme devi-ed by the essnent director, jur Sargent, to indicate be* nuarly he approache. an ideal The direolx)? also looks hiuj ail over,pa&& out his strong aud his weak points, *»<* laya out a course of tjymnaoiurn The strong point- can take c-re of &*»«""'* selves in the ordinary sports, but festto weak there is spe-i&l appaiatus »rovi-«& that they may be acted upon aad ts-stip 6 up as near as may be to a pjoportKi_-& development. Thus there is a aire**ftjjj* in physical training, that of complep balance aad harmony of form and funewott. Sopie such system is what we need h&s only It should be t-egnn at an earlier sf* than the college years. That anon a qfr tern could be carried out In our «emt®&* schools were devoutly to be wis-«4 but it ia not possible. That ia «* High Schools and Colleges it ffi.and ought to be done, I have no do&si< In such a ech»l, for instance, as at « College at Chri-tchurch, where there i*. * ma-terexpres-iy employed for the phJ**J trainittff of the boya-aud auch mw@ Qheaa my friend Mr Firth—such ngutw as I have described ought to be a reg®*; part of the school record*. I -Uppa* ** first in most of the higher Bchool- tho *«* can only be started by some entottjwgj master taking it up as a hobby;, mt» w> cordial support of his principal." In spite of our tendency to race degeus?*' tion it is eathtfaQtory to learn that w* are still able to show some fine of humanity. During Dr. Hatchy^ 8 five years* residence in Welhßgt» ,&« measured every man who was mIHW'J submit to the process, aad the finest men. He photographCKi a W number oi! Wellington and soma tmm athletes. Copies sent to Dr. S*Ff«» s - f Harvard, greatly interested M*- JJ wrote to Dr. Hutchinson that his . New Zealanders came nwrer ■•$," antique standard than any «*•»•»■*■ had seen,, and he could not ■__■*-& tft®-* with his own."

Da. Hutchinson who is an Ma subject, makes a large s«f \

2 of w_doh we fc» wfll be as practicable at the ****; He would have a gymin every town, with a thoroughly "*■___ instructor, *"* *»vms containing ■*"!?****** and photographs of the W* o***0 *** would have badges of honor of opinion that young men trousers- *- d »-- c Hufe&inson would also have ****" . of " Ephe boi " instituted— to pass a voluntary *•*. STbV competent judges, and "* n I «eeUe-oe in perfection and -^ re!a # skill in athletic ***' „„f .Table *> go so far as all Wfi ? * thereis *> t** 0 * why "" lm * tbiß ' f, Should »<*-* supplied with portant towns va thQ iaatmction * gystematio and scienghonid n <* **J2j »-* P"* B*-**8 *-**- Dr■ t- 30 tbiUl !_as the right note, Hote-insoa he urgeß that Vi tbhlX, __ discouraged and As he say s physical trainfor the or runner is lees to in?- the good all-round man, be seen taking prizes, w the more harmoniously bnt*«* |^ c f orm er is apt to be an iet *S'*a" H ' ld, ' d m * a '" * rifch carfcain developed, and others I^S^b*&* et neglected. The -**2Jj p-jysieal health is obtained by ggX what are the weak points in £%«,«, eorrecUng these, and uLT the «trong ones to take ___T_i--«---~4w fc FinaUy-here is one Si p»_-cea f« the evils of city life E w» avaU tneia - Swi pf -*• frequently than they doJL is. to adopt a life in the country. Dr. Htttebiasoa hims-lf. we believe, has set _£ B tbe -xnnpie, b_vin|f given np the of a city practice in Wellington fcff „c Arcadian enjoyment of a bush farm