THE; MUSCLES AND HEALTH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 11

THE; MUSCLES AND HEALTH.

In 1 his presidents address at the recent annual mooting of the British Medical Association, Dr: Ilenry Davy, 6f .Exfeterj- pointed out'how needful it is that that- tlio • mcdical profession should roebgniss the importance of, the "efFcct' of the deficient uso of tho muscles,upon the work of ev«ry ether organ of the body. Sneaking of; the influence; upon medicine Ot the work of Darwin, ho claimed for it a great practical.'utility for having shown "that the only way to'maintain any organ ,or structure or' the body in its proper 'condition of' health and development -is by a proper and adeqti'ato .use .of it." t The value 6f tliife 'iucidtt had not, he declared; been suffieieiitly recognised in relation, to physical deterioration; .especially Vof .the muscular system, as illustrated, by. tho tfumb&r of would-bo recruit's for . the rimy • ■vthb were found to,fall shett of the requisite standard. Many chaii'ges; had occurred in 'the environment of' the individual arid of the nation,. all'.tending to reduce the muscular. work done by the peoplo; and this result had been mainly due to the oxtendod use- of machinery.. . In every department of industry each sne-

ceeding year found us depending more and more upon " labour saving ,niachines," every n6w machine tending more and more 'to. take the place,: of muscular work,- until at last in.'.some manufactures the operative liiid -little or no work for his muscles,.antl.was'only, rcq'hired to attend to a machine driven by steam.or'by electricity. Many 9tlier causes had contributed to the sam'o, result. Villages and country towfis, with their, facilities for healthy _ muscular work in the open air, had diminished; big centres of trade and manufacture ,had increased in- population. Railroads had'extended networks of lines in every direction, so that travelling was. mode easy without any exertion, and tho inhabitants of our towns had, in addition, tramways and omnibuses to take 'them from .their.houses to their work .withoutthe necessity even ot the exercise of a long walk. We had, perhaps, as great a- love.of games as over, but much of tho muscular work hacl been taken from them. Tho rich man sat or stood, wlnle grouse or pheasants wore driven to him, instead of walking the moors or woods to find them; tho poorer man paid lna entrance money to see I 'a few experts plavinp cricket, or football instead of exorcising his muscles by playing the game himself; and some of the • most manlv and best > oxorciscs, such as wrestling, boxing, and.-fencing, had almost become extinct . throughout the country. ' ■