Medical indoor gymnastics, or, A system of hygienic exercises for home use to be practised anywhere without apparatus or assistance by young and old of either sex, for the preservation of health and general activity / by D. G. M. Schreber ; revised and supplemented by Rudolf Graefe ; translated from the 26th German edition by Herbert A. Day.

  • Schreber, Daniel Gottlieb Moritz, 1808-1861.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical indoor gymnastics, or, A system of hygienic exercises for home use to be practised anywhere without apparatus or assistance by young and old of either sex, for the preservation of health and general activity / by D. G. M. Schreber ; revised and supplemented by Rudolf Graefe ; translated from the 26th German edition by Herbert A. Day. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    sided from habit, and uses his weaker side less on this account in exercise, often unconsciously. This is a fault of physical development which is of great importance in childhood, because during this time of growth before them many a defect and imperfection in the future development of their frames will easily arise in this way. That form of spinal curvature which is commonly known as one shoulder higher than the other especially, and very easily arises when an unequal growth of the vertebrae is combined with a one-sided development and growth of the muscular system. If this defective growth has already commenced, gymnastic exercises will be all the more necessary, and those should be especially insisted upon, among the following movements for children, which are more suitable for this purpose than the rest, though they should not be used to the exclusion of the others. But in most cases some further or- thopaedic treatment will be necessary, such as the wearing of suitable straps or irons, or the practice of some reduplicated active movement, and massage under some conditions, or elec- tricity after careful personal examination by a medical man. Where the chief object is to develop the body as perfectly as possible, i. e., so that the movements of the hmbs may be as free and as much as possible under the control of the will, as in ordinary dancingl essons, military exercises, etc., this will be best attained by allowing two or three or more of the simple forms of the exercises given here to be com- bined together, and with an intelligent instructor these move- ments may be diversified indefinitely. Though at the same time it is important that each separate movement should be carried out precisely and smoothly. Girls should not do those movements marked thus *. Head-circling. Fig. 1 (5, 10, 15). Head-turning. Fig. 2 (3, 4, 5).