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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    And so it happens that neglect to cultivate our bodily- powers, and neglect to use all the powers of a well-formed body, has brought, and always will bring, countless ills upon our race. For by these means alone, can the organic changes and renewals, which are the foundation of the whole chemi- cal process of life, be kept in working order. In full recognition of this, the physicians in all times have prescribed suitable physical exercises as the indispensable condition for the preservation, and where necessary for the renovation, of health. Those whose business compels them to physical inaction, were advised to practise now this now that, kind of exercise; whether walking, or longer tours on foot, riding, fencing, gardening, or any other vigorous bodily exercise. All these activities are, it is true, generally to be recommended, so far as they are possible; but yet they are partly too one-sided, partly—and this is the most important reason — almost impossible except for the very few, and then not for any length of time ; so that we cannot look upon them as a sufficient compensation for what is needed. In almost every case, therefore, people were compelled to resign themselves to regular walks as the only methodical exercise which they could maintain for any con- siderable time. It was felt, however, that this exercise was far too one- sided and insufficient, especially for the whole of the active middle life, if we were to take into consideration the real needs of the body* And even this poor resource of walking • If we would realise clearly how very insufficient is the usual walk taken by those who cannot otherwise get sufficient ™ ^ ^ ^ it with the amount of daily exercise which even not very robust persons can nduie for several weeks at a time when climbing in the Alps, .^^^^^ tempt more than four to six hours of bill-climbing daily, or w. h the mod a e exertions of a gardener, both of which amounts of exerc.se, whilethey_ a e iro every point of view beneficial, can be easily shown to be not more thau is nee , and by no means excessive. But what, a difference between the «J^JT^ and these! When anyone, as thousands are constantly doing, only makes use