It was well known amongst the Greeks and Romans that
the muscles reached their greatest state of development by
means of exercise. Though, therefore, gymnastics formed a
great part of their system of education, yet the chief aim in
their athletic instruction was the desire to train men to fight
their battles, and in those days war was a matter of personal
valour and of individual bravery. On that account, there-
fore, the men who were selected as their soldiers were among
the healthiest of the nation. Those who by reason of bodily
infirmity or inherent weakness were unfitted for military
prowess were left alone. But, as Maclaren has well pointed
out, the object of systematic and proper exercise is not for
the production of a race of soldiers, though a certain propor-
tion of the population will always be required for military
service. "With the great majority of men the struggle for
existence is keen, and it is simply a question of the survival
of the fittest, and of the weakest going to the wall. The
requirements of the present time are therefore a capacity for
endurance and an ability to withstand the effects of work
day after day. We do not require athletes who are capable
of performing wonderful feats of strength ; but the fight of
the nineteenth century is brain against brain, and he will be
best equipped for the struggle who has the advantage of good
l)odily health. In the higher callings, where brain power is
everything, the necessity for perfect physical condition is all
the more imperative, because the bi'ain is supplied with
healthy blood, and the ideas flow with less effort.
EXERCISE. 87
The brain is an organ of the body exactly in the same way
that the heart, the lungs, and the liver are, and therefore is
subject to the same changes which belong to every other part
of the frame. It will be at its best Avhen there is circulating
through it a full supply of rich red arterial blood, for that
means a continual renewal of fresh material to it, and a
speedy removal of worn-out products. It is by exercise
mainly, whether it be voluntarily undertaken, or whether it
pertain to the calling, that the body is kept at the pink of
condition, and the brain benefited accordingly. Another
gi'eai^nd important result from improving the bodily health
is the increased power of what we call the will. The under-
taking, say, of a long walk or climb involves the possession
of a certain amount of determination, and many people,
though perfectly aware of . the good to be obtained by a few
hours' exercise outside the house, have not the determination
to caiTy it into effect. Once the disinclination to move is
overcome, the effort required is less each time, and ultimately
the will gains a distinct mastery.
Page 65
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
It was well known amongst the Greeks and Romans that the muscles reached their greatest state of development by means of exercise. Though, therefore, gymnastics formed a great part of their system of education, yet the chief aim in their athletic instruction was the desire to train men to fight their battles, and in those days war was a matter of personal valour and of individual bravery. On that account, therefore, the men who were selected as their soldiers were among the healthiest of the nation. Those who by reason of bodily infirmity or inherent weakness were unfitted for military prowess were left alone. But, as Maclaren has well pointed out, the object of systematic and proper exercise is not for the production of a race of soldiers, though a certain proportion of the population will always be required for military service. "With the great majority of men the struggle for existence is keen, and it is simply a question of the survival of the fittest, and of the weakest going to the wall. The requirements of the present time are therefore a capacity for endurance and an ability to withstand the effects of work day after day. We do not require athletes who are capable of performing wonderful feats of strength ; but the fight of the nineteenth century is brain against brain, and he will be best equipped for the struggle who has the advantage of good bodily health. In the higher callings, where brain power is everything, the necessity for perfect physical condition is all the more imperative, because the bi'ain is supplied with healthy blood, and the ideas flow with less effort.
The brain is an organ of the body exactly in the same way that the heart, the lungs, and the liver are, and therefore is subject to the same changes which belong to every other part of the frame. It will be at its best Avhen there is circulating through it a full supply of rich red arterial blood, for that means a continual renewal of fresh material to it, and a speedy removal of worn-out products. It is by exercise mainly, whether it be voluntarily undertaken, or whether it pertain to the calling, that the body is kept at the pink of condition, and the brain benefited accordingly. Another great and important result from improving the bodily health is the increased power of what we call the will. The undertaking, say, of a long walk or climb involves the possession of a certain amount of determination, and many people, though perfectly aware of . the good to be obtained by a few hours' exercise outside the house, have not the determination to caiTy it into effect. Once the disinclination to move is overcome, the effort required is less each time, and ultimately the will gains a distinct mastery.