GARRISON OFFICERS' CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 846, 18 June 1910, Page 10

GARRISON OFFICERS' CLUB.

At the Garrison Officers' Club on Thursday night, a very instructive ovening was spent, lectures lacing given by Major Mackintosh, Surgeon-Major Begg, and Surgeon-Captain Napier M'Lcan. Major Mackintosh dealt with tho Maori 'War in tho Waikato, and in a very interesting manner illustrated tho bravery of both the British soldier and the Maori, specially referring to tho excessive losses among the commissioned officers due to their fearless lca-ding in battle against strongly-defended Maori pahs. Surgeon-Major Begg illustrated the organisation of medical units in war, showing how wounded soldiers wer-u treated, reviewing in successive stages the system from" tho firing-line to the bast* hospitals. Surgeon Captain M'Lcan gave a very interestinig lecture on practical hints as to care of health in the field. Among other points he emphasised that, in .order to keep fit, soldiers must ho taught to breathe properly, to avoid smoking, particularly cigarettes, to diet themselves, and to exercise on rat'JMial lines. The present■'system of physical training, which involved deep breathing, lifting heavy weights, endeavouring to develop large muscles, was absolutely harmful. Uunuing, u-alking, swimming, jumping, skipping, and similar simple exercises were the most suitable to develop the lungs, and iitre-ngtheii the heart, and thereby loiujti'ien life. A man's strength was the" strength of his heart, not that of his arm.

In a subsequent discussion it wan suited that the physical training of New Zealand school children was not carried out on .sound lines, and that some of the physical exercises used for competition at military tournaments wero moat harmful. Company commanders wero urged by Surgeon-Colonel Purely to carry out the physical traiii\,n,™ of thoir companies on tie lines suggested by the lecturer. In tlift absence of tho president, Keut.-Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, V.D., presided, ofor 00 officers being present.