DEPORTMENT OF SOLDIERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2062, 24 April 1907, Page 1

DEPORTMENT OF SOLDIERS.

The century-old order of discomfort, detested by the schoolboy and volunteer recruit, ‘-Chests out and stomachs in,” has been heard for the last time in the British Army. Ibe soldier of the future will stand upon parade in natural attitude, not as if his breast wore always expanding to somo imaginary ball. Instead. In; will be told henceforward not to pull out his chest on any account. Ihe Arniv Council, after consultation with a large number of medical men and exports, who were all of the sanu opinion, have decided that the toplieavv. stiff-hacked, rigid-necked variety of soldier, who has long been the ideal, is not, generally speaking, a tower of strength. Often his massive chest contains a heart that lias been overstrained in its development. At the inquest on an Army sergeant, whose figure was most probably the admiration of his regiment, but who died of heart failure, a doctor told the coroner’s jury that his death was due to the “pernicious practice iti the British Arniv of pulling out the chest.” Along with the protruded chest, the dumbbell system of exercises lias been discarded as “an antiquated, unscientific, stupid perveision of the ways of Nature.” inferior in all respects to the Swedish system of “free gymnastics,” which has already been adopted in most Continental Armies, and will now take the place of dumbbells jo Great- Britain. “The tiling we now impress on men in gymnastic work,” an officer explained to a writer in the Daily Mail. is. “Do not hold your breath; you must breathe easily all the time. Any exercise which prevents your, breathing freely is had.’” The knotted muscles, according to this adviser are altogether wrong. They simp O' hind the cluyst. and tie the heart down. They do not expand tin lungs, and give the heart plenty o, room, which is what the athlete needs, Old-fashioned English, will probably be as much perturliee by the new regulations as were then Crimean predecessors by the discardinn- of the traditional throat-strang-ling stock, but it is doubtful if the innovation will mean much in this colony. Our New Zealand volunteers! however much they may adiniiT the British carriage, as counselled and exemplified by imported instructors liardlv ever achieve It for themselves. Now their freedom from rigidity wil be a virtue.