JC-NRLF SB 273 SDD PN 4162 M47 1896 MAIN GIFT OF Class of 1900 hysical Culture.,. and Development of the Uolce BY HELEN WILLARD MERRITT PHYSICAL CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE VOICE BY HELEN W1LLARD MERR1TT \t :':"...... ILLUSTRATED LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Copyright, 1896 BY HELEN WILLARD MERRITT CHAPTER I. Physical education should begin the hour of a child's birth. After the babe has, for the first time, been dressed, fed and prepared for sleep, it should be placed on a bed, perfectly level, and not too soft, in such a position that pure air may freely enter its lungs. If a pillow is not used at first, it will never be wanted, and none should be allowed, except a small one, which may be used to hold the body in a comfortable position, if it rests on either side. On no account should the shoulders be bent forward, as the " round shoulders," so often seen later in life, are first bent forward in early infancy. When lying on its back, no pillow should be allowed to touch the child's body. A healthy babe at first shows no indication of "round shoulders." These are produced largely by improper positions being allowed during the hours for sleep. During one night's sleep more may be done to deform the body, than can be accomplished in days of practice to overcome the evil tendency thus acquired. If the shoulders are turned forward, while the body is lying on the side, the shoulder-blades become curved instead of flat, and as the child grows older, and the bones harden, it becomes more and more difficult to bring the shoulders: back to the proper position. If the natural position of the spine wei;e preserved! thrt^gih babyhood, childhood and youth, vigorous aricl beautifully formed men and women, with deep, clear, rich voices, dis- 801888 tinctly audible at either long or short distances, would be the rule, rather than the exception. Development of the voice may be attained far more easily and quickly by muscular practice than by " voice practice," as such. Development of the voice should be begun in the early infancy of the child, by keeping the spine in its normal posi- tion. If this is not done, the unnatural curve forward, from the lower part of the shoulder-blades upward, will prevent free action of the muscles which control articulation and obstruct the free passage of the breath through its normal channels. The earlier cries of a babe being so loud and pierc- ing, and the later cries being more hoarse and muffled, when congestion from cold, or other cause, has partially closed the air passages, clearly prove this. The beautiful curves of the form of a healthy babe of six months are the outlines of the muscles and bones in a state of healthy growth. The angular, misshapen bodies, seen later in life, of those who were so lovely in infancy, are caused by deformity of the bones, and by part of the muscles not having exercise, and others having too much. If we would have the body retain in age the rounded outlines of early youth, all the bones and muscles must have daily exercise, just as the stomach must have daily food. From theyzr^ the child should be taught that only by using the power given us, should we hope to gain more. Every muscle, in order to attain its fullest development, must be .* -exercised . and ; rested, alternately. Action means life and ^growth. '/Iniciiw means decay and continual loss of power. /, : : / I^u*;a,GCUinjilajtion o*f. waste particles of decayed tissue causes '*' : disasVan&de&h^6nl b roer exercise are t by proper exercise are the different parts of the body enabled to cast these off rapidly, and receive 6 the new particles essential to healthy growth. To care, most wisely, for the growth and repair of the body is the duty of every one. Of the texts early taught to the child, should be, " Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Ye are the temple of God, and the spirit of God dwelleth in you. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." A Healthful Position of the Body, Sitting. CHAPTER II. When the muscles are strong enough to allow the child to sit upright, the one who holds it should place one hand gently against the chest, and the other against the spine ; thus holding the body in a perfectly upright position, while the muscles are too weak to keep the shoulders from drooping forward without such aid. This practice should be continued, until the habit is firmly fixed, and the child has grown strong enough to be safely allowed to "sit alone." It should then be taught to press the lower part of the body firmly back against the chair, that the spine may have a perfectly natural position, and there- fore a comfortable one. Few modern chairs are so made, that the occupant's position is either a comfortable or a heathful one. The reason little children do not * 'sit still, ' ' about which fact so much complaint is often made, is not that "nervousness," which is the reason commonly given, but simply muscular weariness that makes it impossible for them to do so. The cramped and strained position, which is caused by children sit- ting on the chairs or other seats made for "grown people," will easily account for much of the " nervousness " of which they stand accused. Make a child comfortable, in any position, and there is not much danger that there will be instantly a desire to change it. If begun at the right time, and in the right way, children may easily be taught to sit quietly ; but if told that they are "nerv- ous " and "restless," and thus encouraged to do all in their power to illustrate perpetual motion, they will, in most cases, prove very apt pupils. At first a child should not be required to sit still more than one minute at a time. Both physical and mental self-control may easily be taught in this way and with a sense of real pleasure to the child. In a healthful position while sitting, the femur and the spine should never form an obtuse angle. The child should be taught to sit so that the top of the head will be as high as possible. If this is always done, other members of the body will easily fall into a healthful position. When the spine is in a natural position, either lying, sitting or standing, the most valuable muscular exercises for development of the voice may be performed, without uttering a word. The exercises which tend to keep the spine in normal position, do more to develop a pure, strong quality of the voice than all the ' ' voice prac- tice, " as such, that can be performed. The voice is the unfailing index of general, physical power, and greater or less loss of voice power inevitably follows dis- ease and deformity. If, in early childhood, the spine is per- mitted to assume unnatural curves, the deformity of the throat and other organs of the voice, which will surely follow, pro- duces weak, mumbling, indistinct articulation, and different forms of disease of the organs of speech, which modify the tones of the voice in various ways. If the muscles which control the action of the vocal chords in exercise, are not allowed free play, they become practically paralyzed ; and thus the delicate shading of tone, which is essential to the highest success in word painting, becomes utterly impossible. For the same reason, continued colds, which cause congestion of the vocal organs, will, in time, ren- der the speaker powerless to express fine shades of tone. While the throat may be loosely dressed by day, it should be especially well protected at night. The habit of many people to reverse this rule will account for much pain and suf- fering which they endure. A clear, full, resonant voice is heard only from a healthy, well-formed body. "God made man upright," and whatever causes him to swerve from this position, diminishes his vocal, physical, mental and moral power. A Healthful Position of the Body, Standing. CHAPTER III. When the child is, for the first time, permitted to stand on its feet, the body should be so poised that the weight will fall evenly on the " balls " of the feet, instead of the " heels." If, at this all-important time, the body is bent slightly forward from the ankles, the gait thus acquired will be easy, graceful and comfortable. Then walking, running and jumping will be delightful to the child, as the exercise is healthful and in- vigorating. Letting the weight fall upon the " heels," rather than the " balls " of the feet, causes the hips to be thrown too far forward, and the spine and neck, from the shoulder-blades upward also, to be unnaturally bent forward. These faults, increasing through childhood and youth, pro- duce in age the unsightly protrusion of the abdomen from the waist line down, and the weak, indistinct voice, such de- formity of the neck compels. This has been strikingly illus- trated during the past two years by a man, whose rich, clear, resonant voice, two years since, "was a delight to all listeners. But as his head has sunk lower and lower towards his chest, his tones have gradually lost their depth and fullnes c , and another year of such rapidly increasing deformity, will, doubt- less, make it unrecognizable. There can be no proper development of the voice without healthy action of the organs which produce it, and in a cramped position these organs cannot possibly have healthful exercise. My first thoughts on this subject occurred during the past 17 fifteen months, and while the experience and illustrations given fully prove that much may be done later in life to repair the defects resulting from the lack of early physical educa- tion, yet the most patient, long-continued effort can never wholly change the results of early neglect. During my personal experiments, following this line of thought, in two months' time fourteen cubic inches in the vital capacity of my lungs were gained. At one time, after in- haling fifteen seconds, my breath was held two minutes, making the time one hundred and thirty-five seconds from the beginning of one inhalation to that of the next. Within the past year I have increased half an inch in height. This resulted from the effort to straighten unnatural curves of the spine. My chest expansion has also increased from two to five inches. My voice has been proportionately developed ; and while holding a conversation, in my lowest tone above a whisper, no word was audible to a person standing behind me, yet my loudest tones were distinctly understood by a stranger standing four hundred and fifty feet distant in front. Of three girls, whose average age was twelve and two- thirds years, during twenty-one days' practice, and having eight lessons of one hour each, their average gain in chest ex- pansion was two and five-twelfths inches. Their individual gain was, of C. M two and one-fourth inches, of E. M two and one-fourth inches, and of F. H two and three- fourths inches. In the nineteenth day of their practice, the loudest tone of each could be distinctly understood by a stranger to the speakers, standing one hundred and fifty feet distant in front. Their low tones were at the same time clear and distinct. 18 Miss H , aged twenty years, during five weeks' practice, and taking but one lesson per week, doubled her chest ex- pansion. Miss A. M. G , aged twenty-three years, taking two lessons per week, during her first two months' practice, meas- ured by the same spirometer, registered an increase of thirty cubic inches in the vital capacity of her lungs, and in one breath could trill forty more notes of music than at the begin- ning of the two months. Other examples might be cited, but enough have been given to prove the value of what the writer claims, as " the Merritt System." THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $!.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. MAR 27 1S.T LD 21-100ra-7,'33 Photomount Pamphlet Binder Gaylord Bros. Makers Syracuse, N v PAT. 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