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MY BREATHING SYSTEM

portant, if everyone, from childhood, were to perform this five minutes’ work daily, consumption would be entirely prevcnted. Statistics tell us that tbis dreadful disease is .■-uli rcsponsjble for morę dcatbs than any othcr malady.

Nearly one-half of all deatlis in the United Kingdoin, between the a ges of twenty-fivc ąnd thirty-five, are due to consumption. It is, first and foremost, complete brcathing, with special attention to the upper lobes of the lungs, which forms the most efficacious preventive. Such an exercise is repeated cighteen times in the course of the five minutes. As every doctor can tell you, it is in these upper lobes that the tuberculosis bacilli first settle and start their dangerous work. But if they are disturbed each day and blown away by a stream of fresh air, they can never triumph. And by degrees, when the individual has grown stronger, his own well-traincd leucocytcs will become ablc to dispose of every hostile gerin. There is, here in Grcat Britain, much valuable active work done in combating consumption. But the most important means has not yet reccived due attention, namely, the teaching of the younger generations how to brcathe corrcctly. This breathing system, therefore, is eminently suitable for all schools. It would only involve the spending of five minutes between two lessons. And one of the chief effects of such a little arrangement would be the checking of the “ tuberculosis ” plague.

It is a pity that morę of our schoolmasters do not take a few lessons in the subject of Rcspiration, so that they may imparl the same to their charges. In Great Britain, sensible ventilation of schoolrooms is being looked after to a certain degree, but in some of our old public schools, many of the buildings of which have nothing to commend them but age, there is much room for improyement. But, whilc the schoolboy in these ycnerable institutions may be compellcd to breathe yitiated air while in the schoolroom. as much