(Webmaster's Notes: The following book is published for entertainment only. Although I am quite in agreement with many, but not all, of Mr. Camp's attitudes towards fitness and health, he wrote in the earliest part of the 20th century, and much has been learned since then.  While I applaud his attitude towards physical fitness, exercise, and health, many of his "facts" have since been proved wrong, or at least not fully understood. I may make the occasional comment along the way, generally in parentheses and prefaced by WN, for Webmaster's Notes.

I hope you enjoy the book, but check up on the latest facts before following through on the exercise and fitness tips contained within.   By the way, the original book had quite a few illustrations, and you may see references here or there to them. However, I have omitted them on this website.

Donovan Baldwin April 2009)

PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES

In the summer of 1917, several members of the Cabinet formed themselves into a club, with other prominent officials in Washington, and kept themselves fit throughout the season by consistent morning exercise, four days a week. So far so good, only we should have realized more than a year ago the strain that was coming upon our men and taken measures to meet it, as Germany did. Dr. William C. Woodward, who is chairman of the District Police Board in Washington did not overstate the matter when he said that the draft officers were weary, that the strain had begun to threaten their efficiency, and that they were thoroughly undermining their bodies in the effort to accomplish their tremendous task. Every community has seen the same thing happen, and several of them can agree with Doctor Woodward that this has come close to being a really serious business calamity throughout the country. All these men should have been prepared by thirty or sixty days of physical training for this extra strain.

The Equitable Life Assurance Society, in its September Bulletin, calls attention to the fact that, out of approximately 1,300,000 men who volunteered for the army and navy, only 448,859 were acceptable. Furthermore, the Equitable notes that these physical impairments not only will not correct themselves, but that they will get worse, and that a large percentage of our vast horde of physically sub-standard, low-priced men will drift into sickness and meet premature death because their power to resist disease is rapidly declining. The Equitable calls, on this convincing evidence, for a thorough and permanent system of health education in our schools, saying: "With all of our wealth and intelligence and scientific knowledge in health , we are allowing a large proportion of our children to pass out of the schools into adult life physically below par." The Equitable concludes with the remark: "Some day we will give all American school children thorough physical training and health education. Why not commence now?"

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If you want to learn how to burn fat, a great book to read is Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto

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Keeping Fit All the Way Part I Chapter II Preparing for Emergencies
Page Updated September 20, 2024