The blacksmith or stone-cutter desiring to strike a heavy blow, does it with expiration, and the breath is driven from the lungs with an _ugh!_ that is almost a groan. No matter what knotted muscles he may have upon his arm, if the great converging muscle below the lungs is not equally strong and powerful, he can not strike an effective blow. It is said that out of three hundred recent candidates for the Navy school, two hundred and twenty-five were rejected simply because of contracted chests and inefficient breathing. Manhood, womanhood, endurance and longevity depend upon lung power, and this is within the reach of all. EDUCATE THE MUSCLES OF RESPIRATION. “To learn deep breathing be as passive as possible; that is, assume a position in which all the voluntary motor muscles are inactive. Lie flat on the back, perfectly horizontal, without even an elevation of the head. Shut the mouth and draw the air in through the channel provided by nature--the nose. As a result of bad habits, most persons will raise the upper ribs, yet this expansion will soon yield to a movement of the lower ribs, and this again will gradually cease by continued practice, as will also every distension of the ribs. All these faulty movements will be superseded by a bulging out of the abdomen, which will be proportioned to the amount of air inhaled.” Exhale also through the nose, letting the breath out slowly. Alternate costal and abdominal breathing. That is, with one inspiration swell out the sides; _burst the belt_; this retracts the abdomen; with the next bulge out the abdomen, which is done by pressing the diaphragm down. MASSAGE is a most desirable mode of exercise, especially for invalids and delicate people. This is a thorough manipulation by an attendant of all the muscles. Massage is one of the most effective of all manipulations to promote nerve currents and blood circulation. It renders the skin soft and elastic. The action extends deeply in the body, thus promoting the activity of all the blood-vessels. It restores the circulation to the extremities, thus relieving the plethora of the viscera generally attendant upon chronic diseases. The _muscle-beater_ is a convenient and inexpensive substitute for the hand, in Massage and Swedish movement cures, as it gives excellent muscular treatment without the aid of an assistant. This little instrument consists of three rubber tubes, fastened together toward the handle. With this, one can treat the skin and muscles in any part of the body. Always in standing and walking, assume the MILITARY POSITION. 1. Heels in line, and together. 2. Feet turned equally outward, forming an angle of forty-five degrees. 3. Knees straight. 4. Body square to the front. 5. Chest expanded and advanced, but without constraint. 6. Arms hung easily to the side. (Swing them out and let them drop like a pendulum). 7. Shoulders equal height. 8. Shoulder blades flat.