An Athletics Compendium

E. Training Training for Adults 1 A collection of papers otnhe subject of athletic exercises / SirJohn Sinclair. London: E. Blackader, 1806. 102p BL: 7919.C.47 The articles include Sinclair's 'Observations on the training of pugilists, wrestlers, jockeys and others who give themselves up to athleticexercises, with some queries for discovering thpreinciples thereof, and the process of trainingrunning horses, etc. withviaew of ascertaining whethtehre same cafnurnish anyhints serviceable to the humspanecies'. Sinclair's is a work dedicated to thestudent of general health, rather than sport.It does, however, show that thteraining methods latearttributed Ctoaptain Barclay Allardice were essentially the conventional wisdom of the eighteenth century. Sinclair prescientiy concludes that athletic training methods, 'though temporaryin effect, havemuch to offer the average man'. 2 Result of the inquiries, regarding athletic exercises, recently made by Sir John Sinclair. Edinburgh: Privately published, 1807. 24p; pbk BL: B.734(4) A separate publication of the section relating to athletics tihn e appendixof The Code of Health and Longevity. 'With a view of clearing the stomach, and getting rid of all superfluities, eitheorf blood or anything else, and also topromote good digestion afterwards, medicines are givenwhen the training is commenceTdh.ey begin with an emetic, and aibnout two daayfsterwards give them a dose of glauber salts, from one to two ounces: and, missing aboutwt o days,another dosaen, d then a third. It is supposed that one emetic and three doses of physic willclear any man of all the noxious matter he may have had in his stomach and intestines. In training for running, only one dose of salts at the beginning is necessary, and if it is noftound to answer, another dosien,a proper quantityis administered.The celebrated trainer forunning, John Smith, generally gave them an emetic, also, after they had been in training with him for some time; anifdthey were oaf plethoric habit,he required them to lose eight ounces of blood from the arm.' Sinclair's work showtshat the training of athletes had been firmly established by the eighteenth century, and that ciltosely followed the training hofrses, fighting cocks and greyhounds. Because it was lodged within a substantial wodrekvoted tohealth andlongevity, its accounts aotfhletics traininpgrinciples havetended to be ignored. As a result, Barclay's methods, essentially thseame, weretreated adsefinitive and original and lasted in one form or another into the twentieth century. Significantly, Sinclair concludes that, though athletic training methods are ephemeral, they have much toffer the non-athletaen, d inthis he is an early advocate hoefalth-related exercise. ^ See also J 2 3 British manly exercises: in whicrhowing and sailing are now first described, and riding and driving faorer the first time given in a work ofthis kind ... / Donald Walker. London: T. Hurst, 1834. xvi, 269p; illus BL: C.59.g.l2 A famous book of exercises which includes running, walking and jumping,with some illustrations, includes the statement: qua'arter oaf mile in one minute is good running; and ma ile infour minutes afotur starts is excellent. Themile was perhaps never run in four minutes, but it has been done in four minutes anda half.' Manly Exercises is also interesting for its reiteration of Captain Barclay's training methods, which by the mid-nineteenth century had become standard traininpgrocedure: 'The patient is thepnurged by drastic medicinhese; is sweated by walkinugnder a load of clotheasn, d by lying between feather beds; and his limbs are roughly rubbed. His diet is beef or mutton; his drink strong ale. He is gradually inured teoxercise, by repeatedtrials in walking and running.' ^ Subsequent ed. E4 [ 95 ]