British Manly Exercises

T R A I N I N G . 283 In the more early stages of training, their diet consisted of dried figs, new cheese, and boiled grain. Afterwards animal food was introduced asa part of the athletic regi­ men, and pork was preferred to any other. Galen, in­ deed, asserts, that pork contains more real nutriment tlian flesh of any other kind which isused as food by man:this fact, he adds, is decidedly proved by the example of the athletae, who, if they lived but for one day on any other kind of food, found their vigour manifestly impaired the next. The preference givento pork, by the ancients, does not correspond with the practice of modern trainers, who en­ tirely reject it in their regimen :but, inthe manner of preparing the food, theyexactly agree—roastingor broiling- being by both preferred to boiling; and bread unfermented, to that preparedby leaven. A very small quantity of liquid was allowed to the athletae; and this was principally water. The athletae exercised in the open air, and became familiarized, byhabit, to every changeof the weather, the vicissitudes ofwhich soon ceased to affect them. To exercise theirpatience, and accustom them to bear pain without flinching, they were occasionally flogged on the back with the branches of akind of rhododendron, till the blood flowed. By diminishing the quantity of the circulating liquid,this rough kind of cupping was also considered salutary, as obviating the tendency to plethora or redundancy of blood, to which they were peculiarly liable—a strong proof, by-the-bye, of the nourishing qualities of their food,&c.