Note and Comment

The "Columbia Spectator" makes the following lament in regard to the misfortunes of the Columbia nine:

"The condition of our nine at present is anything but an enviable one. The truth of the old saw that misfortunes never come singly is now only too apparent to the Columbia College Base-Ball Association. Columbia no longer holds her own in the College League, having finally, and irrevocably, severed her connection with it by resigning. There seemed to the management no other course to pursue under the circumstances, considering the generally demoralized condition of the men on the nine and the impracticability of attempting to get together a nine from the men still remaining about college. Of the men that comprise the nine only three are now in playing condition.

When the season opened the outlook was extremely promising, but misfortunes lurked by the way. Gates, after the first game, was obliged to withdraw and give up ball-playing indefinitely, at the positive order of his physician. Then Bannister broke down and was obliged to retire. Deppler soon after severely sprained his ankle and is not yet able to be about. Cameron is still, and has been for two weeks, confined to his bed. Both McCusker and Cooper have withdrawn, the former being entirely disabled owing to several split fingers, and the latter having gone West to practice law."

A detailed explanation of Dr. Sargent's system would occupy much space, and would be foreign to our present purpose. The remarkable results of its adoption at Harvard can, however, be illustrated by a single group of facts. The measurements of each student are compiled into a resulting "total strength," which in the case of the man showing the best development among the students of 1880, was indicated by 675.2. This man was F. D. Jordan. The average total strength of the ten best men in that year was 665.2. In 1881, C. H. W. Foster, the highest on the list, gave a total strength of 801.9, the average for the first ten being 676.9. In 1882, C. P. Curtis showed a total strength of 1085.6., while the average for the first ten was 854.8. In 1883, the figures for C. P. Curtis were the same. 1085.6., the average being, however, increased to 893.4. In 1884, the total strength of S. L. Foster was 1272.8., and the average for the first ten, 1018.

Since 1884 complete tables have not been compiled, but enough is known to show that while the total strength of the best developed student is not higher than the remarkable figure of 1884, there are among the students now in college no less than 200 whose total strength is higher than the best man in 1880, while the average in the whole university shows a great advance in development over that of 1880. This fact illustrates better than anything else that can be said the thoroughly satisfactory practical results of the system of adjusting exercise to individual needs. - Cambridge Tribune.