The Graduates' Magazine.

The December number of the Graduates' Magazine contains, among its articles, two which will be interesting to undergraduates as well as graduates. One of these is "Theodore Roosevelt at Harvard," by C. Guild, Jr., '81, and the other, "The Medical Supervision of Athletics," by E. A. Darling '90. The article on President Roosevelt's life at Harvard gives a clear idea of his character and personality, and his associations at the College as an undergraduate; and it draws, incidentally, an interesting picture of the University of twenty years ago. Dr. Darling's article, though written from a medical man's point of view, is not too technical to be clear. The author advocates the plan of having medical advisers supervise the training of athletes--supplementing, though not supplanting, the work of the professional trainer. It sometimes happens that men go into university athletics which require more strength than they have, and the over-exertion and strain produces permanent physical injury. Dr. Darling believes that systematic medical examination, conjoined with the present strength tests, would aid the trainer in finding out the causes for "staleness" among athletes, might detect its approach in time to prevent it; and would, moreover, detect among men in athletics any organic weaknesses, which might make severe effort injurious. Just what would be the relation between the proposed system of medical examinations, on the one hand, and the strength test and the professional trainer on the other, is best shown in Dr. Darling's own words: "There would be no necessary conflict between the established strength test and the proposed scheme. The former is concerned chiefly with the general capability of a man for his work, as shown by his heart's action, muscular development and strength. It involves only a single examination, and its object is largely anthropometric. The proposed examination, on the contrary, would be directed rather to ascertaining the normal condition of the man, and then to noting the changes taking place in his organization under the stress of training. The two points of view are radically different, yet they might be combined with advantage."

"As regards the position of the professional trainer, no readjustment would be necessary. The successful trainer is always a man of judgement and experience, with a keen eye and a knowledge of detail which, if often empirical, is always positive. His power lies in these qualities, and he is able to exact implicit obedience. The proposed scheme of examinations would not--could not, in fact--supplant his watchfulness; but it might aid him by finding out the real cause of what he calls 'staleness'."

The magazine contains, besides these two articles named above, the following: "From a Graduate's Window," "James Bradstreet Greenough," "Actualities of the Three-Year A.B. Degree," "A Harvard Ascetic--E. A. Sophocles," "Joseph Le Conte," "The Opening of the Harvard Union," "The University," "Athletics," "The Graduates."