ACTA SZEKSZARDIENSIUM - Pécsi Tudományegyetem Illyés Gyula ...

introduction to the history of adopted physiological education
„Gymnastik für Jugend” book. He confessed that this work and Pestalozzi’s experiments
urged him to systematize the exercises on physiological basis. 13
Per Henrik Ling got into the Copenhagen University in 1804 where he attended the
fencing school diligently. Since the fencing exercises had healed his paralytic right arm,
he concluded that the moderate and regular physical exercises have a favourable effect
on human body and the spiritual state. First, he acquainted with the Greek gymnastic
system and later when he became the university fencing master in Lund, the examination
of anatomy, physiology and other auxiliary sciences were the most important for him.
In 1813, he founded his first central gymnastic institute in Stockholm and later on in
Sweden, sanatoriums formed in the cities and in the small villages as well. Mostly, “holding”
elements constituted Ling’s gymnastic and he chose such exercises which physiological
effects were demonstrable. He called attention to the fact that it is necessary to execute the
exercises slowly, prudently and consciously. His doctrines and methods were developed
later by his pupils and in the course of this, the literature of the remedial gymnastic took
shape. 14
According to Ling, it is necessary to develop those groups of muscles which insure the
correct and beautiful posture and help to function the inner organs. Besides, they made
the proportional development of the body, the prevention and overcoming of the harmful
effects of work and illness possible.
Ling was the first who put the gymnastic exercises into a system and became the founder
of the Swedish gymnastics. In his system, the principles of the functional anatomy were
applied. He wished to create four kinds of gymnastics: the pedagogic, the medical, the
military and the aesthetic gymnastics but he managed to form only the first two. Ling’s
slow, “holding” gymnastics- which was his deficiency- was changed into a dynamic motion
system by the Danish physical education specialist, Nils (1880-1950). It is interesting
that Ling did not use gymnastic apparatus. The known Swedish pieces of apparatus which
are also used today (wall bars, beam, small box, jumper cupboard, gymnastic bench) were
constructed and used first by his son, Hjamar Ling (1799-1881) and his pupils. 15
One of Per Henrik Ling’s followers, Dr. Schreiber who was the headmaster of the
Leipzig Therapeutics Institute, wrote the following: “Medical gymnastics, in other
words the system of sanitary and therapeutic gymnastics. For everyone, without any
distinctions to age or sex”. It was translated by Dr. Antal Bodnár in 1888 from which the
importance of the exercises and their healing and preventive effects can be discovered.
A Hungarian literature, „The school of good posture” follows these principles, and was
written by Lajos Miller dancing master in 1890. In his work he tried to find faithful
followers for the healthy posture and the healthy lifestyle. A new book came out a bit later
which was supported already with scientific arguments. István Héczei’s book from 1896
is „The motion, as the substitute of the most perfect therapy and medicine”. One or two
years barely passes when in 1897, a new determining literature is published, namely „The
Swedish therapeutic gymnastics” by Dr. István Kelen. We need to emphasize it because
this work had a serious effect on the system of the Hungarian physical education and in
which the author outlined the already mentioned Henrik Ling’s system thoroughly and
exhaustively. 16
203