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ZANDER’S MEDICO-MECHANICAL SYSTEM OF GYMNASTICS.
357
The Zander system has for
its object to render possible by
mechanical apparatus the
exercise of all the muscles of the
human body and to produce
certain mechanical effects upon the
organism as a whole or upon
certain parts of it. Like the
manual system of gymnastics it
is based upon Ling’s doctrine:
that changes in the organism
caused by illness can be remedied
and’ cleared away by means of
systematic muscular exercises.
That a movement may be
effectual it must overcome a certain
amount of resistance, which in
manual gymnastics is produced
by the trained hand of the
gymnast, but in mechanical
gymnastics by an adjustable weight
attached to a graduated lever,
whereby the strength of the
resistance at every moment of the movement can be measured or reckoned in
figures. Every apparatus constructed for the separate groups of muscles
is therefore to a certain extent to be regarded as really a
dynamometer, because it measures the force of the group of muscles acted
upon. If, then, the muscle has to overcome too strong a resistance
it shows this by a tremulous and irregular movement, which
indicates that the maximum of working power just then has been
reached.
Besides these active apparatuses Zander has constructed others
for passive movements, i. e., such as without the help of the muscles
put the limbs in motion so as to stretch and soften the capsules
of the joints, the sinews, the ligaments, and the muscles; and others
again for so-called mechanical influence in the shape of shakings,
vibrations, percussion, kneading, rolling, and friction. As characteristic of
Zander’s gymnastics we consider the movements for shaking,
vibration, foot-rubbing, and back-rubbing. Zander has also constructed a
number of orthopedic apparatuses for the treatment of curvature of the
spine, a speciality in which he has obtained very grand results. To
measure mathematically the curvatures of the spine and to be able to
represent them graphically, Zander has constructed several so-called
trunk-measuring apparatuses. A complete Zander institute has 74
different implements and appliances at its disposal.
Gustaf Zander.
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