_Hygiene. By Major C. Leffler. (Published by the Author.)—In those
days, there are professors of every sort of art, science, and mystery. Not long ago, in passing through a West-End thoroughfare, we came upon an immenSe brass door plate, bearing this inscription,—" Young Reed, Professor of the Art of Self-Defence." And now, when we take up a new book having the attractive title "Hygiene" upon its cover, we find that the author calls himself "Professor of P. H. Ling's Curative Gymnastic." Doubtless, mechanical methods are often useful aids to the restoration of health, but it is very easy for an enthusiastic specialist to trust them too implicitly. Major Leffler detests all "chemical, pharmaceutical treatment," with its "inevitable termina- tive result, drug disease," but be is an ardent disciple of "curative gymnastics." P. II. Ling, we are told (p. 186), possessed a masterful genius, and by his profound wisdom invented means of reaching and acting curatively upon every "organ, artery, ligament, muscle, tendon, gland, or cartilage, internal, as well as external, in the whole human organisation." But Major Leffler is very hard upon "teachers of calisthenics or medical rubbers," who term themselves " Pro- fessors of Ling's Curative Movements." All those people, says Major Leffler, "are simply pretenders." We are not told all the secrets of the true system of healing in the pages before us, but we gather that it is a mixture of hydropathy, hommopathy, and kiue- sipatimy, with some traces of common-sense.
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