Before entering into a detail of exercises, it is necessary to attend
to what is termed position.--A standing position is the action by which
we keep ourselves up. Indeed, this state, in which the body appears in
repose, is itself an exercise, for it consists in a continued effort
of many muscles; and the explanation we shall give of it will much
facilitate that of walking.
Every one has observed that during sleep, or a fainting fit, the head
inclines forward and falls upon the breast. In this case, it is in
accordance with the laws of gravity; for the head, resting upon the
vertebræ which support it at a point of its basis which is nearer the
posterior than anterior part, cannot remain in an upright position
in standing, except by an effort of the muscles at the back of the
neck: it is the cessation of this effort that causes it to fall
forward. The body also is unable to remain straight without fatigue.
The vertebral column being placed behind, all the viscera or parts
contained by the chest and belly are suspended in front of it, and
would force it to bend forward unless strong muscular fibres held it
back. A proof of this may be seen in pregnant and dropsical women, who
are compelled, in consequence of the anterior part of the body being
heavier than usual, to keep the vertebral column more fixed, and even
thrown backward. The same observation may be made with regard to the
pelvis, basin, or lowest part of the trunk, which by its conformation
would bend upon the thighs, if not kept back by the great mass of
muscular fibres that form the hips. In front of the thighs, again,
are the muscles which, by keeping the kneepan in position, are the
means of preventing the leg from bending. Lastly, the muscles forming
the calves, by contracting, are the means of preventing the leg from
bending upon the foot.
Such is the general mechanism of the standing position. It is,
therefore, as we observed, a concurrence of efforts: almost all the
extending muscles are in a state of contraction all the time that this
position is maintained, and the consequence is, a fatigue which cannot
be endured for any great length of time. Hence we see persons in a
standing position rest the weight of their body, first on one foot,
then on another, for the purpose of procuring momentary ease to certain
muscles. For this reason, also, standing still is more fatiguing than
walking, in which the muscles are alternately contracted and extended.
A question of importance on this subject is, what position of the feet
affords the greatest solidity in standing? We will not enter into a
detail of the numerous controversies by which some have defended or
repudiated the position with the toes turned forward or outward: it
will be sufficient to state the fact, that the larger the base of
support, the firmer and more solid will the position be, and to adopt,
as a _fundamental_ one, the military position, which has been found
practically the best by those who have nothing else to do but to walk.
The equal squareness of the shoulders and body to the front, is the
first great principle of position. The heels must be in a line, and
closed; the knees straight; the toes turned out, with the feet forming
an angle of sixty degrees; the arms hanging close to the body; the
elbows turned in, and close to the sides; the hands open to the front,
with the view of preserving the elbow in the position above described;
the little fingers lightly touching the clothing of the limbs, with
the thumb close to the forefinger; the belly rather drawn in, and
the breast advanced, but without constraint; the body upright, but
inclining forward, so that the weight of it may principally bear upon
the fore part of the feet; the head erect, and the eyes straight to the
front--(as in Plate I. fig. 1.)
To these brief directions I must add, that, in standing, the whole
figure should be in such a position that the ear, shoulder, haunch,
knee, and ankle are all in a line; that it must be stretched as much
as possible, by raising the back of the head, drawing in the chin,
straightening the spine, rising on the hips, and extending the legs;
that the object of keeping the back thus straight is to allow of
standing longer without fatigue; that it is important to expand the
chest, and to throw the shoulders back, with the shoulder-blades, or
scapulæ, quite flat behind; and that though, in military instructions,
the body is thus inclined forward in standing without arms, yet when
these are assumed, the body is immediately thrown about two inches
backward, into a nearly perpendicular position. This position,
therefore, will be modified in walking, and especially in ordinary
walking; but it is an excellent fundamental position, and it cannot be
too accurately acquired.
This is the amount of the drill-sergeant’s instructions as to position,
though this last part is omitted in the Manual describing the Field
Exercise and Evolutions of the Army.