John Pugh: Treatise on the Science of Muscular Action

John Pugh's Treatise on the Science of Muscular Action is an artful testimony to the progress of sports medicine in the 18th century. In it, the English anatomist emphasizes the importance of physical exercise and movement for the health of the human body. He classifies various sports according to their muscular intensity, including fencing, tennis, cricket, and sailing, but also walking and reading aloud. Pugh's treatise also contains the earliest detailed description of therapeutic gymnastics as an innovative treatment method for functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system. These were to be counteracted by specific muscle training. To this end, the anatomist also developed a special exercise machine, which is mentioned at the beginning of the book. At the same time, he spoke out against all kinds of passive orthopedic aids such as crutches and bandages. He had the first edition of his groundbreaking treatise illustrated by the London painter and engraver Thomas Kirk (1765–1797). He created 31 full-page engravings that artfully illustrate the interplay of muscle groups.