Frederick Arthur Hornibrook (1878–1965) was an Irish physical culturalist and writer best known for his book ''The Culture of the Abdomen''.

Biography

Hornibrook was born in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

in 1878 from a middle-class professional family. He was influenced by

Eugen Sandow Eugen Sandow (born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, ; 2 April 1867 – 14 October 1925) was a German bodybuilder and showman from Prussia. He was born in Königsberg, and became interested in bodybuilding at the age of ten during a visit to Italy. Aft ...

and trained at Sandow's London Institute.Daley, Caroline. (2003). ''Leisure & Pleasure: Reshaping & Revealing the New Zealand Body 1900–1960''.

Auckland University Press Auckland University Press is a New Zealand publisher that produces creative and scholarly work for a general audience. Founded in 1966 and formally recognised as Auckland University Press in 1972, it is a publisher based within the University ...

. pp. 48–68. Hornibrook became a physical culture instructor and lecturer. In the early 20th century he emigrated to New Zealand and established a Sandow Room fitted with dumb-bells at the Avon Prince Sanatorium in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

. He was Sandow's official representative. He lectured on physical culture and promoted it as cure for

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

and other ills. Hornibrook completely reshaped his body under the Sandow system and was referred to in the press as "Brawnibrook". He became the best known Sandow instructor in New Zealand. After WW1 he moved to London and became a

massage Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pa ...

therapist. He clients were famous and included

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

and

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist, who wrote prolifically. Between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaborati ...

. Hornibrook's most well known book was ''The Culture of the Abdomen'' published in 1924. The book sold well, went through eighteen editions and remained in print until the 1960s. It contrasted the bad posture and protruding abdomen of "civilized man" with the "splendid physique" of native men. To combat constipation and obesity, Hornibrook developed a system of physical culture which emphasized daily rhythmic abdominal exercises based on native dancing rituals. Hornibrook and his wife

Ettie Rout Ettie Annie Rout (24 February 1877 – 17 September 1936) was a Tasmanian-born New Zealander whose work among servicemen in Paris and the Somme during World War I made her a war hero among the French, yet through the same events she became ''pe ...

hosted native dance lessons which were attended by members of the

London Society ''London Society'' was a Victorian era illustrated monthly periodical, subtitled "an illustrated magazine of light and amusing literature for the hours of relaxation". It was published between 1862 and 1898 by W. Clowes and Sons, London, Engl ...

in the 1930s. He obtained a successful income and moved to a luxurious apartment in South Street,

Park Lane Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park to ...

. Hornibrook promoted Maori dances as having important components of physical culture such as breathing exercises and body movements centred on the abdomen. He described the

Fijians Fijians () are a nation and ethnic group Indigenous peoples of Oceania, native to Fiji, who speak Fijian language, Fijian and English language, English and share a common history and culture. Fijians, or ''iTaukei'', are the major indigenous ...

Polynesians Polynesians are an ethnolinguistic group comprising closely related ethnic groups native to Polynesia, which encompasses the islands within the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean. They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Sout ...

and

Zulus Zulu people (; ) are a native people of Southern Africa of the Nguni. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. They originated from Nguni communities who took p ...

as "magnificent men" who had superb bodies in contrast to town dwellers that paid no attention to the welfare of their bodies. His system was endorsed by Sir William Arbuthnot Lane President of the

New Health Society Sir William Arbuthnot Lane, 1st Baronet, CB, FRCS (4 July 1856 – 16 January 1943) was a British surgeon and physician. He mastered orthopaedic, abdominal, and ear, nose and throat surgery, while designing new surgical instruments towar ...

who wrote a Preface to Hornibrook's book. Hornibrook and his wife have been described as "tireless popularizers of Lane's theories and the wider aims of the society". Hornibrook and Lane were advocates of auto-intoxication. Hornibrook and his wife held the view that the source of ill health is chronic

constipation Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The Human feces, stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the ...

. Hornibrook believed that the overloaded colon is the "white man's burden" because it should be emptied at least several times a day. He attributed constipation to the faulty posture common amongst people in industrialized societies. Politician John A. Lee attended a lecture of Hornibrook and later exchanged letters. Lee wrote that he owed his life to Hornibrook's "deep breathing apostleship and still later to his famous ''Culture of the Abdomen''".Lee, John Alexander. (1967). ''Delinquent Days''. Collins. p. 80

Selected publications

*''The Culture of the Abdomen: The Cure of Obesity and Constipation'' (with a preface by Sir William Arbuthnot Lane, 1924, republished in 1933)
''Physical Fitness in Middle Life''
(1926) *''Without Reserve'' (autobiography, 1935) *''Health Culture for Women: The Sane Way to Slim'' (with

. With a preface by

Arthur Keith Sir Arthur Keith FRS FRAI (5 February 1866 – 7 January 1955) was a British anatomist and anthropologist, and a proponent of scientific racism. He was a fellow and later the Hunterian Professor and conservator of the Hunterian Museum of the ...

, 1959)

Biography

Selected publications

References

Further reading