Can someone satisfy my husband’s curiosity? Why is a medicine ball called a medicine ball?
I guess they are used in physical therapy. Try a Google search, too.
Yes, physical therapy! I seriously wished I had known that before I dislocated my jaw trying to ram that mother down…
This was done before at http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=130426
Other than to find that the term is cited at early as 1895, there seems nothing conclusive in that thread.
before what samclem? you sent me my own question. Oh, Ms. Violet, thanks for the info, it was useful.
Let’s try that again.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=34420&highlight=medicine+ball
If I did it correctly, you will find only that it appears in print in 1895.
I have read a dozen Google sites and they are divided between two late 19th century heath fitness guys as the inventor.
William Muldoon in NYC is one.
Robert Jefferies Roberts in Boston is the other.
I don’t believe there is anything on the web to prove either one, but it could be correct.
To give a general piece of info which I gleaned from reading a cite about gyms/weightlifting/exercise=health in Boston about 1960-1880, I found that most of this kind of heavy exercise was being touted as “medicinal”(my word) with all kinds of claims about medical benefits, some as outlandish as weightlifting could cure horrible diseases.
So using the term “medicine” at that time in reference to such a piece of exercise equiptment wasn’t strange.
…bad night, here.
1860-1880.