The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-06
Physical Education.

Wilkie Collins and the anti-muscular
school have been waging a crusade
against boat-racing and similar pastime,
in which school-boys and under-gradu-
ates proverbially take delight. They
urge that the severer exertiOn and pre-
liminary training necessary in such
sports undermine the constitution of
young men, and not only shorten their
lives, but sometimes result in immedi-
ate fatal consequences. They claim
the unanimous endorsement of the med
ical profession as su! porting their the
DRY, but it is evident doctors disagree
on this as on other points, asthe Lancet,
the great medical authority in London,
recently contained an article directly
opposing their assertions. The article
in question says To excel in such ex-
ercises, a regular system of training is
required, involving temperance, if not
abstemiOusness in all things, and con-
slant practice and it is pleasant to find
from the large body of evidence collect
ed by DR.. Morgan IN his interesting
work entitled, University Oars, that, in
the opinion of all, or almost all, who
have pursued rowing with more ardor
than as a mere amusement, no injurious
effects can be attributed to it, provided
only that the men have been properly
trained. The information he has OBJ
tanned shows that no less than - of the
IS men who rowed in the first inter-uni-
versity race in 1929 are still living
that the competitors In this, as well as
in the succeeding races, have had as
good an average of life as any cores
ponding number of Englishmen who do
not row, and, lastly, that while an ex-
tremely small number of men have suf-
fered any injury from rowing, many ac-
knowledge the benefits they have re-
eeived from it in health, strength and
spirits No doubt there are some men
who are wholly unfit to enter into any
competition of the kind. The strain of
all exertion falls primarily on the heart
and lungs, and in q secondary degree
on the brain. As soon as the muscles
contract, the mechanism of the valves
in the veins occasions a quicker current
and larger volume of blood TO enter
the right heart, which labors to propel
its contents through the capillaries of
the lungs. These become surcharged
with blood, and for few moment diff
Guilty of breathing is experienced
Soon, however, the vigorous movements
of respiration introduce the due amount
of oxygen, the left heart is filed, the
balance between the venous and arterial
circulation is restored, and the tsecond
wind " is obtained. From this time
forth the well-trained man is at ease,
and his work is only limited by his ner-
vous and Muscular power. A sound con-
stitutional youth, with no special pro-
clivity to disease, who begins moderate
" and works steadily, gaining strength
in his lungs, need fear no danger IN a
boat-race. For him rowing will prove
a wholesome exercise. But it is easy to
see what must be the effect of such con-
ditions in a man of Unsound lungs or
heart. It matters little which is at
fault; the result is nearly the same.
In either case, whether the heart be
feeble, or the lungs, from original con-
formation or disease, be inadequate to
transmit the volume of blood forced in
to them by a vigorous heart, the first
active movement gorge the light cardiac
cavities, and, as these cannot discharge
their contents, the entire venous system
feels the effects, and lividity of the sur
face and general distress are the imne-
date nces-consequences that,
if the effort be persisted in, may easily
lead to cardiac dilatation and its attend
ant evils, or, in an extreme case, to rup-
t1lre of the walls of the heart, or to
cerebral hemorrhage or, on the other
hand, should the lungs be very serious
Iy affected, and the heart possess fair
energy, to pulmonary hemorrhage.
Now is the time to free cellars from
decayed vegetation which has accumu-
tated through the winter. A little care
like this will save much illness, and
rend to induce first-class shows to come
to Danbury.