The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1885-09-12
THIBODAUX, LA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER -, 1885.
Dangers Of Stair.Ciimbing.
The physicians of this city say

The physicians of this city say that
many complaints of sickness have their
origin II hurried ascensions Of the stairs
O'the elevated railroad stations. In the
upper part of the Ninth avenue and
Second avenue lines some OF the station
platforms are sixty let above the street
level, and tie climb is q serious matter
to delicate women and corpuient rer-
sons. one physician says that the large
anoa1@ Of ata:r-eiimliug AZ the c3e-
waited stations and in tall tenements has
greatly Increased ,he lis5 of sufferers
fron dis uses 10 which women ere
liable. Saleswomen and operatives w.o
ii1e much On theIr feet are particularly
liable to ill-et,eets iroln the excessive
effort Of climbing to the stations in d
hurry
Another physician says he has fire.
quent occasion to warn business and
profess onal men, especially those
whose vocation IS sedentary, of the
danger CT rushing up stairs at the top
OF their sDoel when trying to catch
train. y man may thus expend an
amount OF Vitality so great IS to inter
1crc with lis eti ciency lor tie day, to
say noting Of The special dangers 10
individqais vino have a tendencv to
healt troubles, aFoplexy, and other dis
eases. lie ide5l:
the other GitT an experiment was
made at TIE torty-second street sta
ton. : man Who weighed 159 pounds,
ascending the stairs al an ordinary
pace, Easei ti.s.g weight 2o6 inches in
- seconds. This required az cxpen-
di-ure Of force eaual TO ahoat one-ffth
Of a one-horse power engine. If he
had Goae up i. a.it tic tine he would
have put forth txo-Gfths of the energy
OF one.:horse power. nave no doubt
that plenty oT people go up that flight
III ten seconds. The rate at which the
man climbed the stairs called for an
expenditure Of force equal to that used
III running al the rate Of nearly six
miles al hour. A man who should run
up the stairs in ten seconds could as
easily squirt at the rate OF eighteen
miles an hour. Il IS 10 wonder that
delicate women and heavy men COM
plain, and even strong persons puff
over catching trains. In the excite
ment they 60 not know how much they
overtaS themselves until they sit in the
car, Or later, when exhaustion OF more
serious results develop"
A professional athlete said Yesterday
that there is knack in climbing stairs
easily. To throw the body forward,
bending at the hips, more than doubles
the work. The weight of the body is a
load that the muscles of the legs and
loins must carry, and they can carry it
easily Il the center of gravity is kept
directly above them. Bending forward
imposes on the muscles OF the trunk
the unnecessary task Of holding the
load from pitching forward This is
like carrying a load at arms length in
stead of on the shoulder, or on the
head, as many Europeans carry bur-
dens. Athletes lift enormous weights
by bringing the strain on the pelvic
arch and less, Eooping their backs
straight.
The gentleman gives this advice to
stair-climbers: "Do not lean forward.
Do not hurry. DO not spring from
stair to stair. Step firmly, leisurely,
and keep erect. .'-Neac York sam.