Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-10
OAR EIERCISE.


IL Rowing Injurious to the Human Health
and Muscles
From the London Lancet.
The annual contest between oxford and
Cambridge for aquatic supremacy proved this
year to be one of unusual severity, and two,
if not three men in both crews towards the
end of the race showed evident symptoms of
distress. This fact has led to some sensa-
tional statement being made to the effect that
some of the men will never get over the con-
sequences OF their eNertlous.
We believe, however, that such statements
have no real foundation, and beyond the fact
that the men were temporarily distressed,
nothing like permanent mischief is likely to
result Some years ago, before the conditions
of training were thoroughly understood, such
rumors were frequent after each great boat
race, and even very prominent medical
authorities set their faces steadfastly against
boat racing as an exercise. But close
inquiry into the after history of the crews
of the oxford and Cambridge boats has
proved conclusiyeiy that the mortality among
the heroes of the annual race is GER
tainly not greater than among the average of
university men generally. The names of
Sir Balliol Brett, Bishops Wordsworth,
Selwyn and Macdougall, Dean, Merivale,
Hon. q. Denman, j. B. trocker and L. NJ.
Arnold are well known AS those OF members
OF victorious crews more than forty years
ago, who have survived up to quite recent
date-indeed, some are still living and to
those may be added names, less known to
fame, who were still able TO answer Adsum
when the roll was called few years since,
Sir George Burrows, who is still living, has
told us he took part In one OF the earliest of
the college races on the Cam, quite fifty years
ago while Lord Penryhn, who has just died
at the advanced age of eighty-slN, was a
member of crew who i'll lS2l performed the
extraordinary feat of rowing, with five others
from oxford to Westminster bridge within
l6 hours, a distance OF Is miles, with many
locks to pass through, i'll one OF the heavy
wherries and with oars OF the period, a
performance tar more severe than rowing a
four mile race, for, with heavy siN-oared
wherry, they had to keep up the pace
continuously, except at the locks, for sixteen
hours, at eight miles an hour while
with light outriggers, sliding seats and i'm
proved oars, the pace OF the racing eight Is
little over twelve miles an hour for twenty
minutes. reason in favor of boat racing
as an exercise is the fact that the progress
from ordinary to severe eNertion is made
very gradually. The tyrO who first COM
menCes to row has to learn first to manage
his oar ; as soon as his muscles get accus'
toned To the weight he is taught to bring his
whole muscular system iuto action to propel
the boat but this has to be done gradually
otherwise he Will acquire awkard habits.
| AS soon as he has learned to row he begins
to cultivate pace, but this has to be practiceo
| cautiously, since If allowed to blow him
self, he W i'll soon row out Of form and II II
only by degrees that the bursts are length
! ened as the wind " improves. Next, aitel
| considerable preparation, come the " trial
| races, in which the mems phySica and stay
| ing powers are closely watched and thei
come the final selection into the crack crew
| The result is that an unsuund man is usual,
found out long before the severe trial comes
| while, for sound constitutions course o
| systematic and careful training tends to i'm
prove the physical and vital powers, and fit
men to undergo the strenuous eXertions OF
| boat race without injury.