Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-09
SULLIVAN ALL RIGHT
Expert Grier Says the Great
Pugilist Can Be Made
as Good as Ever.
WRECKED BY TRAINING.
lie Had Been Starved and Exhausted
Before He Met Corbett.
ENOUGH TO RUIN A, HERCULES.
The Blow That Made the l1-Champion's
lip Heed Saved His Hfe.
WRECKED BY TRAINING.
ENOUGH TO RUIN A, HERCULES.
The Blow That Made the l1-Champion's
lip Heed Saved His Life
A WARNING FJR AMATEUR ATHLETES
WRITTEN FOR THIS prspkrcuI


every admirer of the perfect physical man.
That he was poisoned is nonsense. He was
starved and overworked BY his trainers A
magnificent human engine was male almost
powerless by ignorance of its supply of fuel
and the requirements of its working parts.
When WAS called in TO see the prize
fighter after his great and terrible ordeal.
was Immediately, on entering the sick
mans room, struck by the stertorous char
acter of his breathing aud the congestel,
turgid and expressionless aspect Of his face.
I regarded this state Of affairs with appre-
hensOn; it suggested to NV mind the very
serious condition OF circuiahoa associated
with a stroke Of aPoplexy. 1t was this con-
dition that Led to the belief
among his friends that the fallen
gladiator had been poisoned But L
found no trace of Poisoa: besides, it would
have required Venetian poisoner, pro-
foundly skilllul in his art, to have admin
istered such a drag. l. would have been
necessary to give iHin nicely graded, exact
IaHtities to produce the effect simply of
iving that sense of weight in the arms,
ID loss ot the old accustomed strength and
rectness of blow, and to produce in the
acnd round, before Corbett could have
done auy DAMAGE. that quivering of the
thigh muscles, described TO me privately BY
an intelligent ratient of mine from Provi-
dence, r. L (This phenomenon of tremor
was observed by many others, though not
recorded in the papers)
Made Him Perspire Too Much
These IDEAS ran in nv mind even before
putting my hands upon the patient After
Bubiecting him TO an exhaustive examina-
zion, and during the skillful manIpulations
of the masseur par excellence of New York,
whom l had engaged for the case, 1 found a
physical condition which gave me an ample
solution of the manifestations displayed in
the ring when the all conguering pugilist
Of l. wears was vainlv attempting to excr-
rise ms old-time strokes on the agile, ath-
.etic radiant young gladiator whose mus
,les and form were an ideal picture of per-
lection. | say found an ample solution
without resort TO any theory of foul play,
whether OF poison or otherwise.
! found his SKIN somewhat dry ami harsh
and IN toneiess, ineiastic condition, with
underlying LAYERS Of fat, probably au inch
hiek, over the abdominal walls and back.
II the pores or perspiratory tubes of john
{. Suilivan's body were placed end to end
hey would amount to over 2.e00. 900 inches.
,r about 80 miles in length, and excessive
lse of these tubes is as pernicious de-
icient action, and it will be seen by what
ollOws that the reduction in weight which
he trainers aimed at was accomplished by
melting, or, more properly speaking,
Dxidizine the fat of his body, thereby throw
ng excessive work upoa the functions of
hese pores in the abundant perspiration
which followed.
Here mav be mentioned the imprudence
# the trainers in allowing Sullivan to bathe
laily in the New Orleans City water. A
riend of nIine once resident in India could
Tot make cut how he was perpetuallv
roublei with ague, while other British
esidents around him were free from it, until
n older resident chanced to find him bath
ne in a pool near his bungalow. SLOW
ong have you carried out this practice ?''
sked be. Every morning since 1 have
een here, was the answer. "Your re an
IS, was his complimentary rejoinder; s'no
7onGer you have the ague, the water you
ave been daily bathing in is full of
4d4Sl Id 41t ulSCDulILueu the pEdctlcS
nd was ever after free from ague, though
e lived in that same spot for years.
There Vas Nervous Exhaustion. Too.
SuJiivan's whole muscular system was in
relaxed condition and did not react to
timuli, as vigorous muscular 6ber always
oes. Muscle has inherently a property
-hicA is called iIs irri:ability, in virtue of
-hicl il is capable of responding TO stimuli
his refusalto respond to stimulus indicated
ervous exhaustion as well as muscular
Itigue.
Healthy nutrition depends upon the
roper nutrition of cells. Can the cells of
ulliTan's body have received proper nHtri-
on during his six or eight weeks OF vio-
mt, unreasonable training, while his body
eight was being reduced from 246 to 2I2
ounds?
What does healthy nutrition require? A
roper supply OF food as to quality and
uaUtity, sufficient TO build up and repair
ne constant waste which is going on in the
wing b1dv.
Could a body undergoing such rapid
aste lmbibe sufficient tood to repair SAID
aste and yet BE- in a condition to undergo
le extraordinary and peculiarly exhaust
lc exercise tor such a heavy built man?
The commonest intelligence will answer,
o, for il Is evident he could not be fit for
Ich exertIon with the full stomach of
bids aid liquids which the cells in his
7dy would be craving Cor. Supposing
Efficient food were given him, the quantity
oUld De prodiginus, and he would be, to
Sc Prof Huxiey's words, sin the condition
the merchant who las abun ant assets
1t cannot get in his debts in time to meet
is creditors"
Su'livaIl's Tremendous Lung Power.
FoOd Is necessary because it IS the fuel
hica The lamp of life requires in its burn
e. just as the wick IS consumed, and the |
], IN the combustion of both, so the fame
animal life cOmbusts or burns the vege- |
bic and animal substances taken into the |
Omach. The air we breathe into our lungs |
bntains oxygen. This oxygen combines
itn or burns she muscles or other tissues |
the body. This oxygen is taken up by |
e blood circulating in the lungs, and |
iereafJer carried in its circulation to the |
rioUs tissues. The lung breathing ca |
tclty OF John L. Sullivan is particularly /
,tenslve. therefore the amount of oxygen
Dsorbed IN deep breathing would be great,
eater than ordinary. The heat produced
thecombustion of fat and other tissues
ould be correspondingly great, hence the
cessive perspiration.
Oxygen, then, having been taken in
cessive Quantities into the tissues the
ocess of combustion of the carbonaceous
el supplied them by the food will go on
ore or less quickly, according to the
ture of the bodily exertion. Let me
ustrate this Assuming that air inspired
person in lying position is represent