New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-23
UOTTORS on THE BICYCLE.

The place of the bicycle In modern CIVILIZATION
was rather strikngy illustrated the other even
ing when the NewYork Academy or Medicihe
listened 10 an elaborate paper by Dr. "rae"e
Hammond on The wheel. its great uses and pos
slhla abuses IN health aud sickness, AMI then
engaged In an animated discussion which re-
smiled I'm A cordial and unanimous acknowl"dg-
mont Of IT, manifold and enduring merits II
was conceded. ~ course. that extrayagant AMI
otherwis. lll-iudgcl use of the bicycle may have
s,ri,us CONSEQUENCES but 80 far from showing
that wheeling IS peculiarly open to objection on
this score. the observation and personal eX-
pericnces 81 The medical gentlemen present tend
ed 70 demonstrate the precise reverse
II scarcely needed to be pointed ont that
bi,ycl. riding may cndanger persons afflicted
with heart disease. and that such persons ought
io lax. competent advice as 10 their individual
liability TO III results from this mode Of exer
else IL IL a morc important and more cheer
ful fact that In some varieties OF heart disease
the bicvcle may be better than any medicine
and that numerous human ailments are lrac
ticallv incapable Of resisting It's curatly" powers
70 persons living in cities. ana therefore pre-
sumably leading lives Of comparative coniine
ment prcdisposng them 10 physical degenera'
tlon and especially 10 nervous disorders. The
hcvcl. aS an instrument Of exercise and diver
sion l. a potential blessing of the hrSt mnghi-
tudr There are thousands OF men ald women
In New York who have proved this fact Tor
themselves 10 their great benefit and sntlsfac-
tion and who require no medical certificate 10
confirm their personal discoveries. But Tor the
sccnticol and the INDECENT who need To be- not
only convinced but stimulated into practising
, ucyy creed Of physical wcllbcng. the CON
,lusIous Of the Academy Of Medicine are mpor-
tant and timely
po,matic criticisms ~ the bicycle have not
hc,n wanting in the past and Will probably be
ron.,,ed I'm the future II has been accused OF
nrodncng all manner Of organic and functional
dcrangclnenis and especially OF groiesque par
tIoljty in developing the legs ~ the expense "f
IN. rest Of The body. malicious ana insdiouS
influence upon the heart. brain, lungs and liver
has been attributed TO IT, and the arr or car1ca'-
ure has been employed TO convey alleged truth
by obvious eXaggeration. Ii Is Il satisfaction I'D
500 DIR Hammond and his professional brethren
confronting these reckless charges with me de-
,hcr,,e assertion that there Is no part Of his
phvsical organism which The bicycle rider may
mn, confidently expect TO benefit by moderate
use - this aunlfaIt N'llI'1'. WIN '"ii'~pohu-
ing advantage To his mental and they might
have added. his moral faculties.
We are glad 10 find in the discussion OF last
Thursday evening note of warning not merely
against general excess but against the century
run in PARTICULAR present and growing fad
which subjects Youthful enthusiasts to peculiar
t,mptation But there is one point on which
we should not be extremely sorry 10 convict the
New York doctors Of error. They agree, we be-
love that the hunchback position which tens
Of thousands Of amateurs have copied from pro-
f.ssional wheemen produces no spinal de-
formity or injurious effect upon the vital or
Cans so far rs their observations have extend
cd Therein, unless "Thc London Lancet has
been miSQllocd. they are al variance with That
eminent authority. which has not only diagnosed
n speciHc disorder attributable 10 thai cause. but
given il The appalling name of Kyph0sis B
! cvcljstaIlin II there Is cause for cOngrI lula
lion in the fact that our own medical men have
been able TO find no trace Of such n malady
thcresis also reason Ia fear that their candid
Of riders guilty Of assuming an ugly and IRA
| tlonal posture The Academy Of Medicine does
| not approve indeed II theoretically condemns
the professional stoop; but Its utterances con
tain no warning calculated to deter the thought
| less and the obstinate Aside from this It's YER
kdct 10 altogether satisfactory. The bicycle need