The record-union., 1895-09-02
THE CASE OF THE WHEEL
SUMMED UP.

a young man died the other day in
San Francisco. and physician who was
called late into the case certified the death
to have been the result of cerebro-spinal
meningitis, induced by riding the bicy-
Gle. This has led several of the San
Francisco papers to consult with large
number of physicians of Oakland and
San Francisco concerning the dangers OF
thus one of common discussion and in
terest. Nearly all of the professional
gentlemen reported are of superior
medical reputation in their communi-
ties from their learning and their ex-
tended experience. 1t is to be said that
these doctors quite evenly divide on the
question of the benefits of the bicycle
compared with its dangers.
We have carefully gone over all these
interviews in the papers, and the con-
elusions we reach are these:
l. The doctors who do not ride the
wheel. and have not ridden it, aud do
not know from experience what it's liar"
is, are a unit in condemning the jolt or
jar of the wheel, and compare it with
that tremblor motion which induces dis
ease OF the spine among railroad men
who ride hundreds of miles at stretch
upon trains.
2. The doctors who have ridden or do
rids'the wheel are unit that the jolt is
not Of the kind experienced upon trains,
that Is is nowhere SO severe, nor is it of
the trsmblor order except when the BIZ
Cycle ia ridden over cobbled streets, nor
is the wheel jar go bad as or at all COM
parable with that of the buggy in which
one rides over cobbled pavements.
3. About five-eighths of the doctors
think bicycle riding on the whole bad for
anyone. and that brisk walking is better
exercise. OF this hve-eighths, over half
frankly say that they have had no cases
to treat as yet from bicycling. The other
half have had cases due to riding about
equally divided between falls and bruises
and to riding without falls, such as in
juries to the heart, spine, kidneys, nerves
and generative functions. In no instance
does any doctor state the relation OF the
number Of such cases to the number Of
cases OF the same order induced by other
causes than bicycle riding. That so i'm
portant an element in the consideration
of the question should have been omitted
Is little strange. But many of the doc
tors do state that the proportion OF com
plants from bicycling to the whole num-
Der using the bicycle is small. one doc
tor, however, thinks that the wheel is
rapidly wheeling thousands OF people to
their graves. and he goes SO fer as to say
that when one mounts bicycle he takes
one spadeful of earth from his grave.
!. Three-eighths Of the doctors COM
mend the wheel, because, in moderation,
it is healthful exercise, and gets people
out of doors. They say that they have
aot noted any undue proportion of ills
resulting from use OF the wheel; that
their observation has been extended, and
that it proves to them that if one in
thousand has spinal or other trouble from
excessive riding, it is not thereby proved
that the benefits are not greater than the
injuries, because the same objection could
be raised to horseback. buggy and other
riding, and even to walking. Some OF
these doctors are expert bicyclists, and
ridioule the idea of spinal meningitis re-
suItiug from moderate riding.
5. Seven-eighths of the doctors agree
that excessive bicycle riding is bad. and
they condemn it precisely as they do ex-
cessIve exercise of any kind.
s. All the physicians agree that those
with unsound hearts and lungs should
refrain from any use of the wheel at all.
7. Two-thirds of the doctors agree that
for women the wheel has more dangers
than for men. More than one-half con-
denim it for women wholly. but the others
aorae that in many cases used in modera-
ton q woman may enjoy the wheel with
ont harm. and in not few cases receive