The record-union., 1895-09-02
PHYSICIANS VIEWS ON THE WHEEL.
DR.. Cluness Strongly Favors 1t i
Properly Used.
What DIR. Gardner and Some Other
San Francisco Doctors Say
on the Subject.


suited from overriding the bicycle act
in other words, that he rode his machine
to the grave.
This is possible indeed, quite likely.
People go to their graves every day from
abuse of the body. Some eat toe much,
others drink too much, others smoke
cigarettes too much, and others indulge
too much in all manner of excesses. NO
doubt many youths ride too much on
BICYCLES. From twenty-five to thirty
miles a day-which the Oakland young
man is said to have covered-is too much
for anyone. The Bay papers are now
airing the opinions of doctors on the
subject.
One of those interviewed is DR.. w. X.
Cluness, formerly OF this city, physi-
clan of forty years or more OF steady
practice in his profession. On being
asked the other day to give his opinion
on the subject, he remarked that the cer
titicate of DR.. Woolsey declaring bicycle
riding to be the cause OF cerebral spinal
meningitis, from which came the death
OF the young man in Oakland, is the first
information that the bicycle causes dis
ease that has reached him from a reputa-
bic authority.
Notwithstanding this compliment to
DIR. Woolsey's ability, DR.. Cluness does
not agree with all the conclusions OF the
Oakland surgeon. Indeed he cannot con-
ceive that cerebral spinal meningitis
could be produced by the jar Of a bicycle:
Dr. Cluness has never in his practice had
q case of disease that in his opinion
might be attributed TO the bicycle.
Il believe in the use of the bicycle" he
said, ''for l regard the exercise as bene-
fetal to the physical condition of the
rider. The bicycle may be abused, just
as whisky or wine or bread or bread or
beef or any other good thing may be
abused, and whatever evils come from
the bicycle are due to abuse and not to
rational use. The bicycle affords fasci
mating exercise. 1t is TO many novel.
Hence people, particularly the young,
are inclined to excessive riding, and the
overexertion may do some injury.
But the injury to the few from abuse
of the bicycle is much more than COM
pensated by the benefits to the many
from its proper use. Suppose even that
one person should die from overriding,
the lives OF 100 are prolonged by reason
able riding. The bicycle has come TO stay,
and believe II brings with il no ills that
in any degree compare with its benefits.
referring to the case in Oakland,
while l regard DR.. Woolsey as equally
strong with myself-much stronger very
likely cannot understand how spinal
meningitis could be produced by the jar
of riding bicycle. Meningitis is the in
nammAtion OF membrane. l cannot
conceive that membrane can be irri-
tated by the motion OF bicycle. Among
trainmen there is a disease known as
railroad spine, that comes from the con-
stant jar OF the locomotive or the car upon
the rails.
"a person regularly riding long dis
tances oyer the cobbles might acquire a
disorder similar to railroad spine, though
l doubt 1t; but such disease would not
be meningitis, but a disorder of the
nerves. Railroad spine is a nervous not
an inflammatory disease. My faith in
the benefit of the bicycle is not shaken,
and l have no fear OF the development of
diseases from use of the wheel"
DR.. Gardner, Chief Surgeon of the
Southern Pacific Company, another for
mer Sacramentan, says: 'I am hardly in
position to speak of the use or abuse Of
the bicycle, as comparatively few cases
have come under my attention. although
III the past few days there have reached
my notice more injuries and more pa
tients from riding bicycle than from the
railroad. | should consider the wheel
highly injurious TO children, especially
any afflicted with any organic disease or
who are prone to consumption. The
constant jolt over cobble-stone pavements
of the city streets must, in my opinion.
tend to destroy the tissue between the
VertebrR of the spinal column, Country
riding should not be nearly SO injurious
as riding over the stone pavements of a
city. / must Confess" concluded DIR:
Gardner Il am not very well posted re-
garding the wheel, as l have never tried
it myself"
DR.. w. L. McNutt declares that he is
not a bicyclist "That will do for
younger men," said he. but am in favor
of the use of the bicycle, not unequivo-
cslly-still L think it is a good healthy
exercise. If bicycling will induce people
to go out OF doors, 10 keep out, to tax o
plenty of exercise and 10 appreciate the
benefits of outdoor exertion, it will do q
great service AS for bicycling doing
any harm, why should it? Ii people are
indiscreet, take excessive exercise. over
tax their strength, they will feel bad ef-
fects, just as from an over-indulgence in
any other physical exercise, but with or
dinary care no harm need be feared.
THE case of the young man Northey
or Giles is interesting, but not proved:
that is to say, not proved against
the bicycle. Railway spine,' as it is
called, Is caused by much severer jolting
than any bicycle rider would receive.
The shock from riding the wheel is far
less than from riding in a train. The air
filled tires makes 1t slight. People with
weak hearts or unsound lungs should not
ride. For healthy people OF sedentary
habits cycling is an excellent exercise"
81 do not ride yet, but / am going to
ride" was the way in which DR.. Martin
kegensburger expressed his personal ap-
proval of cycling. - do not believe that
the shock Of riding bicycle will produce
railway spine' Ii a man were TO jun .
on and off necessarily he might get the
disease, particularly if he were predis-
posed TO il; but the action of riding is the
same as walking. except that a little moro
exertion Is needed. l know many doc
tors who ride, and l am going to be one
OF them soon. DR.. Kerr, Dr. Nadsworth,
Dr. Leng field. all 90 in for bicycling. L
have never yet had to treat case of dis
ease arising from bicycling, and do not
believe that under normal conditions BIZ
cycling will produce any disease"
DIR. W. A. Martin has been riding a
wheel for fourteen years. he said: THE
moderate use of bicycle is commend
able lis excessive use is dangerous and
is apt TO bring on heart trouble. Excess
siye exercise of any kind will produce dis
astrous results. l have owned and used
q bicycle for many years and have found
riding splendid stlmulant. AS | have
never cverdone the thing have not suf-
fered any evil effects
Other physicians have also been inter-
viewed. Some unqualifiedly object to
the wheel, while others say they only
know of its alleged evils from hearsay.
METEOROLOGICAL