The Dickinson press., 1895-02-23
TAo Eject ON Vital Organs OF Ex-
cess in Athletics.

The Alumni Association of the Phil-
adelphia College Of Pharmacy held the
fourth Of its monthly social meetings
In the museum Of the college yesterday
afternoon. The programme prepared
by the committee had for its special
feature q lecture by DR.. y. Il. Rousscl,
Of the Medico- Chir,lrgical college, ell
titled Exercise aud Over-EXercise,
With Especial Reference to Athletics"
DIR. Roussel began his lecture with a
description of Protoplasm, the soft
jelly-like principle Of animal organic
matter, and which forms the muscles.
"Of the muscles" he said, there are
two kinds in the higher animalS-stri-
ated or corrugated and non-striated-
the non-striatcd existing in the inter-
nal organs and independent of will;
the striated, those of the outer body,
which are entirely controlled by the
will. The life of the muscle depends
closely upon good supply of nutri-
ment from the blood; if this is cut of
for any length Of time it loses the
power Of contraction. which returns,
however, with renewal of the blood
supply. Extreme eXertion cuts off this
supply, and it is therefore obvious that
prolonged ard violent exercise is more
deleterious than beneficial"
''As result Of all forms of severe
exertion the heart" Or. Rousscl Went
on to say, "becomes so dilated with
blood that it is no longer able I'd re-
spond; especially Is this so Of the right
side, and it may or may not be re-
stored by rest, but permanent Lessons
are often the result 1t is an establish
ed fact that athletes have larger hearts
than other men. Next to The heart the
kidneys are most likely to be affected
by continued and violent exercise, the
too rapid cooling of the body resulting
in congestion. OF thirty-four athletes
examined four showed organic disease
of the heart; four albumen of the urine
and six were suffering from Bright
disease.
Speaking of those diseases which call
for an unusual action OF the heart, he
said that in any such case he would
rather have a patient who had never
had any sort Of physical training, as
the heart. as a rule. was perfectly
sound and would respond ut once to
remedial agents. Still he believes in
physical culture, but points out the ne.
cessity of carrying 1t on in moderation
and considers it Il requisite preliminary
to all athletic exercise that the person
he thoroughly examined by physician
and that he does nothing that is beyond
his power of endurance.
"The food of an athlete should be of
the most nutritious and easily e,igestcd
Kind" said he, and for the man in
training he suggested animal food as
best. THE English people" he con-
tinued, "have always been brought for
ward as Il proof Of the fact that all
forms Of athletic sports could only be
productive of beneficial results. But
the phlegmatic English temperament
Is the best possible rrecaution against
excesses in this direction.
Cricket is Il mild game compared
witt base ball. and even foot ball is
not played in England with the vio-
lence that characteriAes it in America.
1t Is my firm conviction that we should
practice exercise for health or pleasure
and avoid the dangerous exercise
which it seems is becoming far too
prevalent"
He reiterated the necessity of using
discretion in the matter Of exercise,
and to a question as 10. what is the
best exercise he answered.: THE best
all-round exercise is walking. 1t is the
exercise that every one can take, and
the one that calls into play every mus
Gle in the body. But even this, he
added, "may be carried to excess. and
every one should guard against walk
ing until they are completely done up
rs much as they would avoid trying to
perform, on first going into Il gynlna.
SUM, the feats of an experienced ah-
ete."-Philadciphia Press.