Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-05-23
SCIENTIFIC MATTERS.
SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION
ON IMPORTANT TOPICS.
Wheeling as Beneficial Exercise
for WOmen-The Clevcrnens OF,
Nature-An Incandescent Lamp
Cleaner-ScientificN oles.


told his countrymen how to get the
most healthful results out of bicycle
riding, and now DR.. Just Champion
Mere, the celebrated French physician,
discusses the bearing Of the bicycle
on the female physique. The question
he seeks to solve is: Are women to be
encouraged in the use of the wheel OF
warned to leave it alone. After enum-
Grating the various modes of exercises
available to women, who take almost
invariably too little exercise, Dr.
Champonniere pronounces the bicycle
the ideal instrument for the purpose.
1t entails little exertion; the effort Is
gentle, and the muscles are at no time
in state of great tension. All the
muscles of the body are brought into
play; the legs, and especially the
thigh. are employed in propelllng,
while the the arms and shoulders are
braced against the handle bar, and the
muscles Of the back and loins have
their share of the work. The respira-
tory muscles and those of the thorax
are forced into action in order to keep
pace with the quickened movements
of inspiration and expiration. Finally,
all the muscles of the trunk are
brought into play in maintaining the
equilibrium of the wheel, and herein
lies the great superiority of the bicycle
over the tricycle.. With the latter there
is an infinitely more muscular effort,
and less harmony in movement. Al
though Dr. Champonniere says that
women will find the wheel a perfect
means Of exercise, he sternly con-
dennis the idea of bicycle racing for
women. "Scorcling" by women, he
maintains, cannot be too severely de-
nounced, as it may lead to serious
evils, and irretrievably injure the
health instead of building it up. If
wheeling is kept within wise limits,
it will give to women a muscular de-
velopment which many of them sadly
need; it will improve the general
health, and radically modify many
forms of malaise engendered by too
sendentary life. 1t gives, besides,
suppleness to the figure and precision
and address to the movements, anu
cultivates courage and quickness OF
eye. Wheeling, too, is one OF the few
sports in which husband and wife
and their offspring can all participate
at the same time, and with equal ben
eft. Women should be very careful
not to do too much at the start. The
lessons at first should not be too long
or too frequent. No long rides should
be taken, and no climbing should be
done, except on the gentlest gradients.
A long time should be taken to habitu-
ate the muscles to the new exercise,
and even after she is Injured to the
exertion the woman who contemplates
series of long rides should enter a
course Of gradual training. The golden
rule for the female bicyclist is moder-
alton. Fast riding not only requires
more energy, but is too great strain
on the heart. Women, TOO, are more
prone than men to extreme eXhaus-
ton, muscular palms, general malaise,
and the form of fever arising from
the abuse of exercise. Chilling after
being heated should be carefully
guarded against. After showing that
the wheel hardens and enlarges the
muscular system in a surprising man
ner, and remarkably augments the
power of resistance to fatigue, DR..
Champonniere says: 'For any young
woman, wideawake and not too heavy,
the bicycle is the ideal exercise. But
will 20 further. The wheel not only
gives benefit and not injury to the fe-
male rider, but it will be used in many
maladies, especially those resulting
from retarded powers of nutrition.
From the wheel we shall expect the
cure of host of nervous symptoms,
which now cause us so much embar-
rassment in our treatment of women.
because we are at loss for suitable
form of muscular activity. For ten
dency to obesity, for instance, the
wheel is the finest remedy available"