The San Francisco call., 1896-07-19
Philosophy Of Speed

advantage in having the sinews fastened
to the bones at greater distance than
usual from the point of articulation OF
the joint. This would serve to give more
leverage and power TO the movement.
Next come the muscles. These, as is
well known, are composed of bundles of
tibers, so fine that they may be compared
to a hair. They are hollow and contain
cells so minute that thousands placed
upon each other would make but an inch.
The arrangement of these fibers and cells
can be Justly compared to gaspipes filled
with hollow balls, fitting closely. Do not
forget these cells within their tubes, as
they will be referred to later.
When man begins exercising (that is,
an average man), the space between the
fibers is filled with albumen, or fat
While continuing this fat begins to dwin-
die away, leaving the muscles free and
untrammeled where otherwise it would
be impossible for him to do his best.
Having now disposed of the minor points
of our argument, we will proceed to
take up the most essential features. The
digestive function has a most important
bearing on an athletes career, and it has a
twofold phase. First, for man to be
strong he must have nourishment-not the
nourishment that dyspeptic gets from q
half -digested meal, but perfect assimila-
ton, where everything that is eaten ''goes
to the right spot" We will all agree that
it would be poor policy to send a ship into
battle or across an ocean with defective
boilers or with poor fuel. In the strain OF
high pressure the boilers should supply
the engines with every pound of steam
they can generate, and this cannot be done
if the tubes are crusted or the coal half
rock.
Digestion is the same; the blood should
be supplied with nutriment as pure and
Strengthening as good food and a thor
ough digestion can furnish. This fact
helps man long way in becoming sue
cessful candidate for championship hon.
ors. But there is another reason why
strong digestive organs are necessary In
a severe race, particularly for a long race,
the stomach, liver, kidneys and bowels
get in distress if they are not in good con-
dition, resulting in sickness at the stom-
ach or pains and aches below the waist
during race, which will throw a man out
of contest quicker than anything 1 know
of. Then constipation or the reverse af-
f1icts many men and interferes with what
would be otherwise, possibly, successful
career-all caused by imperfect digestion
or kindred evils.
We now approach one step nearer the
vital essence of speed and consider the
circulaIory system. This consists of the
heart, lungs and the veins or arterial
system.
Somewhere in the neck, near the collar
bone, surgeons tell us, the nourish-
ment, as prepared by the stomach, enters
the jugular vein and mingles with the
blood. 1t then rushes' back to the heart,
entering one of the chambers, of which
there are four. through valve. The valves
are curious affairs. They are much like a
paper cornucopia or fool soap, with Sits
down the side.
Through these Sits the blood rushes, for
the pressure forces them open, but when
once the chamber is filled they close and
the blood cannot get back. Then the
walls OF the chamber contract and the
blood, which is called venous blood, is
forced into the right ventricle, and from
there to the lungs. 1t is in an impure
condition, most of it having come from all
parts OF the body, and largely carbonic
acid gas. 1t is exposed to the air in the
lungs and the cells are filled with oxygen; !;
then it is sent back to the heart, enters
another chamber through one of those
curious valves spoken of. Next it passes
into cavity Immediately below, known
as the left ventricle.
This is. possibly, the most powerful of
the four chambers of the heart and it is
on this that the great strain of forcing the
blood throughsthe entire arterial system
devolves. greatly impeded, as it is. in its
course by contracting of the muscles. for
1t must penetrate every nook and corner
of the body.
The blood possesses two qualities-par-
ticles of nutriment, which build up the
waste parts of bone, muscle and nerve |;
and oxygen, which nature has ordained