Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-26
Riding Too Fast and Too Far.

1t cannot be too strongly impressed
upon devotees of the wheel. especially
the younger members of the great army
that over exertion at their favorite pas.
time surely carries with it the punish
ment made and provided therefor by
mother nature. The consequent grave
disturbances, which not infrequently cul.
inmate in permanent structural damage
have become we'll marked in the pathol.
ogy of cycling. The most serious OF these
are functional diseases, due to over-pres
sure. OF these there are two specia
forms, one due to travelling at pace IN
excess of the riders circulatory capacity
and another consequent upon cycling
distances beyond his physical standard
The first produces clrculatory failure
often eliminating in syncope, while the
second produces condition closely al.
lied to nervous exhaustion. The diagno.
sis of the first variety is easy and exam.
pies are numerous. The rider suddenly
gets out of breath and falls, painting
from the saddle. His face becomes pal.
lid, or even livid. and cold sweat battles
the skin. In minor cases he RECEIVERS
after a brief rest. but he feels instinct.
lively that he must cut his journey short
In graver cases the circulation fails tC
re-establish itself for some time. and ever
after recovery the heart may continue tt
beat irregularly, and at AN abnOrmaily
This is the origin of many cases of tachy.
cardia. or rapid heart, which are now
recognized as constituting a distinct cat.
egory of heart cases.
The condition engendered by the over
exertion, consequent upon too long ride
| is more insidious. The rider Is often de
ceived by the feeling of buoyancy and ex
| hilaration which is experienced on ar
| irving at his destination. His appetite
| it is true, is not what one would expec
| after such a journey. and his sleep Is dis
| turbed, when. indeed, the night Is no
| given up to an aggressive form of insom
| MIA. characterized by spasmOdic move
ments of the limbs and waking night
| mares. On the following day the tongue
| is dirty and the physical fatigue We.
marked. but a more striking and uncom
forta BILE symptom is what has been called
audible heart" that is to say. the suf
| ferer feels every pulsation. and he is dis
agreeably conscious of the fact that he
has a heart, contrary to the ideal condi
| ton of health. in which a man Is bliss
| fully unconscious of the existence of any
| such things internal organs. A single
days ride may be recovered from, If The
| rider has the chance of taking it easy
| and recuperating at leisure. 1t is afte,
| several consecutive days of such excess
| that signs of impending nervous break
| down make their appearance. The diges
| ton fails, and there Is almost complete
want of appetite: sleep is disturbed. and
even moderate exertion becomes a bur
den. Sometimes, it is trouble with the
spinal cord, or its membranes. which SUI
pervenes; in many cases the kidneys give
out; in other cases it Is the lungs. and Il
dangerous and possibly fatal illness may
thus be inaugurated. Lastly, infiamma-
ton of the veins of the lower eXtremitics
is a common sequel to the abuse of bi-
cycling.