The record-union., 1898-12-05

bot Bassett, Secretary L. A. W., Bos-
ton.
From Nature: The current number
| of THE Lancet" has note interesting
to the vast army of cyclists. After
spin" along a more or less dusty road
the cyclist sometimes experiences dry
and subsequently sore and infiamed
throat Headache and depression often
follow, and the symptoms generally
simulate poisoning Of some kind. When
the bacteriology of road dust is con-
sidered these effects are hardly to be
wondered at. Hundreds Of millions or
bacteria, according to the nature of the
| locality, are found in a gram weight of
dust, and the species isolated have In
Guided well-known pathogenic organ
| isms. Indeed, there can be no reason
for doubling the infective power OF dust
when it is known that among the mic
robes encountered in it are the microbes
of pus, malignant oedema, tetanus,
tubercle and septicaemia. The mischief
to riders, as we'll as pedestrians, would
probably be largely averted if, as ma
ture intended, the respirations were
rigidIy confined to the nasal passages,
and the mouth kept comfortably though
firmly shut AS investigators have
shown, the microbes in the air seldom
pass beyond the extreme end of the
nasal passage, and consequently never
to the larynx or bronchial surfaces. A
useful precaution, therefore, in addi-
tion to exclusively breathing through
the nostrils, would be to douche the
nasal cavity after a dusty run or walk
with weak and slightly warm solu-
tin of some harmless antiseptic.
y
The decision of Judge Whitehorne at
Birmingham, England, on the subject
of wheels damaged by passing vehi-
cles while standing against the curb
caused much satisfaction to bicyclists.
A decision exactly to the contrary has
been given in England by Judge
French, however, and the London
| Daily Telegraph" commenting upon
| it, says: "A cyclist sued a doctor whose
| victoria had smashed UP his tricycle.,
which was left at the side of the road.
| Judge Frenchs decision was for the
defendant, on the ground that the
plaintiff in leaving his machine Enat-
tended, was guilty of contributory neg
| ligence This is, we believe the law
| for carriages, to which class cycles be-
| long; in fact, there is such a complete
absence of common sense about it that
| 1t must be good law. Presumably the
humorists who were responsible for the
enactment pictured to themselves a
man standing by a vehicle, weighing,
perhaps, ton and a half, and, on
seeing it threatened with collision by
a passing cart, quickly lifting it out
of harms way Unless that were the
theory, it is difficult to conceive what
difference in the justice of the case
the presence of the man was supposed
to make Common sense says that if
a vehicle is left against the curb, not
making more than a reasonable OBJ
struction, any one who negligently col
lides with it should be responsible for
the damage done. Law says that un-
less ONE person was in charge of the
carriage, although he could do Moth
ing whatever to avert the accident, the
owner is guilty of contributory negli-
gence, and cannot justify claim for
damages"
Paris cyclists have taken up a new
fad. They hitch behind their wheels
a little car in which passenger may
be carried, and someI of these "trailers''
are elaborate affairs. with BALL bear
ings, pneumatic tires, and fine uphol-
stery. The carriages are useless ex-
cept on level roads, and while handy
for wheelmen with invalid relatives or
friends, are not likely to become pop
ular elsewhere.
One of the "crazes'' among bicyclists
in England nowadays is that for long
cranks. 1t is by no means new, hav-
ing been agitated in the time of the
old high-wheel Ordinary" While it is
obvious that standard length of
crank, say six and one-half inches. is
absurd for all riders. it is a question
whether riders with long legs can use
eight, nine, or ten-inch cranks as we'll
as those of medium length. Some ex-
perts have done so, and have won over
to their side many others; but none is
yet prepared to give unqualified ap-
proval to the long crank. IT is con-
ceded, however. that it is not suitable
for high-speed sprinting; but for main
tanning fairly fast pace without dis
tress is an Improvement upon the
normal crank In the experimenting
with long cranks, however. the aver
age bicyclist has not given them a
true test in putting them on the frame
| intended for the normal crank The
! design of the frame should be ma
terially altered The wheel base should
be heightened. the back forks strength
ened to resist the extra strain caused
by the additional leverage of the long
eranks and the bracket raised to al
low the pedals to safely leave the
ground. In fact. the use of the long
crank means a new type of machine,
which will have TO be carefully con-
structed to meet the strain The sub
iAct has long beer alluded tn % the
s1ong crank craze" but il is likely tn
make more beadway each year. and
the makers may be forced to build
special wheels to meet it.
The reasonableness of an ordinance
prohibiting a person to ride a bicycle
with handle-bars more than four inches
below the top of the saddle is held, in
Moore VS. District of Columbia Cd.
/ C) Al L. r. A 20S. to be a question
of fact to be determined by evidence.
The annual sum to be expended by
the Belgian War Office for the purpose
of buying military folding bicycles has
been increased this year to a practical
showing of the intention of the Min
lister of War to give further ~xtension
to the cycling military detachments.
A foreign racing man says that