Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1902-09-27
BICYCLE NOTIONS.
They Hardly Apply 60 the Use Of the wheel
In Moderation.

They Hardly Apply 90 the Uso OF tho wheel
In Moderation.
While not few physicians have fall
On victims to the bicycle craze, tho
profession Is not backward In pointing
out some of the injurious effects OF too
much riding or constant use OF the
wheel. "Since the machine has become
popular here" remarked q physician
whose name Is among the popular leo
turers at medical collegeG, the other
day, more cases of spinal trouble
have come to the notice of the profess
Won than ever before and not few Of
cheese are Of peculiar nature that no
doubt are due to the position acquired
by the victims while on the wheel.
Then there is at present q greater num-
Der of persons troubled with pigeon
toes and the bicycle walk than there
were few years ago" In explaining
these new physical deformities which
the extreme use Of the bicycle is rapid.
ly producing, the learned M. D. con-
tinued:
1.-THE constant revolving motion OF
the feet and lower legs as they turn
the pedals has given to the gait Of
those people who are much addicted to
the bicycle a peculiar turn, which Is
known as tho bicycle walk. Those
who remember the days Of the roller
skating craze will probably recall the
effect that exercise had on the gait Of
those who practiced 1t, particularly
the gait of some of the young ladies of
the age to be easily affected. They
took on at once a rolling, swinging,
half-gliding, rhythmical step that re.
sembled the motion of roller skating
as closely as could be by any one not
on rollers. So it will be with the
bicycle walk. except that instead of
being only temporary popularity, 1t
threatens to become permanent
"The bicycling walk is nothing more
or less than the pedaling motion OF tho
wheel applied to the walk, but it gives
to person who has it decidedly pc
culiar appearance Notice a cyclist
who is afflicted. It will be seen that
when he lifts his back foot in walking
he does not put it straight ahead. but
carries it back little, as he would
have to in following the pedals, and
then swings it high, almost up to- the
calf of the other leg, before sending it
forward. The pigeon-toeing comes In
there, also, and causes the sufferer
from bicycle walk to interfere after
the manner of horses. The interior
ence comes higher up, though, because
of the upward swing of the foot as 1t
goes forward.
"The pigeon-toeing is accounted for
by the position of the feet on the ped
ais. There the toes turn in and down
and the heels up and out, the pressure
being borne on the ball of the foot.
''Among the racing men the bicycle
walk is most noticea BILE, OF course. 1t
has taken them in much worse form
than ii. has the ordinary cyclist and ex.
tends to the swing Of the arms and the
carriage of the head The elbows Of q
racing man bend out from the body, as
q result of having to bear his weight
as he leans far over the handle bars,
and gives him the appearance Of being
bow-legged as to his arms. The neck
and head are projected forward, too.
and the face wears that strained, anx.
ious expression of man who wants to
get there as soon as possible.
1.-THE bicycle habit, il persisted in"
he says, twill make US all knock-kneed
and as pigeon-toed as our native red
men. Pretty much everybody of the
present generation rides wheel, or is
just about to begin. Therefore, pretty
much everybody Of the present genera
ton will be knock-kneed or pigeon
toed or will be affected with the BIZ
cycle waikiki. Y. Telegram.