The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-29

ShIn Clldln upDA Allclli to be harmful to his future health 2''
 A canvas was made of the men who have rowed in the University of Pennsylvania crews from 1S77-the first erew-down to the present year, and the result, instead of showing an in creased mortality among oarsmen, dem onstrates that they are an uncommonly healthy set of men. Out of the 1l3 men who mace up the Pennsylvania crews during the period, all but two are alive and ill good health to-day. These two died of typhoid fever, and their deaths can be in no way attributed to rowing. These facts contradict any amount of theory regarding the harm ful effects of rowing. Of the whole number of 11S, nine have not been heard from for several years, but the Alumni Assoeiat ton is authority for the fact that they are still alive. Full particulars
 regarding all the others were easily as certaina ble
 E Aside from the two men who are dead, there are also two men who have some doubt as to whether rowing was a bene.:t to them. but all of the remain 2ttGo AAlCil cl1C olill OCNOlCCo O1 llAN cktoA V and large part of them can be found annually at the boat races.
 These two men who are not sure whether rowing did them any harm are F. l. Sterns and R. H. Eisenbrey.
 Sterns. on 1896 rowed in both the varsity and the freshman races, and in the fall he was taken down with appen-
 dicitis, which may have been caused by
 he unusual strain to which he was sub jected. but the causes of the disease of the appendix are so vague in the minds of the doctors that it is an open ques- tion whether his case should be att tributed to the oar. Eisenbrey was forced to quit this year on account of the weakness of his heart, which his physician claimed to have been due to the strain of rowing. Only one p1ysi- clan has as yet examined Eisenbery, and it is by no means certain that his heart has been really affected.
 Dr, Morgan, in 1873, made up statistics os the men who had taken part in the Oxford Cambridge races from 1929 to 1869, and his results are about the same as those obtained from the University II OI F SIlllSt ztOtcl
 O. 294 oarsmen, 255 were still alive in l 1873, and of these 115 described them
 selves as benefited 162 as uninjured, and IF said, with reservations, that they I had been injured. Of these IT cases all
 were found to have gone into races without the proper preliminary training, or to have rowed while they were re- covering from illness or were otherwise l in poor health.
 \ A prominent member of the faculty oi the University of Pennsylvania medical action of athletes. He has examined g large number of men in athletics, espec- ially rowing men, and he has come to l the conclusion that no man in perfect health. who has been properly trained is injured by rowing, but that on the I contrary his heart is so strengthened that, with a moderate amount of exer.
 else after he has finished his active row. ! ing career, there is no reason, so far as 1 the heart and lungs are concerned, thai
 he should not live to a very old age.
 The heart" said he, lis both a very delicate and a very strong organ-tfa Lis if it is well developed it will stand ar enormous amount of strain without any permanent injury. but if it is not vel
 developed it is very easily weakened I Violent exercise, like rowing, places z great deal of strain on the heart, be. fcause when the body is being exerted lit requires So much more pressure t .I force the blood through the body. Like lany other muscle that is worked, tht st heart under the added labor, become! larger, and most athletes have extrs large hearts. just as they also have l larger muscles throughout the body. If the strain is put upon the hear \ suddenly it dilatesit becomes larger #l but more muscular and that is tho l danger in athletics. If man exercise: l gradually then his heart also increase in size gradually because the muscle
 become larger and this is a perfectl.
 normal condition. It simply means tha
 the athlete has stronger heart thai
 the average and one that can cope witt
 the extra strain that is put upon it. I
 man needs a larger heart to row a rac
 and if gradual exercise has so providet I him with one then he can safely under
 go the most severe tests.