The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-15
FOR FOOTBALL ALARMIsTs.
Authentic Figures That Are Calcu-
lated to Cool the Fevered Fancy.
c,or%;,o Na-,.

1t sounds a bit early to talk much foot
ball, but the preliminary practice of the
candidates for the college light and heavy
infantry opens this week with the assem-
bling of the Pennsylvania gladiators And
the alarmist is ready to raise the long
yell with the first report of a sprained
ankle. even In these preparatory Skin
mishes. Football is rough and will never
supplant ping-pong and sewing circles for
parlor entertainment, but its enemies are
much given to hysterdcal imaginings. 1t
jnspection few carefully collected facts,
which. pasted in the hat, are warranted to
cool the fevered fancy which sees in foot
ball a more portentious curtailer of popu-
lation than the race suicide" agitation.
At the end of last season Professor Edwin
G.. Dexter, OF the University of Illinois,
made the most thorough and impartial
collection of football statistics ever I'M
dertaken in this country. He was anxious
TO get at the truth regarding the acct
dents and dangers of college football, and
his tabulated queries were answered by
the presidents or other responsible off,
GERS of more than seventy universities and
colleges. Some of the results were sur
prisng even to the most ardent defenders
of the game. who had been misIed by SEN
sational newspaper exaggerations. The
reports covered the period of the last ten
years, during which time no less than
% 776 students had played football in the
institutions enumerated. During the dec
ade the number of men injured suffi-
GENTLY to lose time from their classes was
60l, the permanently injured number only
eight and only three men were reported
as having died from the effects OF the
game One of these fatalities was due TO
disobedience of the physical directors or
ders, and another played a hard game
with no preliminary training. OF a few
permanent injuries reported four men ul-
timately recovered. As a sample of the
INSTRUMENTATION which has been directed
of PLAYERS injured last season. who were
given newspaper notoriety, and hailed as
Victims" twelve were in no way inca
FACILITATED for work, and every one was on
his feet by the end OF the season
The statistics one large accident in
surance company contain some interest
ing football reading. In five years there
were 43 claims paid for injuries received
in football. as compared with 10 claims
paid for temporary disabilities received
in playing tennis. % in golf. IS in skating.
"a i'm gymna Sums. IL in bowling 90 in
wrestling, 81 in swimming. 216 fin baseball
26l in horseback riding and II in boxing
About one college student in ten plays
football in this country. and the number
is constantly increasing. Several years
ago there was a hue and cry in England
against rowing. as shortening the lives of
the oarsmen and causing many perma-
nent injuries. Exhaustive Investigation
showed that from total of 294 oarsmen
who had rowed in the Oxford or Cam
bridge Fights i'm forty-five years, 255 were
still alive and OF these 1f5 described
themselves as benefited, 162 uninjured and
of the IL who reported injuries 1t was
found that all had gone into races with
out preliminary training. A similar can