The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-01-20
HARD ON THE HEART
GERMAN PHYSICIAN FINDS FAULT
WITH OUR ELEVATORS.
Advises Walking Downstairs, but Says
Use Elevator Going Up, as II In
doubtedly Helps TO Save the
Organs Of Life.

W #"*# - w. W. ~IN
A German physician who has been
visiting this country is said TO have
declared that riding In our swift eleva-
tors is the cause OF the increase of
heart trouble In this country. He holds
the involuntary catching of the breath
when the elevator starts or stops as
responsible.
Far from causing injury to the
heart" says the Independent. "eleva-
tors have spared that important or
gan much unnecessary strain. There is
probably nothing harder on the heart
than the going up many flights Of
stairs. The pumping OF blood through
tightly contracted muscles during the
process OF lifting the body up to a
height IS one OF the hardest that the
heart can have.
"Men who are suffering from heart
disease have been kept at work and
enabled to do their work longer be-
| cause of the presence of the elevator
than by any advance that there is In
therapeutics. While the elevator is
thus so important an adjunct for the
heart so far as going upstairs Is con.
cerned, It is probable that most peo-
pie would be benefited by walking
downstairs occasionally.
"a distinguished German authority
in the treatment Of obesity has recon
mended walking downstairs rather
rapidly as probably the best possible
means OF taking of the surplus tissue
and particularly that which collects In
the abdominal region and Is hard to
move by ordinary forms OF exercise
such as walking and the like. The
gentle jolting motion tends to lead "a
the r%eabsorption OF the fatty material
that Is accumulated. Some American
physicians have tried the suggestion
on a number OF patients with report
ed success.
Besides this there IS probably nj
better exercise for tho ankle joints
than that OF coming downstairs. On,
of the most frequent sources OF com
plant Of extreme fatigue and o
achy feelings that are often supposed
to be rheumatic is the yielding O
the arch of the foot with a tendenc,
to the development of Indebtedness
This has grown very common in re
g n years, mainly because OF thu
small amount of brisk exercise OF tn.
feet that men take.
We do much standing. often stand
ing even on long rides, but little rap
Id walking. The consequence is tina
the muscles which normally hold tn,
joints of the ankle firmly together be
come flabby and allow the gradua
disappearance OF the arch and tn,
relaxation OF the ligaments Of tn,
ankle joints. Many people wear fiat
foot braces for this, and in advanced
cases such a crutch is probably nee
essary.
In most cases, and particularly a
the beginning of yielding OF the arcl
1t would be much better IL exercises
were practiced to restore the strength
and frmness and contour OF the arcl
rather than support il by artificial
means. The elevator has taken ava!
the exercise for the feet that used Il
be obtained In going up and com
ing down the stairs. SO far as IL is o
use in facilitating ascent in the hlgl
buildings ii Is an advantage. IL woult
be probably much better. however. |
II were not used so much for comm,
down.