Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-02
PENN, PIONEER IN SCHEME
TO GUARD ATHLETIC HEART
Yale Is Latest College to Protect
Athletes From Effects of
Contests.
TO PHOTOGRAPH VITAL ORGAN
Statistics Will BE Compiled Covering
Rowing and Other Sports-Pcnn-
sylvania Was First TO Make Tests
on Its Oarsmen.

PHILADELPHIA. March AT the
close of the, Poughlteepsie ana New
London regattas this year the college
world VIII have at Its disposal the most
complete set OF vital statistics ever
collected concerning rowing and Its
effect upon the heart and organs. The
announcement that Yale has decided to
make physical examination of every
member of the rowing squad brings
The last OF the big universities into the
agreement to help collect these sta
hstics The other universities which
VIII do 1t are Pennsylvania. Cornell,
Columbia. Harvard and Syracuse
The University Of Pennsylvania was
the pioneer I'm the effort to find out
Just what effect rowing has on stu
came so acute against the alleged evil
efects OF the four-mile race. the Penn
Sylvania authorities decided to put
II TO test This was in addition to
their decision to have the leading oars
men vaccinated against typhoid fever.
AS soon as the Pennsylvania oars
X. Tait Nc kenzie, the physical direc-
tor, took the leading varsity men and
made the most careful examination OF
the heart and other viIal organs, in
particular charting the size of the
heart. In Il short time these oarsme n
VIII he examined again, and the exami-
nations Will be repeated from time to
time as the season progresses. most
OF the examinations being made after
important races
Different physical directors Will use
slightly different methods to deter
mine the effect of rowing. The Yale
plan Is TO take photographs to detect
sniargemcni OF the III, art ;Iypertro-
pnS, or enlargement Of the heart is
what all the experts are looking for
BUT few really expect to find that row
ing VIII produce the unfortunate re-
- fns Ia.
tcrs This is because of the great
care taken by the athletic authorities
OF Of the hlE nnlversities. Before a man
other major sport he is Obliged to pass
4 nhysicni eNaminntion in which the
tha a nrdSe Summed Should
the candidate is not permitted 10 take
to- t GIape' nrssr 5GISMhE hn. is
cises 10 strengthen the heart.
Phyriclans Are Divided.
sn Even ,pnysisians are divided on the
heart All are agreed that connpcti-
hon thn h In rowing h and track does enlarge
insist that this need not be detrimene
tai to a mans health, particularly If
ne kGeps up some form, of exercise
Or. Mckenzie insists that the heart is
an automatic organ, which. If properly
trained. responds 10 any strain put
The late Mike Murphy, who was
America's greatest trainer. made "A So
ries Of experiments on the enlnrgeme n I
of an athletes heart in conjunction
with ono Of the leading physicians of
this city. They first took an untraincd
athlete and had him run half a mile
IN about six minutes. marking the out
line of his heart before and after his
e1ort. They found that the heart had
diiated considerably. Then they took
Il trained athlete and had him run half
mile In fast time, making the same
investigation They found that there
was hardly any dilation at all.
From these and other experiments
they concluded that vigorous exercise
taken IN moderation cnlarges the heart
apprcciably. but very gradually, and
that there is a very pronounced and
athlete is submitted to a severe strain.
FROM that time on Murphy simDlv
laughed at stories OF the athletic
What these Investigations, conducted
simultaneously at SO many universities.
are likely TO show is that the average
colicse man can train for a three or
Il two-mile race more easily than FOR
the four-mile event. This is because
OF inc belief that Il four-mile race re-
luires man older than the average
college, man. and for several years of
preliminary training which most col
lege men do not get In prepare ory