Bicycling Is Healthful

New York Sun: The New York Academy of Medicine swung into line with the bicycle entlmsiasts last nigbt, and, although its speakers discussed the sport from a medical standpoint, and spoke incidentally of spinal diseases, appendicitis, and affeetious of the heart and lungs, without exceptiou they indorsed the wheel. Every physician who discussed the question was a bicyclist himself, and told what bicycle riding had done for him, and how lie had gauged his heart pulsations and his lungs and liver after riding. Then each speaker told of the effects of riding as observed in his patients. T)r Graeme M. Hammond, whofences very well and rides a bicycle as an amateur, set the pace for the discussion by reading a paper on "The Influence of the bicycle in health or in disease." Among other things Dr. Hammond said : "There is hardly an organ in the body that may not be influenced by the proper or improper uses of the wheel. There are no statistics available on this subject, and I have been obliged to depend solely on dij own observations. I have compiled a few statistics from cases within my reach. I have examined fourteeu amateur riders who have been riding a bicycle from five to fifteen years, and who have ridden during that time from 5,000 to 27,000 miles. These examinations have shown that the average chest expansión of these riders was 1 4-7 inches. The chest of the average man expande one inch. It is senerallv believed tliat it expanda three inches, but this is a mistake. The average age of these amateurs was 31 years. My examinations showed tbat the heart was usually hypertrophied without dilatation. Their lung capacity had uudoubtedly been increased by bicycle riding. This is an age of interest in physical development, and I believe fchat the bicycle is probably the greatest factor in that result. It induces a condition of cardiac and pulmonary development when used properly. "It is usually claimed by those who condemu the wheel that it develops the muscles of the leg at the expense of the rest of the body. This is not so. It urings all the muscles into play. A good deal has been said, also, about the injurious effect on the spinal column, of riding a bicycle. I liave examined fourteen professional riders, seven of whom are among the fastest in this country. They are men who ride a wheel bent over in a racing posture. In no case did I flnd any deformation of the spinal column. They were all well built and muscular. I found that they all bad excessive development of the musclesof the thigh. These men who ride at racing speed doubled up hke jackknives had as good heart and lung development as the fourteen amateurs who rode sitting upright on their wheels. Their average age was 27 years. I found that their average chest expansión was one and three-seventh inches ; their hearts were hypertrophied, and there was an extraordinary development of the dominal and thigh muscles. Zimmerïnan's chest expansión was one and one-quarter inches, and Wheeler's was one and seveii-eighths inches. "Excessiye work on the wheel is inurious for the average man. This is jartieularly tme of young lads. In heir case the chest development isliketo be arrested. A youtli who caniiot ride properly ought not to be permitted to ride. It bas been said tbat sotne cases of appendicitis were due to bicycle riding. I have been unable to find the relationship of cause and effect between e two." Dr. Hammond condemned the pracce oL century 100-mile races that ome men and even women engaged in. Excessive and exhaustive exercise is ujurious to bealtli," he said. "In certain diseased conditions of the heart proper exercise on a bicycle may be of great advantage. No one, however, who suiïers from heart trouble in any form should ride unless advised to do so by a physician. Bicycle ñding can canse as well as cure cardiac tion. It depends on the condition of tbe heart and the marmer in which the rider takes liis exercise. In abnormal pulmonary eonditions also the abnormal use of tlie wheel is injurious. ïhere are conditions of gout and diabetes that are benefited by bicycle riding. I liave prescribed it with good results in cases of gout. Experience lias shown me that bicycle riding for the healthy individual is one of the most useful and pleasant forma of exercise." Half a dozen of the physicians ent indorsed Dr. Harnmoncrs paper f rom their ovvn experienee. "It must be adinitted," said Dr. A. D. Ilocktfell, "that we are a drug-ridden people. Altliough an ardent advocate of cycling, I do not want to be understood to advocate it without restrictions. One forni which is accornpanied by severe consequences is overstraining. I should advise people of middle age to have their hearts examined before beginning to ride a bicycle. I ride a wheel myself, and I have recoinmended it to some of my patients. I have known cases of fundamenta] heart disease to be beneflted by it. I have also found it a great help to the man with the lazy liver. It is not an exercise, however, that should be iudulged in recklessly." Dr. S. D. Powell admitted that lie rodeawheelalso. "I am a believer in the bicycle," be said. "I began riding in May". My boy said to me one day, whenl hadcriücisedtïiewheel, 'Idon't believe you could ride fiiteen feet. l'll bet you $15 you can't.' Well, I went up town and learned, and I wou tb at $15. I began riding in May and since tben I have reduced my weight twentysix pounds and my age twenty-six years. At least I feel youuger and better foi ït. It furnisbes the greatest amouut of physical culture with the greatest eninvmpnt at the least cost oL any cise that I know. A well girl or boy may ride a wheel as safely as they may walk. I can't see how the posture of a man on a wheel, for at the most, two or three hours a day eau influence the growth of the spinal organistn." Dr. William Polk was another bicycle rider who was called upon to say sometliing. Several of the other physicians present knew that lie rode a wheel, because they had seen him mounted on one in Paris last summer. He said he had suggested it to several of his patients with beneficial results. Dr. Van Fleet raised a protest by saying: "I consider early morning, say about 5 o'clock or earlier, is the best time to take bicycle exercise." When lie began to talk about the dew on tlie grass and the early birds twittering their glad notes of welcome to the ris ing sun at this hour, the other physi cians did take exception. They protested bowever, on 5 o'clock rides, and parti cularly as prescriptions Lor theniselves Dr. H. Holbrook Curtis said tliu many bicycle riders made a mistake in ridingwith their mouths open. Thej should breathe thronght their noses "Women," he said, "ride with toolow a saddle, so that they may have little difficultym mountingl and dismounting." Dr. Curtís believed that the fault ia the bicyele rider's posture could be eliminated by higher handle bars, so that the rider would not be forced to stoop over.