The athletic life in its relation to degenerative changes in the cardiovascular system / by Robert E. Coughlin.

  • Coughlin, Robert Emmet.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The athletic life in its relation to degenerative changes in the cardiovascular system / by Robert E. Coughlin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    valescence from acute illness was a very important precaution. On the whole, the trend of opinion among British medical men was distinctly favorable to athletics under proper condition and supervision. H. H. Riddle of Cambridge University, Eng- land, believes that the athlete, if he has been sensibly trained and has not noticeably overstrained his powers in his youth, has the best chance of a healthy and active old age. In reference to the difficulty ex- perienced by British authorities in obtaining phys- ically strong recruits for the army a writer has the following to say: “It seems to be at least gener- ally recognized that the mind is not likely to be healthy unless the body is in sound condition.” An American writer states that New York City has more than 200,000 young aspirants for record- breaking honors in its Public School Athletic League. In the country at large are about 10,000,000 amateur athletes, a large proportion of whom are still in the growing age. Dr. Brooks of Oxford says that in coming to any conclusion as to the precise value of athletics in causing morbidity of the heart it is necessary to know the history of the patient under examina- tion, as excessive smoking, abuse of alcohol, glut- tony, insufficient rest—any or all might enter into a young man’s life and produce exactly the same symptoms as were attributed to athletics. Dr. Moritz had a good opportunity to study the hearts of several wrestlers after severe exertion which their occupation demands. In no case was there any dilatation of the heart, and like results were noted in several bicycle riders {Milnchener nied. Woch., June 23, 1908). Indeed, Moritz claimed to have noted even a diminution in the heart follow- ing moderate or severe exertion. The possibility